Harrison Hills Golf Club is one of the most amazing golf courses I have had the pleasure of playing. Not surprisingly, GolfWeek Magazine ranks Harrison Hills Golf Club “One of the Top Ten Golf Courses You Can Play in Indiana in 2025.”
Harrison Hills is located in the cozy confines of Attica, Indiana. The club was established in 1924 and sits on 200 acres of beautiful rolling hills. The golf course was designed by renowned golf course architect William Langford, and his trademark steam-shovel bunkers sitting many feet below the putting surface!
As a stand-alone 9-hole course, this classic and challenging layout could have survived the scrutiny of the golf industry’s preference for 18-hole layouts and stood on its own. It probably would have been considered one of the best 9-hole layouts in the world. Nonetheless, the decision was made to turn Harrison Hills into an 18-hole championship golf course.
So, in the mid-1990s, Indiana native Tim Liddy was charged with creating something equally as spectacular. In his defense, Liddy didn’t have the same incredible tract of land to work with. He was given mostly flat farmland; you’d have to move a lot of dirt to create the elevated greens and deep bunkers that came naturally on the Langford layout. As you play your way around the course, you can tell who built each hole.
Harrison Hills plays 6,820 yards from the back tees; there are 4 sets of tees and a hybrid yardage on the scorecard, so finding a suitable length should be easy. Bentgrass tees, fairways, and greens greet you on every tee box, yet danger lurks with every errant shot!
The first two holes are Langford’s original starting holes. Standing on the first tee, you’ll notice some good elevation changes and rolling hills right off the bat. On the 1st hole, a 361-yard par 4, you tee off from a very elevated tee box down into a valley. Your approach shot is back up the hill to a large green with lots of undulation and great mounding around it. Number 2 is a par 3 that plays 181 yards and requires a good carry over swampy wetlands into a slightly sunken and well-contoured green, protected by a lone bunker on the right.
Number 10 is another interesting hole. It’s a 381-yard par 4, dogleg left, and is a narrow driving hole. There’s water all down the left side, and trees line the right. Your approach shot plays into a large, mainly flat green protected on the left by a long bunker.
After playing the par-3, 12th hole, the rest of the layout is all Langford’s, with rollercoaster fairways, significantly elevated and wildly undulated greens. And, of course, those deep, penal, steam-shovel bunkers!
Looking at the scorecard, you get the idea that the short 321-yard par 4, 14th hole, is going to be a piece of cake. After all, it is indexed as the easiest hole on the golf course. That is, until you step up to the tee and look it over. Then you realize it’s not what you expected! Although short, it’s a narrow driving hole that will most likely take the driver out of your hands. A good tee shot will leave a short iron or wedge uphill into a two-tiered green. Miss the green to the left, and you’re probably in one of those aforementioned bunkers that sit about 15 feet below the putting surface! It may be short, but take a par and run!
The uphill, dogleg right, par 4, 15th has been the signature hole since it was built in 1924. At 322 yards, it requires an accurate tee shot to a blind landing zone. As you leave the tee, check for pin placement; it’s something you need to know for your next shot. Success off the tee will leave a short pitch shot into an elevated green, protected by two of the deepest bunkers you will ever see, sitting about 20 feet below the putting surface. The green has some good undulation and a huge hill in the middle that separates the front and back.
Your round at Harrison Hills ends on a challenging 531-yard par 5. No doglegs here, it’s pretty straight, with lots of rolling hills and undulation in the fairway. Watch out for the nasty little fairway bunker on the right side as you hit your layup shot, and the deep steam-shovel bunkers on either side of the green. The green slopes back to front, so do your best to leave your approach shot below the pin. It’s a fitting end to a wonderful day of golf!
Before your round, be sure to warm up on the Harrison Hills practice range. Here you can hit every club in the bag, although I would focus more on control than distance. That’s what it’s going to take to play a good round!
In addition to the golf course and practice range, Harrison Hills has a full-service restaurant and swimming pool. Maggie’s Grill offers some unique clubhouse food that won’t leave you hungry. My favorite was the Brisket Grilled Cheese sandwich on toasted white bread with an order of hot honey Brussel sprouts on the side. Wash it down with your favorite beverage, and you’re all set!
In order to use the swimming pool, you’ll need to be a Member. The 2025 Platinum Membership offers unlimited greens fees and cart, preferred tee time bookings, range balls, access to the pool, and much more.
Inside the classic Tudor-style clubhouse, which also dates back to 1924, you’ll find a fully stocked golf shop, event space, meeting space, and a bar. A new covered patio was recently built so golfers can relax after their round and take in some unbelievable views of the golf course while dreaming about what could have been!
For more information on Harrison Hills, visit www.harrisonhills.com.
Harrison Hills is located a short twenty-five-mile drive southwest of Lafayette yet draws in players from as far away as Chicago. Drive out and see for yourself what makes this such a memorable golf course. It is truly Indiana’s hidden golf gem!