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NWO Golf Links
THE 18-HOLEOTTERCREEKGOLF COURSE
in Columbus, Indiana is well known as the
home of many Indiana State Amateur golf
tournaments. In 1995, Rees Jones designed
a third nine-hole layout at Otter Creek to
compliment the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones
course. The original 18 holes became known
as the North and West Courses. The new
nine-hole layout, the East Course, is a true
treasure of a golf experience. If you only
have time to play nine holes on your next trip
to Otter Creek, pick the East Course. While
many traditionalists favor the North andWest
Courses which are a pair of dynamic tracks,
the East Course has its own special attributes
which put it in a class by itself.
The East Course, a par-36, is as good a nine-
hole course as you will find anywhere in
the U.S. There are two words which best
describe the East Course: ‘strong’ and
‘spirited.’ Frankly, the East Course deserves
another nine holes of a similar design which
would make it one of the finest 18-hole golf
courses in the Midwest. The setting for golf
at the East Course is pure and pristine. It’s
the kind of place where the robins land on
each tee to ‘welcome’ you to their home, the
Par Aides are always filled, the water coolers
have plenty of cool, refreshing water and
there is no outside noise caused by nearby
planes, trains, and automobiles.
On the East Course, there are pastoral
sightings of cornfields and country barns,
which confirm Otter Creek’s peaceful, rural
setting. Simply put, this piece of property
was destined to be a golf course. Thanks to
the creativity of Rees Jones, it is just that.
Like many great courses, you need to play it a
few times to realize where to hit the ball and
what to avoid. For instance, at the first, try
to carry the tee shot far enough to catch the
downhill slope in the fairway, which yields
a shorter approach. The par-four, dogleg 3rd
hole, does not require a driver, as this hole
is all about getting in position for the second
shot over the water to the green.
When the wind is in your face on the par-
4 7th, it becomes a very long, so the best
advice is to treat the hole like a par-5 and try
to ‘birdie’ it, but be content with a bogey-
five. The par-five 8th looks reachable in two
on paper, but the presence of a meandering
stream that cuts across the fairway in front
of the green causes you to think twice about
trying to find the putting surface in two.
The wise golfer will use a driver, six iron, and
wedge combination and make a birdie the
old fashioned way. As for the left-to-right,
uphill, dogleg, par-four 9th, it demands a
strong tee shot and at least a long iron to
reach the green in regulation.
Otter Creek’s Other Nine:
The East Course
MIKE MAY