ON LOCATION: HARRODSBURG, KENTUCKY

For any of you golfers looking to get an early start on the golf season, Harrodsburg may be the place for you. On Thursday, March 7, 2002, The Waynedale News decided to follow 5 other south side residents on a four-day golf outing.

Harrodsburg is a small Kentucky town just 30 miles south of Frankfort, the State capital.

From Waynedale you go south on 69 to Indy, then south on 65 to Louisville, east on 64, and south at Frankfort on 127. The five-hour drive moves you three weeks ahead in weather. The daffodils, with a southern exposure, are already blooming in Harrodsburg.

As you drive into the small town of 7000, you notice how clean and spacious everything is. There are many old style southern mansions, as Harrodsburg was established in 1774. It was the first permanent English settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains. New mansions surround the golf course. The brick and mortar architecture has both the flavor of the old and the conveniences of the new.

We stayed at a place called Bright Leaf Golf Resort. The weekend golf package we chose cost $150.00. It offered three nights lodging, with unlimited golf. We got an early start Friday morning and got in 36 holes. That was plenty for the first day of the 2002 season. Golf carts are free for the first 18 holes but cost $10.00 for the second round.

Saturday was windy and warm, but around noon, a cold front brought in rain. We were forced to watch the IU game until the rain ended.

I had a chance to drive over to Shaker Town, just seven miles away, while waiting for the weather to clear. It was a nice quiet time to reflect on the early pioneers that opened up this country. Daniel Boone was through this part of Kentucky, and if you had ancestors that came down the Ohio River in a flatboat, then they may have traveled through or settled in Harrodsburg.

Old Happy Days Smokehouse was adjacent to the resort. Jesse and Stephanie Morris, owners, were our hosts and introduced us to southern hospitality, which the area is so famous for. There are also fast food places in town for those on a more limited budget.

The special rates that were available to us were supposed to end the weekend of March 22, but I called and talked to the owner last Tuesday. Kevin Hendren informed me they would extend their special golf packages to the end of March for anyone calling from Fort Wayne. The course played a bit easier than Brookwood and was more hilly, but with a milder gradient, than the front nine at Fairview. The six of us stayed in the 90’s, except for Bob Gnau, who played in the eighties. The course has an 18-hole regulation (5902 yards, white tees), a nine-hole regulation (2626 yd.), and a regulation par three. Bright Leaf is located in a dry county so if you are interested in adult beverages you will need to BYOB. There are no rules against drinking on the course or in the rooms. We played a six some, never waiting on a tee, and never holding anyone up, but as always, you should use the proper golf etiquette depending on the situation. If you are interested in a fun weekend, call Kevin Hendren at 1-800-469-6038, or look them up on the web at www.brightleafgolfresort.com. Course rating, championship tees, 70/121, white tees, 68.6/118, and ladies, 66.1/109.