Kentucky State Parks Golf Trail

By Brian Weis

Kentucky is famed for bluegrass, bourbon, beautiful mountains and thoroughbreds. And, spurred by a renewed focus from the State Park system, golf now is becoming a larger part of Kentucky's recreational reputation. With 18 State Park golf courses, there is sure to be something for everyone.

Our 18-hole and 9-hole courses situated in every region of the state, offer exciting championship play amid the pastoral beauty of the "nation's finest" park system. Each course offers an outstanding golf experience for players of all ages. Four of our 18-hole courses; Grayson Lake, Pine Mountain, Dale Hollow, Yatesville Lake, have received national awards from Golf Digest as "Best New Affordable Public Courses".

For private accommodations, enjoy one of our cottages with beautiful lake or wooded views. Each has unique appeal, and offer screened-in porches or decks. Tableware, cooking utensils and linens are provided, with fresh linen provided daily.

Two Featured Courses

Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park
Dale Hollow has bent grass tees leading to zoysia fairways and large, undulating bent grass greens. The 61 bunkers are framed by zoysia. Most of the holes have moderate to severe elevation changes. Other course features include numerous rock outcroppings, small caves, springs, gorges, two ponds, and mountain views. Bring your camera, this is one of the most scenic courses in the country. Five sets of tees accommodate every level of player.

To better serve our customers, in the Spring of 2007, a new Clubhouse and Practice Range were opened. The Range features three large zoysia tees, two target greens, and a practice fairway bunker. Also available are two practice greens.

The course and practice facility were designed by nationally acclaimed architect Brian Ault and opened for play in 2003. Golf Digest magazine ranks Dale Hollow as the 8th best course in Kentucky. Website Golf Kentucky Links ranks Dale Hollow as the 3rd best public course in Kentucky.

General Burnside State Park

General Burnside Island State Park was named for the sideburn-whiskered Civil War general Ambrose Burnside. Burnside led patrols along the Cumberland River, circling this 400-acre island while on the look out for Confederate soldiers.

The completely new renovated golf course at General Burnside Island is located on an Island surrounded by Lake Cumberland in Somerset, KY. Brian Ault, designer of Dale Hollow and Hidden Cove, both recognized by Golf Digest, designed this spectacular layout. At 6394 yards, the course features Zoysia fairways, bent grass tees and greens. The natural beauty of large boulders highlighting landscape at hole #6 will set you up for a beautiful view atop the back tee.

In 2009 received the 1st place Commonwealth Journal Readers Choice Award as the "Best Places To Play Golf."

More Information At http://parks.ky.gov/golftrail/

Article Tags: Kentucky State Parks Golf Trail

Revised: 11/07/2010 - Article Viewed 42,993 Times

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.