Welcome to the Kentucky Golf Trail
You can feel the calmness in whatever you are doing in the Bluegrass State. Afterall, it is always better to be calm when around the majestic thoroughbreds, which makes the Lexington area “The Horse Capitol of the World.” Playing golf, it is definitely better to play in a calm and relaxed state of mind. Sipping Bourbon, if that doesn’t make you kick back and relax nothing will.
That magic combination, and so much more is yours to discover with the launch of the Kentucky Golf Trail. Curating premier golf, with world class bourbon experiences and internationally renowned horse farms and racetracks, all wrapped in authentic southern charm.
As is stands right now the Golf Trail offers up Stay & Play in the heart of Bourbon country. Six courses in and around 4 major centers of Lexington, the State Capitol of Frankfort, Bardstown and Louisville. It just so happens that within this region of the State, you will be close to 44 of the approximately 60 distilleries that make up the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. How convenient is that!
You can plan your trip around the Golf, or you can plan around the bourbon. Because we wanted to visit and sample Bourbon in each of those centers, we planned our visit around the bourbon, with as little driving as possible. The team at the Kentucky Golf Trail can help you with that as well.
We started and ended our Kentucky adventure in Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky with a vibrant downtown area. Main Street is all you really need to know, if you are staying in the downtown area, wine dine and you have a number of excellent Bourbon opportunities. Our favorite by far, so much so that we visited twice, Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery is set in the 19th-century building named for the historic Fort. Make your way to the 2nd floor and the elegant Bar at Fort Nelson overlooking Main Street. Staff is second to none. Once is not enough. Michter’s Distillery
Old Forester’s sampling at George’s Bar was most surprising, simply because I had never had it. It is now on my BUY list. Creatures of habit and pub rats we must be, as both on the first night and last night we ended up at O’Shea’s Downton for dinner and to close out the night.
Museum Row on Main Street also boasts several one-of-a-kind attractions within its stretch of walkable blocks. From history to Bourbon to modern art, there is something for everyone, the Frazier History Museum (home of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center), Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, and the Muhammad Ali Center were all that we had time for. Louisville Tourism | Bourbon City
Thanksgiving at Churchill Downs, was a dream day in Kentucky. When you are out of town on Thanksgiving why not spend it at the greatest racetrack in the world – Churchill Downs, Home of the Kentucky Derby, and “the most exciting 2 minutes in sports.”
We booked ourselves into a day of feasting and excitement. A win in the first race set the pace for the day, of course. It was only appropriate that our first cocktail of the day was a Mint Julip, the official cocktail of Louisville, and closed out our day with a Woodford Reserve Double Oak Bourbon. Woodford Reserve is the Official Bourbon of the Derby. Churchill Downs
Two courses on the Golf Trail are around the Louisville area, GlenOaks Country Club, to the Northeast in Prospect, offers up dramatic vistas from the tees, showing great elevation changes. Bunkers were fully renovated in 2017, along with bent grass tees, greens, and Bluemuda fairways, the golf course has matured into one of the finest in the area, staying lush and green all year long.
Bardstown Country Club at Maywood, this semi-private course is equal distance between Louisville and Lexington, about a hour from either. Of course, you can also stay in Bardstown as we did. The Club with its Bentgrass greens and Riviera Bermuda grass fairways is the crown jewel of the golf community.
Ranked the fourth most difficult course in the Louisville area by Business First Magazine. Five sets of tees measure over 7,200 yards from the championship tees and of course the full-service dining at The Grill comes with extensive bourbon selections.
Off to the Horse Capital of the World we go, Lexington, and the epi-center of the Kentucky Golf Trail. Four courses in and around Lexington and over a dozen distilleries within 35 minutes of downtown.
Tee It Up in Lexington
What you will find is a collection of semi-private and private, resort style layouts with stunning and meticulously maintained fairways and greens. All set in a background of panoramic landscapes, and blended together with Southern hospitality. Of note, in 2024 Conde Naste Traveler Readers Choice Award designated as “Top 5 Best Small Cities in the U.S. “
Right in Lexington, is The Greenbrier Golf and Country Club, the regions premiere private club.
The Greenbriar has proudly hosted three Kentucky State Open Championships. The layout stretches back to 6,754-yards, it’s expertly maintained Zoysia fairways offers a scenic setting to escape and unwind. GPS equipped golf carts ensures an excellent pace of play.
The Woodford Club has been the centerpiece of Woodford County, Kentucky since 1965. 18-hole, par 71 course on 150 acres of rolling hills with its pristine zoysia fairways and the best greens in the region! The only “neigh-bors” they have are horses, and thus they are only minutes away from the historic Keeneland racetrack and quaint Versailles shopping and dining district. Home of The Woodford Legends Invitational.
To the southeast of Lexington, and just off I-75 in Richmond you will find Gibson Bay Golf Club designed by internationally recognized and award-winning golf architect Michael Hurdzan. In 1993 Gibson Bay was recognized with an honorable mention by Golf Digest for best new public golf course in the United States in 1993. The 7,100-yard, par 72 course is seeded with bent grass and challenges golfers with strategically placed bunkers and mounding. The course is located next to Richmond’s 450-acre Lake Reba recreational complex.
Just north of Lexington in Georgetown, you will be able to tee it up at the beautifully manicured Cherry Blossom Golf & Country Club. The championship golf course offers beautiful scenery across its bent grass tees, greens, and fairways. Multiple tee options maximize enjoyment for all skill levels. From a simple round of golf to outings, junior tournaments, and PGA qualifiers, all a golfer may want can be found at Cherry Blossom golf course!
Lexington: The Horse Capitol of the World
Churchill Downs is not the only place to hear and feel the thundering of hooves. Keeneland Race Track in Lexington is a National Historic Landmark; having hosted spring and fall thoroughbred races since the 1930s, and today spectators tailgate on “The Hill” with fare from food trucks while live bluegrass plays in the background.
Founded By Horsemen: Since opening in October 1936, Keeneland has been unique in the Thoroughbred industry. Only at Keeneland are world-class racing and industry-leading sales united under one mission-driven entity. Today, Keeneland continues to be guided by its original mission, taking a leadership role in the industry to improve safety, promote integrity and strengthen the sport of racing. Keeneland is open every day, welcoming visitors, and offers guided walking tours. www.keeneland.com
A visit to the area would not be complete without a visit to one of the many sprawling horse farms. We had a most memorable visit to Mill Ridge Farm, a sprawling 900-acre horse farm, and for Kentucky, it is considered to be one of the smaller ones. But you have likely heard – size isn’t everything!
Founded in 1962 Mill Ridge has a rich history of raising and selling Thoroughbred racehorses and you will need more sets of fingers and toes than you have to count the winners. Since 2000, Mill Ridges has produced 39 world class winners including: Kentucky Derby winner, GIACOMO, 2 Horse of the Year winners, HAVRE DE GRACE, and POINT GIVEN, and 9 Breeders Cup winners. You can see the complete list at Mill Ridge. Mill Ridge
Speaking of fingers, and keeping them all, Mill Ridge is a very interactive Farm. At the guidance of your tour guide you will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with Mares, Foals, Yearlings and maybe even Stallions. These horses love their carrot treats, and you will have the opportunity to give them such. Listen to your guide as all of these majestic animals have different personalities. You will be shown how to feed them their treats, while keeping all your fingers.
Even if you don’t come to Kentucky a horse lover, you’ll almost certainly leave as one.
Horse Capital of the World: Lexington, Kentucky
Bourbon, It’s a way of life!
To find your way into the true spirit or spirits of the Bluegrass Sate. You will find that Bourbon is more than a drink — it’s a way of life.
If you are coming to Kentucky, you are likely aware of the Bourbon Trail and now so much more. Everything that is mentioned here can be handled through the good folks at the Kentucky Golf Trail. Yes, even the Bourbon Tours.
Visiting the 4 main bourbon centers was the right way to get to know Kentucky, safely tour and sample at our chosen distilleries. There are way too many to get to in one trip, if you did them all in one trip it would be a major challenge for your liver.
Lexington is in the heart of Kentucky and the heart of Bourbon County. Seven distilleries within a mile of downtown and another 11 within a 20-to-30-minute drive. One of Lexington’s exciting hot spots, appropriately named is the Distillery District. It was the original home to the historic James E. Pepper Distillery which began making bourbon in 1879. Bourbon tours are available at $20 per person and include the story of the historic brand, time in the distillery museum, a tour of the working distillery and a tasting of the award-winning, small-batch whiskeys. James E. Pepper – Bourbon Whiskey
Our favorite here was the one-two punch of Barrel House Distillery and the ElkhornTavern. Barrel House embraces the tradition of old Kentucky distillers by producing quality Kentucky Bourbon with traditional methods. The Elkhorn Tavern, is an intimate lodge-style bar and restaurant, located right next to Barrel House Distillery in the old barreling house of the historic distillery. An ideal spot to end your tour, begin your sampling, and have bite to eat. Barrel House Distilling Co
Bardstown, rightly touts its status as the Bourbon Capital of the World, its historic downtown is a refreshing mix of authentic, locally owned businesses that pair a genuine welcome with small-town charm. With its collection of distilleries such as Heaven Hill, James Beam, Makers Mark and Four Roses it might just be considered sacred ground for Bourbon lovers. Welcome to Bardstown
Of note to golfers, Heaven Hill’s, Elijah Craig Bourbon is the Official Bourbon of the
2025 PGA Championship. To commemorate the partnership, the brand will release a special edition of its 94 proof Small Batch Bourbon. One might say that they are bringing together the best in the game with the best in Bourbon. Elijah Craig Bourbon Celebrates the PGA Championship
Makers Mark is by far one of the most interesting, colorful and artistic of all distilleries. If your lucky you might just get to dip your own bottle with the infamous red wax. You will have to find out for yourself. For a sneak peak you can visit my Instagram @travelinggolfer23 or visit Maker’s Mark®
The States historic Capital City of Frankfort, perfectly positioned on the shores of the Kentucky River between Louisville and Lexington. Frankfort embodies the essence of everything that makes Kentucky special from natural charm to world-renowned bourbon, all in one distinctly small but spirited package. You will find eclectic small distilleries, just a stone’s throw from some of Bourbon’s biggest and most beloved names. Visit Frankfort
The biggies you might recognize are Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey, Castle & Key and perhaps the grandaddy of them all, which is not a member of the Bourbon Trail, Buffalo Trace, producers of the bourbon that got me addicted to the taste, “Blantons.”
What you need to know about Buffalo Trace, other than it is the oldest continuously operating distillery in Kentucky and the World’s Most Award-Winning Distillery…. they do about 30 tours daily, you may get lucky and get in without booking in advance. Not recommended. The Tour and the sampling are FREE! We did not come across another that was free. The sampling is likely free because they have the most amazing gift shop or Pro Shop as I like to call it. It is very unlikely that you will get out without buying anything. I could go back for that reason alone. Buffalo Trace Distillery
And you will find another short little video on that same Instagram, @travelinggolfer23
Regretfully the Castle & Key Distillery was one that we could not fit into this trip. Rest assured that this historic gem is top of the list for the next visit. Castle & Key Distillery
In 2024 the Kentucky Bourbon Trail celebrated it 25th Anniversary and for 2025 the Trail continues to grow, adding a number of new distilleries throughout the State. If you happen to be or maybe want to plan to be in Kentucky the week of June 10-15 that would be National Bourbon Week, just say’n.
Kentucky Bourbon Trail
You should consider letting the Kentucky Golf Trail tee up your golf vacation. They will make sure that you and your friends discover the tastes and true spirits of Kentucky! The Kentucky Golf Trail
Grip It and Sip It in Kentucky
