Kentucky golf course once on chopping block appears to have been saved by area residents

Posted by author February 15, 2025 Golf

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A golf course that was on the chopping block appears to have been saved after local residents made their displeasure known about the possibility of the closure.

Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park Golf Course is located inside the state park of the same name about 90 minutes northwest of Nashville in a remote and wooded part of Kentucky.

In November, a local politician mentioned on a rural Kentucky radio talk show that he believed the courses should be shuttered.

After reaction from residents, however, it appears the course will stay open, according to a story at WEHT-TV. Here’s more from the station:

According to Kentucky’s Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, operations will be based on a set annual budget that will determine the number of playable holes and the dates of operation. Officials say they are focused on addressing the challenges ahead by working with community partners to explore new ideas and additional funding sources for enhancements.

A spokesperson for the cabinet says, “The Department of Parks is committed to improving our state parks system to ensure safe and memorable experiences for our guests.”

A spokesperson with the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet previously explained since the golf course was built in a floodplain, it suffers from significant damage during rain events, washing out the cart path, damaging bridges and causing other damage, leading to long closures and expensive repairs to make the course safe and playable. With these challenges, the course is the least played and lowest quality among the Kentucky State Parks golf courses.

The golf course’s original nine was designed by prolific architect Larry Packard, who had a hand in some 600 different courses during his career. A second nine was added in 2003 and the golf course winds along a small valley that carves through wooded hills.