For nearly 20 years, Mystic Hills Golf Club was a flurry of what a public golf course in a tiny lake town two hours north of Indianapolis would seemingly be, a course nestled in a spot dubbed the “Cape Cod of the Midwest.”
There were golf outings for the community, including an emotional one honoring a local high school football player killed in a car crash. There were amateur tournaments for senior golfers, charity scrambles to raise funds for cancer research and, of course, there were the locals playing from sunrise to sunset at their beloved course along Lake Maxinkuckee in Culver, Ind.
Designed in 1998 by legendary golf architect Pete Dye and his son P.B., who had a family lake house just down the road, Dye and his wife Alice could frequently be spotted playing the course alongside people who shot scores they were ashamed to say out loud.
Mystic Hills also had an NFL owner as a member — Jim Irsay of the Indianapolis Colts, who had a $19.9 million lake house in the town with a population of 1,220.
This course was a magical place for so many.
But everything changed at Mystic Hills when Irsay went from member to owner in 2019 and bought the 159-acre course for $1.4 million, according to Marshall County property records.
Mystic Hills was closed for a multiyear renovation and reopened as an ultra private, ultra exclusive, invitation only course touted as the longest par 71 course in the world at 8,160 yards. Irsay also renamed the course Horseshoe Farms.
“So proud of the team at Horseshoe Farms in Culver, IN for keeping our course in pristine condition,” Irsay posted to Instagram Oct 13, 2023. “The brilliant Pete Dye designed the longest par 71 golf course in the world, including a 710- yard par 5.”
Some people responded to Irsay’s post with criticism, lamenting that the course was no longer public.
“FYI…if I didn’t buy Mystic Hills Golf Course(Pete Dye designed)…in the beautiful Northern Indiana lake town of Culver…Developers were gonna buy the wonderful open spaces of Indiana splendor,” Irsay posted to then-Twitter in 2022, “and turn it into Apartments and Condos and change the incredible green landscapes!”
With Irsay’s death in May, Horseshoe Farms now has a pending offer, according to the Colts. The prospective buyer is unknown.
“Will it remain as a 1-owner playground? Will there become a membership model? Or will it open back up to the public at some point,” Sugarloaf Social Club, which describes itself as a beacon for golf nerds, posted to Instagram in June. “I just don’t know. For me, I would love one more crack at this track.”
Irsay lengthened course to longest par 71 in the world
After Irsay bought Mystic Hills, he renovated, updated and added all sorts of Colts’ touches, including horseshoes on signage and Colts blue dotting the holes.
He also lengthened the course from its original 6,795 yards to 8,160 yards, which Irsay said made Horseshoe Farms the longest par 71 course in the world, with a 710-yard par 5.
The longest par 72 course in the world is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club in Lijiang, China, which measures 8,548 yards, according to Golf Pass’ list of 10 longest par 72 courses.
But on that top 10 list, three of the courses are shorter than Horseshoe Farms, including Promontory Club in Utah, 8,098 yards, The Pete Dye Course at French Lick, 8,102 yards and Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado, 8,130 yards.
“The Pete Dye Golf Course Mystic Hills in Culver, Indiana has been renamed Horseshoe Farms and now is The Longest Golf Course in the World- Par 71,” Irsay posted to Twitter in June 2022. “Drone Footage to come!!!”
While Horseshoe Farms was pristine and immaculately cared for, the course wasn’t open to anyone other than guests of Irsay, often including Colts legends like Marlin Jackson and Bill Brooks and celebrities who were in town visiting the Colts owner.
As late as Oct. 9, Colts backup quarterback Riley Leonard tried his game at Horseshoe Farms.
Since Irsay’s death in May, several of his real estate holdings have been put on the market, including:
>> A 97-acre Carmel property owned by Irsay was sold last week to the owner of the second-largest Arby’s franchisee in the nation, and will be used as a family estate and private family farm.
>> In September, Irsay’s Carmel mansion sold for $11.75 million, less than two months after it went on the market. The 24,000-square-foot estate borders Crooked Stick Golf Club and features two separate standalone guest homes on 9.4 gated acres.
>> In August, a $19.9 million lake house owned by Irsay, featuring a 13,956-square-foot estate located on nearly six acres on Lake Maxinkuckee in Culver, Ind., was listed for sale.
The home features eight bedrooms, 10 baths and the personal touch of Irsay, who helped design the property he built in 2001. That listing for the lake house is still active.
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.
