Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1345880
To get even more mileage out of your stay, the Southern Indiana Golf Sampler provides four unique and different golf experiences: the Dye and Ross courses, plus a round at the resort's 9-hole Valley Links Course plus 18 more holes at Sultan's Run Golf Club in the nearby city of Jasper. And if it's a self- improvement mission, you're covered there, too. Choose a quick one-day recovery lesson at the Rapid Repair Golf Academy, or a more intensive three-day experience with the French Lick Game Changer Golf Academy, both offering personal instruction with the resort's teaching pros for golfers of any skill set. Any basketball fan can tell you that French Lick is best known as the hometown of hoops legend Larry Bird, and there's plenty more here beyond the golf courses. French Lick Casino is home to 24/7 gaming with live-dealer table games, slots and sportsbook with a wall of big-screen TVs in the sports viewing area. It's the perfect destination to combine a golf trip with major sporting events like March Madness, The Masters or NBA Finals, especially with the new Valley Sports Bar just steps away from the casino floor. Once you're done hunting jackpots, take aim on some clay pigeons at the 75-acre sporting clays range. Whether you're an experienced shooter with your own guns and ammo, or a total newbie renting firearms and in need of a little guidance, this is another great group activity worth carving out some time for. This is a place you definitely get those relaxed, throwback vibes — and it's fitting, considering the resort originated as a popular getaway for health and wellness. The area's Pluto and Sprudel Mineral Springs were the big draw that attracted guests to the historic French Lick Springs Hotel and West Baden Springs Hotel, which were built one mile apart. Originating in the mid-1800s, this area was like a Las Vegas of the Midwest when rich and famous guests frequented the hotels at the peak of their popularity in the early 20th century. Aer the hotels were abandoned or neglected through the years, they were brought back to life when the entire resort property underwent a $600 million restoration in the mid-2000s. Both hotels were fully restored to their original sophistication and luxury with 686 rooms. The resort also now includes the recently opened Valley Tower, featuring 71 high-end rooms with connecting rooms that can be configured in one-, two- and three-bedroom combinations — ideal for golf groups. 54 GOLF NOW! Chicago