By Mike May
The Plum Creek Golf Club at Lynnwood Farm in Carmel, Indiana is a ‘peach’ of a golfing destination. With six sets of tees and a practice area that’s second-to-none, there are very few, if any, golfing destinations in the Midwest that are as welcoming to golfers of all abilities as Plum Creek
The course was designed by legendary architect and Indiana native Pete Dye. He has every reason to be as proud of Plum Creek as his other golf course in Carmel, Crooked Stick Golf Club, host of the 1991 PGA Championship. 
Plum Creek, like its cross-town golf course ‘rival,’ has also hosted some prestigious events such as the 1998 Indianapolis Open, 2000 Club Professionals Championship, and the 2003 Indiana Open. Like Crooked Stick, Plum Creek is a proven championship venue whose set-up makes it as attractive to a PGA Tour player as it is to a high handicapper.
Golfers begin their golf experience at Plum Creek on the driving range. Dye designed a top-flight practice facility and the practice area at Plum Creek is the perfect spot to work on your game.
Dye started the front and back nine’s with easy par fours. After that, however, it’s game on and if you don’t pick the right tee or adequately warm up, it might be game over!
One of the highlight holes of the front nine is the 4th hole, which measures 423 yards from the Championship tees and nearly 400 yards from the Tournament and Member tees. The 4th hole is special because of its dual fairways – one is straight ahead and the other one veers left off the 4th tee. In order to hit the 4th green from either fairway, you often must use a mid-iron to a putting surface which is guarded on its right flank by a sentry bunker.
On the opening nine holes, water only comes into play on the first hole.
On the back nine, the golf course truly comes to life as water is present on six holes, there are five doglegs, and the two par threes – the 11th and 16th — are terrific one-shot opportunities. When played from the back tees, they rival any par three on the PGA Tour, with the possible exception of the 12th at Augusta National or the island green at the 17th at the Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. A well struck tee shot from the Championship tees on the 11th at Plum Creek is a joy to watch as it’s played from a raised tee box.
The presence of the Lynnwood Farm barn on the premises – to the left of the 16th hole – is a reminder of this property’s agricultural roots, a staple of the Hoosier economy and Indiana’s way of life.
Finally, with Indiana perched on the western edge of the Eastern time zone, avid golfers are the geographic beneficiaries of extended daylight during summer evenings, because of Daylight Savings Time. Golfers have time for an ‘emergency nine’ starting as late as 7:00 or even 7:30.
That’s just one of many reasons why Plum Creek is a ‘peach’ of a golfing destination.
