INDIANAPOLIS – Supporters of Indiana Golf gathered on Wednesday, June 5 for the groundbreaking of the new Pete and Alice Dye Indiana Golf Center on the grounds of The Fort Golf Resort at Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park in Indianapolis. Since the project was announced in the fall of 2023, Indiana Golf has raised more than $5.5 million toward the capital campaign, with a goal of raising $6.5 million by this summer. Indiana Golf is the governing body for golf in Indiana.
The new center will serve as a centralized location for the Indiana Golf staff to serve courses, events, and programming throughout the state. The 13,000-sq.-ft. headquarters will include administrative space for the Indiana Golf staff that manages the Indiana PGA, Indiana Golf Association, Indiana Women’s Golf Association, Indiana Golf Course Superintendents Association, Indiana Golf Foundation, and First Tee-Indiana. The facility will also include the Indiana Golf Hall of Fame, a new indoor golf academy, and a short game practice facility.
“This new facility represents not just a physical structure, but a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence in golf and community engagement,” says Mike David, Executive Director of Indiana Golf. “I am counting down the days until we can see this vision come to life and witness the positive impact it will have on our organization and the golfing community in Indiana as a whole.”
The grand opening is anticipated in spring 2025.
Learn more about Indiana Golf at www.indianagolf.org and the Capital Campaign at https://indianagolf.org/capitalcampaign/.
The capital campaign will also support other projects including:
- Capital improvements to First Tee program sites like facilities at Frederick Douglass Golf Course in Indianapolis
- A Dryvebox Mobile Golf Simulator to take state-of-the-art technology on the road in 2024 to visit schools, children’s hospitals, VA hospitals, festivals, and other interested groups
- Scholarships for youth to attend First Tee-Indiana programming at their school or local golf course
Indiana Golf exists to provide quality programs and experiences to promote, develop, grow, and enhance golf throughout the state. A 2022 Economic Impact Report from the National Golf Foundation found that golf contributes more than $2 billion in total economic impact and $1.042 billion in direct expenditures annually to Indiana’s economy. The study also reported that golf supports just over 23,300 jobs with $612.6 million of wage income, drives more than $147.2 million in state and local taxes, and contributes more than $50.4 million to charities and foundations.
The study also found golf provides an active outlet and life skills building opportunity for youth, with the First Tee-Indiana serving more than 100,000 youth across 55 course and 335 school program sites. Additionally, golf enhances Indiana’s tourism industry, generating $152.9 million in spending across more than 1 million day and overnight trips.
