Courtesy of Victoria National
Courtesy of Victoria National GC
Victoria National Golf Club
Victoria National Golf Club
2000 Victoria National Blvd
Newburgh, IN 47630-8488
United States
Overview
Built atop Peabody Coal Company’s long-abandoned Victoria strip mine in southern Indiana, Victoria National was a simple routing for Tom Fazio. He just followed the corridors (the perfect width for fairways) that existed between mining spoil mounds (long since overgrown with trees) and some 40 acres of fingery lagoons that had formed as steam shovels carving out coal deposits hit the water table. Chosen as Best New Private Course of 1999, Victoria National stunned most panelists. One gushed it was, “the most unusual, unpolished and unpretentious Fazio design ever.” Another called it, “probably the hardest Fazio course I’ve played. More penal than Pine Valley.” Fazio concurred with that assessment. “It’s U.S. Open-quality now,” he said soon after it opened. “If the wind blew, it’d be too hard.”
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked since 2001.
Highest ranking: 21st, 2005-'06.
Previous ranking: 53rd.
2025-'26 ranking: 60th.
Best in State: Ranked first since 2001.
2025-'26 ranking: 1st.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Ruthlessly challenging course on virtually every hole. While distance isn't overly intimidating, precision off the tee is critical as the obstacles are everywhere. Water factors in on 13+ holes, heather on more than half, thick rough, elevated greens, deep bunkers with high lips and undulating fairways abound. In spite of the challenges, the views are incredible and each hole is well conceived and routed well to take advantage of the topography and wind direction. The green surfaces are fair and have a variety of available pin locations. It is an exacting and exhausting round of golf. Bring your golf balls, but leave your ego at home."
Read More2024
Review
“Very difficult but beautiful."
Read More2024
Review
“Extremely difficult Tom Fazio design in an abandoned quarry in southern Indiana. Must be long and straight to score well here. Beautiful routing which will require all the shots in your bag. Private club in the Dormie network. Don't pass up any opportunity to play here."
Read More2024
Review
“This Tom Fazio design is built on an abandoned strip mine replete with lagoons that remain from the coal mining operation of last century. The course itself is beautiful as the routing takes you through a parkland setting over bridges and waterways that gives you a sense of serenity. With warnings of how difficult the course plays, the front nine lulls you into a sense of complacency with its somewhat generous fairways and gettable holes including several short par 4s. My caddy described the back nine as a "beautiful beast" and he was right as fairways narrowed, and the penalty for missed fairways and greens intensified. Holes 14 through 18 are known as "the gauntlet" and the hardest stretch of holes on the Korn Ferry Tour. #14 is statistically the hardest par 4 in Korn Ferry HISTORY. After finishing the gauntlet, I felt as though I had survived this stern test of golf... barely."
Read More2024
Review
“Wonderful golf course. I got a chance to play with a caddie and in a golf cart. Much better experience walking the fairways with a caddie. Also help with lines off the tee and finding golf balls. This course is very demanding off the tee. There is a little room off the fairways but not much. Any balls in the heather/fescue are almost unfindable and for sure inplayable. Once you get off the tee the course is much more manageable. Greens are fairly flat but can run quick. Very well manicured in all areas. Playing surfaces are perfect. Only reason i ranked a 4 and not higher is the difficulty of the course. Can make for a long day for some."
Read More2023
Review
“A really unique test of golf that challenges a variety of golfers skills sets. Unfortunately conditioning did not match the quality of the golf courses. The fairways were very soft (most drives left blow out pitch marks). While the greens were firm, the surfaces were bumpy and suffering from Cicada Killer Bees nesting in the greens, leaving significant dime size holes in several greens."
Read More2023
Review
“While far too difficult for many players, Victoria National is an exceptionally unique and challenging layout that is not to be missed by better players."
Read More2023
Review
“A wonderful golf course on a truly unique site that challenges the player to overcome intimidating shots with solid golf. The course crescendoes into a difficult finish, with the final five holes offering little chance at birdies (or, for the struggling player, par). Hospitality is exceptional and the experience is unforgettable. Get here if you can."
Read More2023
Review
“While was certainly a good level of design variety, there were also 4-5 holes that felt almost the same (carries across water of the cape hole variety - for example 2, 4, 17 and 18. "
Read More2022
Review
“Victoria National is the rare course that is able to deliver an experience that is varied, challenging, and also fun. The course is routed amongst an old quarry site which is maximized for both hole variety and aesthetics. Some holes, such as the par 5 3rd and par 4 14t are truly unique and could not otherwise be shaped. The par 3s do play around water but they vary in angle, club selection, and ability to be aggressive vs. play for par. Despite the prevalence of water and long native grasses, the course is playable and fun for golfers of all abilities. Only shots that are hit offline into visible hazards risk being lost.Conditioning is excellent throughout. Kudos as well to Fazio for incorporating a set of short, yet distinct, par 4s in an otherwise difficult layout - these holes provide their own set of challenges, but greatly enhance the layout design."
Read More2022
