Golf in Bardstown

Designed by renowned architect David Pfaff, the 27-hole championship golf course at Quail Chase Golf Club splits into three par-36 courses that wind through the area's lush scotch pine, maple, oak, and dogwood trees. Limber up stiff clubs at the course’s practice facilities, which prep ungainly irons for an 18-hole run with bermuda-grass tees, a USGA practice putting green, and a reserved area for rehearsing pre-shot ritual baths. Golfers can strike through two of the club's three 9-hole courses, manipulating orbs past the angular detours of dogleg holes and around four water hazards during approximately 4.5 hours of play. Concealed cart paths obscure scenery-marring vehicles and help to keep play flowing by restricting fairway victory laps to every other shot.

Designed by architect Buck Blankenship, the fairways of Shelbyville Country Club's 18-hole course circumnavigate a horseshoe-shaped lake and they gently rise and fall over the rolling hills of Shelby County. Narrow fairways lined with mature trees offset the course's relatively short 6,400-yard length, setting the tone for a round that rewards accuracy and course management over flashy drives and flame-decaled golf bags. A fully stocked pro shop lies at the course's trailhead, offering players the latest in clubs and gear, and a staff of two resident aces stands ready to adjust swings and impart strategic advice during private and group lessons. Along with the immaculate landscape, Shelbyville Country Club boasts two outdoor tennis courts and an Olympic-size pool featuring a gated kiddie pool and play area, all of which are patrolled by a lifeguard and Mark Spitz's mustache.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, 6,331-yard course

• Course rating of 70.2 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 122 from the farthest tees

• Four tee options:

Sequestered in 151 acres of rolling hills and immaculate greenery, Woodford Hills Country Club whisks patrons through a bucolic landscape that features amenities both recreational and relaxing. Nimble golf carts take clubbers slaloming the fairways of the club's picturesque, 18-hole golf course, which runs alongside a horse farm and caters to golfers of all abilities with a player-friendly layout and strategic equine caddies. Outstretched toes test the waters of the club's outdoor pool, and the outdoor tennis courts sate racket-wielders' competitive spirits and affinity for yellow fuzz. Woodford Hills Country Club Grill and Bar invites midday or after-hours revelry amid burgundy walls and mahogany accents with Friday night dinner specials and crisp, cold drinks.

Weissinger Hills Golf Course’s 18-hole layout bounds across 6,526 yards of rolling countryside to form a player-friendly par 72. The course’s narrow fairways encircle a quaint, hilltop clubhouse, from which players can plot a pin-hunting expedition that will bring them into contact with treacherous bunkers, water hazards on five holes, and thoroughbreds intent on outsprinting every golf cart and outsmarting every caddy. A stint at the driving range rattles the rust off of swings, ensuring clubbers won’t be ambushed by the demanding second hole, where an uphill fairway and a green hidden behind four water hazards coalesce to form the course's hardest-rated hole. PGA-certified pro Bryan Slone roams the grounds, divulging golf wisdom in various lesson packages. The club’s facilities include a fully stocked pro shop and a snack bar with cool drinks, light fare, and a sand trap full of incriminating scorecards.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,562 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 70.4 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 125 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options

Rated a top-10 course in Louisville by ESPN, Tanglewood Golf Course guides strokes over 200 acres of Kentucky countryside. Wide fairways roll through regions of dense forestation, complicating club selection with rapid changes in elevation and testing the endurance of each player who dares climb its undulations or somersault down its hills. Water comes into play on seven holes, including the picturesque fourth, which doglegs to the right and dares big hitters to muscle their way onto the green in one shot. Back-to-back par 5s in holes 13 and 14 give bold thwackers ample opportunity for scores below par, whereas the 185-yard, uphill 15th can easily add back those strokes for anyone who doesn't choose enough club for its par 3 expanse.

Prior to a round, players can warm up on the 300-yard driving range by taking aim at targets placed every 25 yards, or gain familiarity with the range's practice green.

At Farnsley Golf Course, you can sharpen your long and short game at a nine-hole, par-3 course or on multiple practice fields. In 2011, five of the course’s greens got a makeover and all caddies were required to dispose of their shoulder pads and acid-wash jeans. Off the course, golfers can perfect their swing at a driving range lined with 300 yards of bermuda grass, or focus on chipping in a short-game practice area. If you’re looking for more in-depth tweaks to your technique, feel free to enlist the help of a teaching professional with personalized lessons.