Forest Park Municipal Golf Course

Detailed description of Forest Park Municipal Golf Course

Forest Park Municipal Golf Course, is a Public, 18 hole golf course located in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Forest Park Golf Course is a short par 70 layout playing to a maximum distance of 5,642 yards for a course rating is 67.2 and a slope rating of 114. The current course configuration was designed by James Spear.

A long-time mainstay in the Northwest Indiana golfing community, Forest Park Golf Course offers tree-ined fairways on the front nine and a hilly, challenging back nine.

Established in the 1920s as a six-hole course by William and Blanche Schleman, free golfing privileges were offered to those purchasing lots in the surrounding Forest Park housing community being developed by the Schlemans. One early golfer reports “ . . . fairways of this original course were blanketed with ragweeds, burdocks, thistles, and all such types of gifts from nature’s bounties. The greens were mowed with a scythe. Many of us used rubber golf balls that bounced joyously . . .”

The Schleman family donated the golf course to the city in 1947 with the stipulation it be restored and operated as a municipal facility. Shortly thereafter, 40 acres of land were acquired adjacent to the property, and the course was expanded to nine-holes with a clubhouse. Construction of the course was supervised by Harry Williamson, who later became golf course manager. Dedication was held on June 19, 1949, with William Schleman teeing up the first ball. Forest Park hired its first PGA professional, Richard Dodds, in 1954.

Thirty years later, 50 acres were purchased north of the existing course to create an additional nine holes and a new clubhouse. James Spear of St. Charles, Illinois, was hired as course architect. The new nine holes were numbered 1 through 9, while the existing holes became 10 through 18. A dedication ceremony was held on May 31, 1973. Among those teeing off that day was Helen Schleman, daughter of the original donor.