StonyCreek History

In 1986, with Sycamore Springs Golf Club rolling along, the Taylor family began looking for the site of another course. When Sycamore opened it was “way out in the sticks” at 82 nd street, but Indianapolis had grown out to the golf course. The Taylor’s were looking to repeat that pattern and looked in areas north of Indianapolis including Fishers, Noblesville, Strawtown, and Zionsville. Pieces of land considered include the current sites of Klipsch Music Center, Hawthorn’s Country Club, and The Sagamore Club. The owners of the land south of 166 th (current site of Sagamore) were not interested in selling at the time. The land on which Deer Creek Music Centered would be built was another possible site, but lacked much natural contour. Eventually, in August of 1986, Joe Taylor and his family purchased 345 acres from Sam Harrell Sr. At the time, the land was half corn fields and half pasture.   In addition to the terrain, Joe liked the proximity to I69 and State Roads 37, 32, &38. The original plans envisioned two 18 holes courses nestled in the rolling farm land and woods surrounding Stony Creek.

There was never much discussion about what the name of this new facility would be. Stony Creek runs along the northern edge of the property, and other area businesses already incorporated the waterway into their name, most notably Stonycreek Farms. The name Stony would both continue and influence an ongoing discussion of how to spell the name of the creek. There was no consensus as to whether or not there is an “e” in Stony. A drive around the area today shows this issue is not yet settled. Area businesses and commercial parks have it spelled both ways. In fact, the sign that marks the body of water at the intersection of 166th and Cumberland has had it spelled both ways over the years. It currently is sans an e, and thus puts StonyCreek Golf Club on the right side of the conflict.

Another factor of the StonyCreek Moniker over the years has been its commonality. There are Stony or Stoney Creek Golf Courses in Illinois, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Furthermore, there are Stone Creeks in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nebraska, Oregon, and Texas. When the Indiana StonyCreek opened in 1990 this was a non- issue as people opened up there local phone book to find a business. In the modern age of global internet searches and online tee times, the plethora of StonyCreeks has resulted in some confused golfers and vendors on occasion.

With the land purchased in 1986, construction began in earnest in 1987. Whether your name is Pete Dye or Sam Taylor, a good golf course architect will tell you it’s important to incorporate the natural lay of the land as much as you can when designing and building a course. So Sam’s first step was to scout tee, green, and fairway locations that were already laid out by Mother Nature and try to utilize those wherever possible. The distinct shape of the dogleg left hole #10 for instance was already there much as it is today.  Sam had other factors in mind too, like sunrise and sunset angles, irrigation sources, and sustainability of the course design. Having the course architect be the person who would care for the course in the future is a factor that makes StonyCreek unique to some other courses. When outside architects come in to design a course, they can sometimes leave a product that looks great on opening day but is not sustainable over the years. For example, StonyCreek is not flush with sand bunkers, however, the ones that are on the course are well maintained and cared for, and this was done by design. StonyCreek’s design also benefitted from the Taylor familiy’s previous experiences in building and operating Willow Brook and Sycamore Springs. Sam and Joe knew they wanted large greens and fairways to help disperse the wear and tear a public golf course sees in a season. They also envisioned a course that every golfer could play and enjoy. They understood that a golfer’s enjoyment of the course is what keeps people coming back. If you feel beat up by the course at the end of the round, you may be less excited about a return trip.

As for the real work of turning farm and pasture land into a golf course, the Taylors bought, not rented, most of the equipment they would need for construction. A team was assembled that was a diverse mix of people and backgrounds. Some knew little about golf but had the necessary expertise in heavy equipment. The crew worked round the clock and calendar with their headquarters being an old farm house that was located in the current site of the shelter/restroom by #5 green. As construction progressed, some original design ideas had to be modified. Initially, #4 green was going to be located north of the creek. While this could have been a beautiful golf hole, the cost and logistics of traversing the ever changing water way would have been too great. Early plans also had #17 playing as a par 5 with the green located near what is now the beginning of #18 fairway, but as the team soon discovered, that area was often wet and sustaining a green there would have been difficult. Most other areas on the property became far too dry to work with during the second summer of construction in 1988 as a severe drought hit the area. Sam and the crew plowed ahead though, carving a course out of the land, and by the end of the summer of 1989 the front nine was ready and the back nine was close. By late spring of 1990, The 18 hole course at StonyCreek Golf Club was open for play.

When StonyCreek Golf Club opened for business in May of 1990, it was not with a great deal of fanfare or publicity. The Taylors were still operating Sycamore Springs in Indianapolis and the easiest form of advertising was to their already existing large customer base. Golfers coming out to play in those first few seasons would have checked-in at the original base of operations which was this trailer. Construction of the current clubhouse would not be complete until 1992. Once golfers checked-in, they can get the  Best Wedges in our store, if they wanted to hit some warm up balls on the range they had to travel a bit. The original driving range was built with the idea that it would serve two 18 hole courses and was located on what is now the far east end of the property and faced north.

The golf course itself was the same basic layout still played today. The biggest difference was how wide open that early course was compared to now. Both new and existing trees from 1990 have matured quite a bit over 24 seasons and defined and separated the holes far more than they were in those early years.

Short trees aside, the course was well received and liked by those who played it. One of the most frequent comments by new players was not about the design of the course, but more so the location. StonyCreek was seen as “way out in the country”, which is the same thing people told the Taylors when they built a golf course all the way up there at 82nd street in Indianapolis. 166th Street may not be Castleton, but the area certainly looks a lot different and more developed than it did in 1990. One aspect of being out in the country was the likelihood of our neighbors showing up for an unannounced visit. It wasn’t uncommon for the cows from nearby farms to wander onto the golf course, causing staff to have to go coax them out of the way and steer them away from greens (It takes more than a tee to fix a hoof print in the green). The Taylor family now had a country course in StonyCreek to go along with their city course in Sycamore Springs.

StonyCreek’s first decade saw a lot of changes to the course and the family’s business. The Clubhouse and cart facility opened in 1992.  The old farm house on #5 would be demolished in 1995 and the current restroom/shelter was constructed on its site. 1995 also saw the construction of the current maintenance facility. Prior to that, the maintenance had been run out structures that were on the property when it was purchased. Perhaps the biggest event for StonyCreek in the 90’s was the closing of another golf course. The other Taylor Family Course would see its last golf played in the 1994 season. Sycamore Springs closed at the end of 94 and the family sold the land for the development of what is now the Sycamore Springs Neighborhood. The sale and course closure came as a surprise to most. Sycamore was still busy and all who worked there approached 1994 as business as usual. However, by mid-year, Joe Taylor had decided it was time. When Sycamore closed, staff, equipment, trees, carts, and golfers all moved north to StonyCreek, and the Taylors were once again a one course family. The transition saw over 120 trees relocate to Noblesville, many mowers and other maintenance equipment, and current superintendant Dave Padgett. Going from two courses to one also meant Sam and his sister Judy could focus their efforts on just StonyCreek.

The 90’s also brought about change initiated by the city. In 1996 the city of Noblesville informed StonyCreek that a sewer line would go through a large section of the course. The project would take several holes out of play for many months. From October of 96 through May of 97, parts of holes 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, and 16 were unplayable. During that time, StonyCreek only had a modified 9 holes made up of numbers 1-3 and 8-13. While this obviously had a negative effect on StonyCreek for those months, it did mean that the other land owned by the Taylors could now be developed for homes.

Two of StonyCreek’s most distinct holes experienced big changes during the 90’s. The sharp dogleg par 5, 18th has always been a good challenge for those finishing their round, but during the first season it was especially difficult. The comments were heard and the trees that went all the way to the corner were cut back to give golfers who hadn’t hit the perfect tee shot a chance to advance their second shot. The other tough hole on the back 9 that got a little easier was #13. The steep hill in front of the green still offers quite a bit of adversity today, but in the early years it was downright nasty. Today’s mown hill used to be a golf ball stealing, sheer, unmown cliff. This didn’t fit with the notion of StonyCreek being a course anyone can play, and the hillside was cut down and softened.

The last year of the 90’s gave way to a deal that would lead to the biggest change at StonyCreek since the course first opened at the beginning of the decade. The Taylor Family sold 150 acres to Centex Homes who would build what is now the Highlands of StonyCreek. The deal also stipulated that StonyCreek would build another course so that the new neighborhood would include golf course front property.

StonyCreek’s first decade saw the Taylor family’s third golf course open for business, but it also saw the passing of the generation that started it all. Margaret Taylor passed in January of 1995 And Joe passed away in August of 1997. It was the Rees Family, (Margaret’s father J.D. Rees) who first saw a need for a quality golf course open to the public in Indianapolis. Prior to that, the only options were city owned courses and private country clubs. It was a unique idea at the time that a golf course could serve the general public and be a viable business for a private owner. This unique notion didn’t just work at that moment in time; it has flourished for over 9 decades now and has been passed down through multiple generations.

As StonyCreek Golf Club entered its second decade, a big change was in the works. At the end of the 90’s, a large portion of the remaining land owned by the Taylor’s was sold for development. As a result, the driving ranged was moved to its current location, and late in 2000, ground was broken on what would become the Par 3 Course. As it was with the Championship Course, the design and construction of the Par 3 Course was led by Sam Taylor. Sam pulled inspiration from the family’s first golf facility at Willow Brook which also had a long and short course. Completion of the new course in the fall of 2001 furthered StonyCreek’s mission of being a golf facility for every golfer. While anyone can play the Par 3 Course, it is also the ideal place for players young and old to learn the game. Just as Willow Brook’s short course was the breeding ground for so many new players many years ago, the StonyCreek Par 3 Course would now be able to introduce a whole new generation to the game.

The early part of the new millennium also brought tragedy to the StonyCreek Family. Judy (Taylor) Clune passed away in August of 2003 after a battle with breast cancer that lasted several years. Judy had been a driving force behind Sycamore Springs and StonyCreek. Judy had a great deal of pride in her family’s business, and asked the golfers to treat the course with the same level of respect. If you didn’t, you may well hear about it; but for those who frequented the course, they appreciated the way Judy ran things. Few days pass even now without golfers or staff members telling Judy stories, and her presence still guides StonyCreek today.

The Taylor golf course family also grew in the 2000’s. Sam’s son-in-law Bill Van Valer began working at StonyCreek in 2001 and is currently the General Manager and Head Professional. Bill’s brother John came on Staff in 2004 and has served as a golf professional for 9 seasons.

Another family that has been a part of StonyCreek since the beginning is the Lee’s. Larry Lee was an integral part of the construction team that built the Championship Course. His brother Rick Lee has worked in the grounds department of StonyCreek since 1992, and played alongside Sam on the Broad Ripple Golf team in the 60’s. If you’ve got a spare hour sometime, you can ask the two of them about the State Championship that got away in 65. Larry’s son Ron Lee is our staff mechanic and has worked on and off at StonyCreek since the early days.

The look of a few holes changed in the mid-2000’s. By the end of the 2004 season, it had been determined that the pond on the 9th hole was leaking. This presented a problem in that all irrigation for both courses is pumped from that pond. So in the winter of 04-05, the pond was drained, reshaped, and a chemical liner added to the soil to help seal the leaks. Hole #10 was also altered, but for more traditional reasons. The fairway bunker on the 10th was more than doubled in size, and became a far more impactful aspect of the hole.

StonyCreek Golf Club’s third decade started with its first hosting of a state wide tournament. The 2010 Indiana Public Links Championship was held at StonyCreek in July of that year. It was noteworthy in that the eventual champion Kyle Perry shot a course record 61 (-10) on the first day of the tournament. (Speaking of course records, the Par 3 Record is 21 (-6) and was recorded by a then 12 year old Josh Keating).

The 2010’s have also seen StonyCreek receive multiple awards and recognition from the golf industry. StonyCreek was named a Top 50 Public Golf Range by the Golf Range Association of America in 2012, 2013, 2014, & 2015. The Indiana Golf Course Owner’s association named StonyCreek the Course of the Year for 2013. In addition, Bill Van Valer was recognized as a U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Instructor in 2011 and as the Indiana PGA Junior Golf Leader for 2012.

In 2012, StonyCreek was instrumental in bringing  PGA Junior League Golf to Indiana by starting the first league in the state. The first year had 5 courses with 6 total teams. By 2015 there were numerous leagues in the state and over 100 teams.

StonyCreek’s 9 Hole Par 3 Course saw an enhancement in 2015 with the addition of  Foot Golf. This new sport combines soccer and golf. Players start at the teeing area for golf and kick a soccer ball until they get it into a 21 inch hole (the same relative size of a golf ball to a golf hole). The Foot Golf holes are not on the golf greens and do not interfere with regular golf.

2016 marks the 27th season for StonyCreek Golf Club. When we opened in 1990, the game of golf, the city of Noblesville, and greater Indianapolis looked a lot different. StonyCreek’s quarter century journey has been extraordinary on its own, but is even more significant in the greater story of the Taylor family’s 87 year history of golf in the Indianapolis area. What does the future hold for StonyCreek and the Taylors? Another Course? Another 25 years? We’ll see. In the meantime, come on out and play a round and enjoy our silver anniversary season on what we like to call “Your Home Course in Noblesville”.

StonyCreek Golf Club’s third decade started with its first hosting of a state wide tournament. The 2010 Indiana Public Links Championship was held at StonyCreek in July of that year. It was noteworthy in that the eventual champion Kyle Perry shot a course record 61 (-10) on the first day of the tournament. (Speaking of course records, the Par 3 Record is 21 (-6) and was recorded by a then 12 year old Josh Keating).

The 2010’s have also seen StonyCreek receive multiple awards and recognition from the golf industry. StonyCreek was named a Top 50 Public Golf Range by the Golf Range Association of America in 2012, 2013, 2014, & 2015. The Indiana Golf Course Owner’s association named StonyCreek the Course of the Year for 2013. In addition, Bill Van Valer was recognized as a U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Instructor in 2011 and as the Indiana PGA Junior Golf Leader for 2012.

In 2012, StonyCreek was instrumental in bringing  PGA Junior League Golf to Indiana by starting the first league in the state. The first year had 5 courses with 6 total teams. By 2015 there were numerous leagues in the state and over 100 teams.

StonyCreek’s 9 Hole Par 3 Course saw an enhancement in 2015 with the addition of  Foot Golf. This new sport combines soccer and golf. Players start at the teeing area for golf and kick a soccer ball until they get it into a 21 inch hole (the same relative size of a golf ball to a golf hole). The Foot Golf holes are not on the golf greens and do not interfere with regular golf.

2016 marks the 27th season for StonyCreek Golf Club. When we opened in 1990, the game of golf, the city of Noblesville, and greater Indianapolis looked a lot different. StonyCreek’s quarter century journey has been extraordinary on its own, but is even more significant in the greater story of the Taylor family’s 87 year history of golf in the Indianapolis area. What does the future hold for StonyCreek and the Taylors? Another Course? Another 25 years? We’ll see. In the meantime, come on out and play a round and enjoy our silver anniversary season on what we like to call “Your Home Course in Noblesville”.