Keene Trace Golf Club: Champion Trace

Nicholasville, KY • Private

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Andy Lyons

Overview

The Champion Trace course at Keene Trace has ranked inside the top five in Kentucky in most of our rankings since the Arthur Hills course opened in the late 1980s. Routed on the rolling hills you'd expect on the site of a former horse farm, Champion Trace hosted the 1993 NCAA Championship and the 1994 U.S. Senior Amateur—and after new ownership took over the property in 2015, the course underwent some significant improvements ahead of hosting the PGA Tour's Barbasol Championship for the first time in 2018.

About

Holes 18

Length 7117

Slope 137

Facility Type Private

Year Opened 1987

Designer Arthur Hills, ASGCA

Awards

Ranking history:

Best in State: Ranked fourth, 2021-'22. Ranked fifth, 2011-'12, 2015-'16, 2019-'20, 2023-'24. Ranked inside the top 5, 1989-2010. Ranked sixth, 2013-'14. Ranked eighth, 2017-'18.
2023-'24 ranking: 5th.
Previous ranking: 4th.

Panelists

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

3.9

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot Options

6.7016

Character

6.6142

Challenge

6.7554

Layout Variety

6.7518

Fun

6.9212

Aesthetics

6.4921

Conditioning

6.8481

Reviews

1 / 4

Review

“This is a very nice course in the rolling hills of Kentucky. It has a nice variety of holes with woods and lakes used strategically in the hole routing. The finishing holes on each nine are challenging due to their length and water that comes into play."

2022

2 / 4

Review

“Long and interesting. A mixture of horse country and nice houses. Some water and bunkers with good greens. It's a PGA Tour stop now so that adds extra interest."

2019

3 / 4

Review

“Great layout. One of Arthur Hills' best designs, especially the green complexes."

2018

4 / 4

Review

“This course has been up and down over the years with some financial problems, but I believe it is one of the better course designs in Kentucky. Just on the outskirts of Lexington in a growing community, Champions is going to be featured this year on the PGA tour in an opposite field event to the British Open. The course has bent grass fairways and greens that are now in great condition. The practice area is very good and the bar is just a great place to hang out. Their are some notable holes on the course that feature water carries that are long. The holes near the clubhouse have a lake that is featured on all the holes. The par three over the water with a brick retaining wall is spectacular with no place to bail out. You need to hit quality shots on this course to score. It is a great place to play golf."

2018