Swan Lake Resort - Black Course

Beautiful Resort just North of Plymouth, IN. As you drive up, you see a large clubhouse and a large practice facility across the street. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The Black Course was in very good shape for Mid-October. The greens had been aerated and top dressed, but were still very puttable and consistent. We had a beautiful sunny day with a light wind. I will be back to play the Silver Course.

Nice layout, plenty of hazards and challenges. The rough was very thick and long, which adds to the difficulty.

The course is well kept, the smallish greens roll true and have subtle breaks. It was very wet the day we played and extremely windy. The clubhouse is very nice; overall a good experience. It is an hour drive from where I live, but I would make the trip to play it again.

Staff very polite and friendly. Fun layout. Nice condition. Reasonable price. It’s sort of an old school golf course. Some holes you can pound it. But others where you have to lay up and play to targets. Greens, tee boxes, fairway and rough all in nice shape. There are a few trees that could be cut back, because they block shots off a tee box or a shot from the fairway. Also over growth of trees leads to shade in some spots that causes bare spots and awkward lies on ground. But, all and all, we enjoyed the course. It’s in nice shape. It’s a fun place to play, and we left impressed.

Based on their Golf Advisor ratings, I drove down from Chicago to give Swan Lake a try. Played both the Silver and Black courses. Both have the same feel, but the front 9 of Black presents more elevation changes, water, and OB opportunities. The back 9 of the two courses cover the same ground and feel very similar.

CONDITIONS: Despite the drought going on in Summer 2023, Swan Lake was in great shape. The greens were paced well (repair your ball marks!), and the tees and fairways were in good condition. Was only in a few bunkers, and they seemed a bit firm and the sand was a bit thin/whispy.

VALUE: Not sure if there is a deal if you stay at the resort they have on-site, but at their standard rates 36 holes with a cart was $84 (57, then 27 replay). It felt a bit high (particularly the replay) but the conditions and service give that price point validation.

LAYOUT: As noted, the front 9 of the Black course was the only 1 of the 4 nine hole stretches that I felt stood out. On that 9 both par 3s are over water, the par 5s are back-to-back and both uniquely challenging, and the par 4s are interesting and challenging. The back 9 of the Black and Silver feel the same, playing thru tree lined fairways with occasional water or doglegs to present a challenge. Though I took a cart for this day, these courses are walkable and I would do so in the future.

STAFF: Everyone was helpful and interested in providing a quality experience. Thank you.

PACE: As a single I played 2 balls each hole. This allowed me to stay behind the groups ahead of me, and never have anyone waiting behind me. Finished 36 holes in 6 hours and 30 minutes… so that’s awesome!

Overall I’m glad to have made the drive down to play Swan Lake. Both of the courses feel like they would be fun for a high- or low-handicappers, so I might keep this in mind for a buddies trip.

The course was in great shape. Fairways were nice and clearly set apart from the rough. The greens were firm and fast and had some great undulation on several holes. My only complaint would be that the tee boxes weren’t as flat as they could have been. Finding a flat spot that wasn’t riddled with divots was tough. However, I loved the layout and challenge and overall shape of the course. I will definitely play again!

challenging layout. par 4s a little long for us from the whites, but it was very enjoyable.
wish the bloody marys were a little cheaper..LOL

Nothing bad to say about the course itself. Played at a good pace and was in very nice shape. Negative was the cleanliness of the men's bathroom, looked like a hurricane went through. Lounge/bar area - young lady working was overwhelmed - which contributed to her quick attitude. Slow/cold food, did not match what we ordered. At one time I counted 13 people in line. She moved as best as she could, get her some help.

Fun course! Maintenance crew keeps it in great condition, cart staff was excellent as well. Can’t wait to play the silver course next

Played the black course and will definitely be back to play silver. It’s in really good shape and the new carts have some comfortable seats. Worth the drive for sure.

Everyone is friendly. It was a cooler fall day. Although people were golfing, I had no problem with pace. Greens were aerated, so a little bumpy. But still rolled ok. I like the layout. Some holes bear a little investigation prior to teeing it up. But the carts have GPS and do a great job of giving yardages to intermediate points to help avoid trouble. It was my first time this year. But I'll definitely go back.

I live in South bend and have never played this course. I cannot wait to come back and play it again. We played the silver course which was a challenge with the water and the dog legs. The fairways were excellent and the greens in top notch shape for being late September. The staff and the restaurant were fantastic I can't say enough good things about this course one of the finest in northern Indiana.