The Grass Is Greener

Holliday Farms Golf Course Opens in Zionsville

Writer / Jon Shoulders
Photographer / Amy Payne

The new 18-hole golf course at Holliday Farms was a few years in the actual making, with construction beginning in early 2019. However, the course’s inception goes all the way back to the 1990s.

Pete Dye, a world-renowned golf course designer known for courses throughout the country and the world, had a vision more than two decades ago for a course that would sit amidst the 600 acres that comprise the Holliday Farms development in Zionsville.

“It’s been neat to bring to life this project that Pete and Alice Dye did a plan for, over 20 years ago,” says Betsy Garfield of Henke Development Group, which is also developing the former farmland into a community with space for 450 homes. “There were some changes to the plan along the way but the essence is certainly there. The Dyes’ last two projects were Holliday and Chatham Hills, here in Central Indiana where they lived, before they passed away, and it’s really special to bring their vision to life.”

Dye’s first well-known course was Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, the construction of which started in 1964. By the 1980s Dye had designed courses all over the U.S. as well as Europe.

The Holliday Farms residential development is projected to take eight to 10 years, and lots started getting staked in 2019, the year construction on the course began.

“The Holliday property has a long and storied past – it’s been owned by the Holliday and the Rogers family,” Garfield says. “Mary Rogers is a Holliday, and she inherited a lot of the property from her father. It’s been in their family for some time. We began talking to the owners of the property four or five years ago about possibly developing this property. They’re an incredible family to talk to and work with. We knew how important the property and the project are to the family, and took a lot of time with the planning.”

The Holliday Farms golf facilities include two 9-hole courses, each of which have two par-3s, five par-4s and two par-5s.

“It’s a beautiful course with a lot of terrain change,” Garfield says. “Because of Eagle Creek, there are all these creeks and ravines that wind their way down. It creates a different type of experience, where for example, you’ll be sitting up really high and then fall off. There are a lot of really mature woods areas on the property too, which will be challenging at times but very beautiful.”

There’s more than just an 18-hole course. Members can also enjoy a 9-hole par-3 course, a 9,000-square-foot putting green, a 7,000-square-foot chipping green with bunkers, and a driving range.

Golf course construction was completed in the fall of last year, and around that time the developers opened up the Holliday Farms property for the annual Home-A-Rama event, organized by the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis, during which guests were able to view homes up close.

“Despite COVID, it was a successful home show and a great way to show people what was going on and what was coming,” Garfield says. “The course was done in 2020, and we’ve just been letting the grass and everything grow in and now it looks great. It already has nearly full membership, and it ranges from 20-year-olds to those in retirement.”

The Henke Development Group team worked with the Dyes on a few projects prior to Holliday Farms, including the five-year Chatham Hills project in Westfield.

“Luckily, we had great weather through the more recent construction months, so that helped with construction, building bunkers and the seeding quite a bit,” Garfield says. “Weather and timing is critical to the buildout phase when you’re not in a Floridian climate, and with COVID we tried to make sure we did everything safely and still hit our deadlines.”

Garfield adds that the construction team is also nearing completion of a temporary clubhouse at the course, located directly across from where a permanent clubhouse will eventually sit, and the temporary structure will house a pro shop, refreshments area and more.

“That will be our membership hub for the next few years until the clubhouse is complete,” she says. “It will be a very cool spot for members to meet and grab a drink. The permanent clubhouse will have dining, fitness, tennis courts and all sorts of great stuff, and construction on that will probably start later this year. It’s been a very busy process, and we’re very excited that the course is opening up for people to get out there and enjoy.”

The Club at Holliday Farms is located at 3650 S. U.S. 421 in Zionsville. For more info on the Holliday Farms community, membership details, maps and more, visit hollidayfarmszionsville.com.