The first full week of April is a golfer’s dream. The Masters is about to begin, the grass is getting greener, leaves and flowers are blossoming, and the anticipation of the peak season in Kentucky is enough to make a golfer giddy with excitement.
To scratch your golfing itch, let’s run through the list of courses in Simpsonville and Shelbyville to help you determine where you’ll tee it up.
Public Access Facilities
Clear Creek Golf Center: For over 30 years, golfers of all skill abilities have been visiting Clear Creek and continue coming back. The course is built around the mission of “offering the best of golf at the best values.” That certainly happens here, perhaps most evidenced by their green fees being sold as unlimited day passes. You can play 9, 18, 27 or as many holes as you want with just one payment up front. On weekdays, it’s $12 per adult and $14 per adult during weekends (not including carts). Junior rates are $8 on weekdays and $10 on Saturdays and Sundays.
The layout itself is a 9-hole executive course featuring 3 par-fours and 6 par-threes. From the back tee, every par-three measures 150 yards or less. And only one-par four exceeds 300 yards. A pond in the middle of the property plays an integral part in playing holes 4-6, but there are no bunkers and the rough is consistently cut short. This makes Clear Creek a terrific place for those new to golf to hone their skills and fall in love with the sport. For anyone who’s ever felt intimidated by the idea of playing golf, Clear Creek quickly quashes those fears. It’s a family-friendly environment that makes golf fun and stress-free.
In addition to the golf course, Clear Creek has a delightful driving range with 8 bays covered by an awning. There is also a short game practice area and a putting green. If you’re determined to play during the winter, you can reserve time to use their newly-added simulator inside the clubhouse. Mere steps away from the simulator, there is a wide selection of equipment and apparel to shop for your playing needs, plus snacks and drinks available for purchase.
Weissinger Hills Golf Course: Drivers can see the 7th and 8th holes of this venue when they’re on I-64 as they approach or pass exit 35. That glimpse offers a small peek into what’s become one of the most popular public golf courses for anyone within an hour’s drive of Louisville. Always well-regarded for its conditioning, Weissinger Hills upped its game in 2022 when a renovation improved multiple holes, drainage and tree management. Now, this 18-hole layout which measures 6,510 yards from the back tee can sufficiently challenge scratch golfers, while still being a fun, playable experience for novices.
Some of the more interesting bunker complexes among Kentucky golf courses can be found here with small, deep pot-like bunkers protecting many of these greens. There are also several ponds or creeks to navigate, including one right out of the gates that protects the left side of holes 1 and 2. A separate water hazard guards the entire left side of the 10th hole, which has established itself as one of the hardest short par-fours in central Kentucky.
In true Kentucky fashion, the clubhouse here is a reworked horse barn. It’s clear right away which areas used to be stables, and now, it’s where their golf carts are stored. Inside, a well-stocked pro shop and a hidden gem of a food and beverage operation await visitors. Frequently, you’ll see someone who isn’t playing golf in there just to get a bite to eat. The burgers and hot dogs are fantastic, but don’t sleep on their chicken salad - a very underrated gem.
Like Clear Creek, this facility has a great practice area with the short game space really standing out. About 100 yards are dedicated to players looking to sharpen their wedges with multiple targets, a bunker and various grass cuts.
Weissinger Hills is also the proud home of a PGA HOPE program where military veterans can learn the game for free alongside their peers with professionally trained coaches leading the way.
Semi-Private Facility
Shelbyville Country Club: Anyone can book a tee time to play ShelbyKY’s oldest course (built in 1934), but there are certain times of the day where members have first dibs at popular tee times. This is an old-school layout with tree-lined fairways, a large lake coming into play on several holes, and fast greens that you don’t want to be putting downhill on. It measures 6,548 yards from the back tee, but accuracy is far more important than distance on this course.
One of the course’s fun quirks is found on the par-four 2nd, home of the “white giant.” A water tower positioned in between the tee boxes and the fairway can be a nightmare for players who work the ball from right to left. This course is also one of the few that finishes with a par-three. The 18th is 182 yards from the back tee and serves as a great setting during member events where participants can watch the leaders finish the tournament a few steps away from the clubhouse.
In addition to golf, members have the privilege of using the facility’s pickleball courts, a spacious swimming pool, the restaurant inside the clubhouse, and fishing access at the aforementioned lake.
Private Facilities
Persimmon Ridge Golf Club: Arguably the most ambitious design of any course in Kentucky, Persimmon Ridge is a true jaw-dropper. Built by Arthur Hills and opened for play in 1989, this property was the dream of owners Elmore and Lawren Just.
The most prestigious golf tournaments in Kentucky have been contested here, and it was also in the conversation of hosting the PGA Championship in the early 1990s before that distinction went to nearby Valhalla Golf Club. But when you’re playing Persimmon Ridge, it won’t take long to understand why the course is viewed as worthy of challenging the very best.
The unique features here include a split fairway on the par-five 3rd, the 7th green sitting in a bowl, and a double green housing the flagsticks of both the 16th and 18th holes. One special note on the 7th: this putting surface is located near a cemetery which is where Elmore Just was buried. If you make birdie here, it’s customary to place your ball at his gravesite.
Beyond the 18-hole layout, the club opened a short course in 2023 named Shorty’s. Featuring six holes that each measure 120 yards or less, it’s ideal for members with young children. Of course, it’s also a great afterparty spot for golfers finished with their “main” round and looking to unwind after partaking in a beverage or two.
Persimmon Ridge also boasts a large clubhouse which includes a well-stocked pro shop, locker rooms, event space, and Elmore’s Restaurant. You’ll want to make sure you try one of their signature chicken wraps.
Before or after your experience, check out Golf House Kentucky while you’re here. Located in between the driving range and the 13th hole, this is the state’s golf headquarters and is also home of the Kentucky Golf Museum. It contains famous clubs, pictures and mementos from the best players born and raised in the Commonwealth, and famous championships contested throughout the state. It’s open from 9AM-4PM Monday-Friday and is free to the public.
University of Louisville Golf Club: Home to the golf teams of the Louisville Cardinals, this university-owned property is in the top tier of golf courses in the state. Even Kentucky Wildcat fans would agree.
The Kentucky Open and Kentucky Amateur on both the men’s and women’s sides have been contested here multiple times, and this has also served as a host site for NCAA Division 1 Regionals. The relatively wide-open layout has fast, undulating greens, strategically-placed bunkers and multiple risk-reward holes that allows the cream to rise to the top.
The first of those holes is the drivable par-four 6th which is flanked by water on the right side from tee to green. A well-struck drive can result in an eagle putt, but the margin for error is slim. Even laying up off the tee requires a carefully placed shot with a long iron or fairway wood, or else the water or a deep bunker on the left side can swallow your ball.
The par-five 13th offers similar temptations, as tee shots that find the fairway will ask players if they want to cross a babbling brook for the opportunity to have another eagle putt. One way or the other, it will have to be hit over at some point, and those laying up can still elect to cross it with their second shot in order to have an easier third with more green to work with. Wholistically, it’s viewed as one of the best holes in Kentucky.
What’s also viewed as one of the state’s best is the practice facility, a key recruiting piece for the Cardinals’ golf teams. Its sheer size can make a golfer salivate and multiple short game areas leave no stone unturned. If you want to practice a certain kind of shot, you will be able to if you find yourself here.
A state-of-the-art clubhouse is the final piece of the puzzle that has this property in the upper echelon of Kentucky golf. Multiple meeting rooms, beautiful locker rooms, a top-tier restaurant and bar, plus a pro shop that is the envy of every Louisville Cardinal fan makes for a fun experience for members and their guests.
As you can see, there is a reason why golf enthusiasts love calling ShelbyKY home. But if you’re in town to complete the Kentucky Bourbon Tour or enjoy a day of racing at Churchill Downs or Keeneland, checking out the golf scene is the perfect way to spend a free day outside while you’re here.
Whether golf is on your schedule or not, you can plan your trip to ShelbyKY with our visitor guide. It's free and contains wonderful information about the many things to do in ShelbyKY.
