Blackthorn Golf Club

Blackthorn opened in the summer of 1994 as a municipally owned daily-fee course on a heavily wooded 226-acre site northwest of South Bend, not far from the University of Notre Dame. It was designed by architect Michael Hurdzan, whose firm was known for environmentally minded routing, and the layout weaves broad fairways through wetlands, ponds and native prairie grasses toward contoured bentgrass greens. The par-72 course stretches to roughly 7,100 yards from the back tees, with four sets of tees and dozens of bunkers shaping the strategy. The club leans into an Irish theme, from its cottage-style clubhouse to the short 'Blarney Hole.' Widely praised on opening, Blackthorn was recognized among the nation's best new public courses and is still regarded as one of Indiana's finest municipal tracks.