Warren Golf Course, Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana - A Contemporary Golf Course With an Old-Fashioned, Traditional Design

The Warren Golf Course is an 18-hole championship design by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw that opened to public play in 2000. The course features what has been described as "old-fashioned, traditional golf'' set amid 250 acres of secluded, rolling terrain in the northeast corner of the Notre Dame campus. Rather than creating a course that looked "modern'' and new, the goal was to build a new course that looked like it had been in existence for some time.

The course plays to 6,744 yards from the back tees, with a USGA rating of 74.1 and a slope rating of 131, but it also has a rather unique feature: even though the course is listed as a par-71 course, there is no official "par'' for the course, with only the yardage listed on each hole. Instead, players are allowed to determine what's par, depending on the weather and terrain conditions.

Another interesting feature is the use of Fescue grass not only for the roughs, but in the fairways as well. The use of Fescue is said to add to the individuality of the course and length off the tee, while allowing for the option of playing bump-and-run shots, rather than just flying the ball to the green. It also requires a lesser amount of chemicals in its maintenance, which makes the course more environmentally friendly.

The course features a good mix of open fairways and others that are tight and lined by trees. There are also 86 sand bunkers and they tend to penalize rather than merely distract. One of the Warren Course's distinctive features is its bunkering, with traps that tend to have high lips which can make escape shots a bit tricky. Water also comes into play quite often, as the course incorporates two lakes as well as Juday Creek in its layout.

The green complexes are undulating and usually will feature a few sand hazards. Slopes are also not uncommon around the greens, making a solid short game essential for good scoring on this course. While not overly long in total - a mere 6,346 yards from the middle tees - many golfers will find length a problem on this course, due to its five par-4s that all play between 415 and 443 yards. That makes driver a necessary club, but the longer holes compensate by providing ample landing areas and well-manicured fairways.

One of the signature holes on the course is the 345-yard No. 16. The tee shot begins on an elevated green with a forced carry across Juday Creek to an uphill, dogleg left fairway. There are a number of challenging bunkers along the left side, and the approach shot must find a small, undulating green guarded by bunkers.

The course also features some extensive practice facilities, including a grass range, putting green and short-game area with sand bunker. The course also features a 7,000-square-foot clubhouse with a pro shop and the Warren Grille restaurant and lounge for food, snacks and beverages. There are also banquet and outing facilities available that can accommodate as many as 120 people.