French Lick Resort continues to solidify itself as a premier destination with a new round of renovations. Additions for 2025 include the Sand Creek Course at French Lick Resort, Ridgeview Cottages and a newly restored Billiard and Bowling Pavilion — all of which add new amenities to the ever-growing selections at the popular getaway.
“This year we have some new products coming out,” resort CEO Chuck Franz said. “We’re always trying to do something different.”
Sand Creek Golf Course is a unique 9-hole setup that allows golfers of all levels to experience the game in a completely different way. Sand Creek is known as a short course, with holes ranging from 40 to 90 yards in length, and is playable in about 75 minutes. Friendly to novice golfers and still challenging for the experienced due to its hole-in-one potential, Sand Creek opened in May and was an instant hit. Franz said the new course helps accommodate the growing demand.
“The feedback we’ve gotten has been off the charts good,” Franz said. “We’ll continue to look at expansion. That might be another nine holes of the short course or a different offering with how well Sand Creek has been received so far.”
The addition of Sand Creek makes French Lick Resort a golf enthusiast’s paradise. Alongside the Pete Dye Course, Donald Ross Course and Valley Links Course, Sand Creek stands out for its ability to be played year-round and for the addition of lights and music.
“It’s a real fun atmosphere that everyone can enjoy,” Franz said. “The thought process is to expand the game of golf. We had over 45,000 rounds last year and we’re going to keep expanding. Sand Creek is a product that plays to our large segments we have coming here — our leisure customers.”
Ridgeview Cottages also derived from a frequent ask of golfers but will appeal to non-golfers as well. Large groups of visitors frequently want a place where they can all stay together, and Ridgeview Cottages provides an outlet to do so. An eight-room cottage featuring 16 total beds, Ridgeview Cottages sit between French Lick Springs Hotel and the Donald Ross Course, giving guests the benefits of proximity and comfort while taking in spectacular views.
“This is about attracting the golfers and families who want to have reunions or executive meetings,” Franz said. “We get asked about a place where they can all stay together. Say you have 12 golfers coming from out of town and everyone wants to stay in the same place. We have some suite products at the resort, but we don’t have that many. We get asked about a bigger area quite frequently from the golfers, but the cottage expands all segments of our business. It’s the one product we had to say we didn’t have. The space became available, and we could probably put three or four cottages up there.”
Also recently completed is a restoration of the Billiard and Bowling Pavilion near West Baden Springs Hotel. The recreation hall first opened to guests in 1917 but sat vacant for more than 50 years. The pavilion has been revived for its original use with a six-lane bowling alley, pool tables, a pizzeria and bar. Located in the gardens at the back drive of West Baden, the area will be an ideal late-night hangout spot.
“It’s been a project that was started with the restoration of West Baden,” Franz said. “It’s a little different than it was 110 years ago, but we want to preserve the building and bring it back to life as close as we can.”
With summer coming to a close and fall rapidly approaching, French Lick continues to offer the same activities its guests have come to enjoy. Fall is a popular time for families to get outdoors, with archery, pickleball and walking trails providing opportunities to get active and enjoy nature. There is also a fully functioning stable on the grounds featuring horseback and pony rides.
“Once you get into the fall, the weather gets perfect with the trees changing,” Franz said. “All of our outdoor walking trails come into play this time of the year. We’ve renovated a barn out in the stables where people can go and get away from the city and experience a working farm. We have different bikes to rent and ride around the grounds, and everyone can enjoy the outdoors in the cool weather while taking in the colors of Southern Indiana. To me, it’s the perfect place to enjoy the fall.”
As the holidays approach, the resort will host its annual Christmas tree lighting experiences at West Baden and French Lick Springs hotels. Decorations adorn both hotels and provide a festive experience for everyone to kick off the winter months in style.
“It becomes a pretty magical setting,” Franz said. “It’s great to see the joy in people who are coming here to celebrate the season. Every weekend the Polar Express train is running and the hotels are filled with people in their pajamas. What better place to enjoy the Christmas spirit than French Lick? It’s two months of daily Christmas joy.”
Throughout the upgrades, French Lick remains a premier attraction for the Louisville area and beyond. The French Lick Casino generates buzz and excitement on its 24/7 gaming floor, offering classic and interactive slots, table games and sportsbook. Spas are available at French Lick and West Baden, with restaurants located resort-wide to curb anyone’s appetite, including the popular 1875: The Steakhouse. While French Lick and West Baden Springs hotels feature hundreds of historic rooms, Valley Tower Hotel is the resort’s newest property and offers an unparalleled experience with upgraded amenities.
The three hotels combine to offer more than 700 rooms on a nightly basis, each providing a unique experience.
“At French Lick, there’s a beautiful, covered porch that people are just packed on,” Franz said. “West Baden was once the largest free-standing dome in the world and is more like something you’d see in Europe. With both hotels you are stepping back in time but can enjoy the experience in the present. It’s amazing to me how these two structures that were built 120 years ago have survived the test of time. With Valley Tower, we wanted to add a new product that isn’t as big but is more modernized.”
Franz is confident no matter what experience people want in their time away from home, French Lick Resort can offer it.
“This is the time when the resort is rocking and rolling,” Franz said. “It’s a beautiful time of the year anywhere, but that’s especially true around here with the forest and the colors changing. We come right out of fall and into the Christmas season, wrapping up the year in good spirits. It’s a wonderful place to be during the season.”
For more information on French Lick Resort or to book a reservation for an upcoming trip, visit frenchlick.com or call 888-936-9360.
