Mineral Mound State Park — Attraction in Eddyville

Golfers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky need to look no further than their state park system when looking for challenging and affordable golf opportunities. There are three state parks in the southwestern part of the state that could be packaged together as part of a Kentucky State Parks golf outing. Each of these parks has a bevy of lodging and dining options as well as plenty of things to do for the entire family.

Ask anyone familiar with the golf courses at the Kentucky State Parks and they will tell you that the best is a toss-up between Kentucky Dam Village and Dale Hollow. As a first time player of the Kentucky State Park golf courses, I submit that Mineral Mound be added to the mix.

The Mineral Mound Golf Course is located within Mineral Mound State Park. Several holes play along the shores of Lake Barkley in Lyon County, Kentucky. Mineral Mound is named after the mansion of Willis B. Machen, which formerly stood on the property. The course opened in 2003 and was designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry and in 2009, Mineral Mound was ranked by Golf Digest Magazine #5 as the "Best Courses You Can Play."

At 6,521 yards from the back tees, the length is not going to overpower anyone, however, a course rating of 72.7 and a slope of 130 are telltale signs that the course is no pushover. Tee 2 at 5,964 yards and a slope of 125 will give most golfers all they can handle. Mineral Mound Golf Course may be best played without a driver. Park Manager, Chris Cary, agrees: “Long off the tee can get you in a lot of trouble; you need to leave it in the bag on many of the holes.” Elevation changes and beautiful vistas are as commonplace as the deer you will see during your round. Stand on the green and look back up the fairway you just played; odds are you’ll see a deer or two! Views of Lake Barkley dot the landscape as you make your way around the front side, giving way to beautifully forested holes on the back.

Number 13 is truly a memorable hole, a 3-shot par 5 that I would name “Uphill Climb.” The hole plays 510 yards and starts from an elevated tee box and goes up from there with a narrow landing area. Things don’t get any easier on your layup shot and BTW you still can’t see the green.

This is just one of the thirteen golf courses that are part of the Kentucky State Parks. They are all beautiful, well maintained, and staffed by friendly, knowledgeable staff. Most offer overnight accommodations as well as restaurants that serve great food in...

We had a bit of trouble finding the place ( A sign indicating where the Golf course was located - rather than simply added in smaller letters to the park entrance) and we arrived later than our Tee time reservation, the staff was considerate and worked us in, and it was worth the effort! What a beautiful place! The Tee boxes were in terrific condition, as well as every part of the course. Stunning views, and quiet surroundings, with no pressure from behind, made for a fantastic day of golf. I couldn't say if the front or back 9 was my favorite since both offered its own character into play. We want to return soon to enjoy another round through ' The Cullen' at Mineral Mounds State park. Thanks for such a pleasant...

Beautiful place to golf. Had an absolutely terrible experience with staff. After 2 of our party asked to rent clubs since we had flown in the staff member complained that our party members hadn't brought their own and continued to ramble on for a while about their choice of not bringing their own. Extremely inconsiderate and rude way of treating anyone and definitely made for a less than desirable experience. With that being said I had never seen this guy there before (we go here quite a bit) and was the first bad experience with anyone there.

Will definitely be looking for other...