Par 71 with a Bourbon Chaser

By Kathy Witt

Golfers can pack their woods, irons, hybrids and putters for a full weekend of playing the links in Bardstown, KY, the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” Four 18-hole golf courses are tucked into its gently rolling terrain and one of them, the Kenny Rapier Golf Course at My Old Kentucky Home State Park, wends its way along picturesque woodlands adjacent to Heaven Hill Distilleries. And yes, what you smell wafting from the rick houses yonder is the smooth, mellow and distinctively caramel aromas of the only distilled spirit native to America: Kentucky Bourbon.

With its quintessential Southern small town sensibility, nearly 200 National Register of Historic Place buildings and charming circular Courthouse Square, Bardstown seems more like a vintage movie set than a bustling town in central Kentucky. But it is both these things and more: home to three of the six distilleries on the famed Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Heaven Hill, Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam; site of the Civil War Museum of the Western Theatre; one of the four most important Civil War museums in the country; the repository of compelling slices of whiskey, Prohibition, and moonshine history at the Oscar Getz Museum; and the setting for a narrative about the steam locomotive at The Kentucky Railway Museum.

Addressing the ball
In the midst of all of this are the four golf courses, including the aforementioned 18-hole course within My Old Kentucky Home State Park. The Kenny Rapier Golf Course is a par 71 golf course, providing 6,385 yards of golf from the longest tees and with a course rating of 70.4 and a slope rating of 128. The course features bent grass greens and Bermuda grass fairways and tees, a fully-equipped pro shop with snack bar, rental clubs, pull carts and riding carts. Named for Bardstown native and former Commissioner of Parks, the course is open year-round, weather permitting.

Besides having an excellent and aromatic golf course, the park is home to Federal Hill–a.k.a. “My Old Kentucky Home,” the Southern-style plantation mansion given prominence in the Stephen Foster song of the same name. The “It” composer of his era (the mid-19th century), Foster was the original “American Idol,” producing the country’s first pop song with “Oh! Susanna,” in addition to giving Kentucky its official state song.

About five minutes from the state park is the Bardstown Country Club at Maywood, a picture-perfect 18-hole championship quality course featuring bent grass greens and built exactly to U.S.G.A. specifications. Whether walking or riding the course, the rye grass tees, Riviera Bermuda grass fairways, verdant landscaping, sculptured bunkers of white sand, undulating greens and multiple tees make for a round of golf both challenging and relaxing. The course also has clubhouse, full-service restaurant and lounge.

From knee knockers to tasting notes
Beyond the golf course, Bardstown is the place to sample the spirits, having been in the business of making bourbon since 1776. Board the vintage-style Heaven Hill Trolley, which picks up passengers at Courthouse Square and zips them around the town’s historic hotspots, including Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center. Here, the history of bourbon is celebrated in grand style in the airy, state-of-the-art facility warmed with plenty of bottles of the umber-colored liquid. Built in 2004 by the largest independent family-owned spirits producer and designed as an architectural paean to the process and traditions of producing bourbon, the Center is both history lesson and hands-on experience. The tour includes a working rick house, high-tech exhibits, and a tutored tasting in the barrel-shaped “A Taste of Heaven” room.

On the distillery tour at Maker’s Mark, the only operating distillery in America to be designated a National Historic Landmark, visitors see the circa 1805 Old Gristmill; the 1840s Master Distiller’s House; the Toll House, now a place to grab a fast sandwich; the antique fire engine; the Still House, a.k.a. the distillery’s “secret headquarters” or heart and soul of Maker’s Mark; the Fermenting Room with its 12-foot deep cypress vats that hold about 9,300 gallons of sour mash; and the historic Barrel Warehouse, where the whisky sleeps while Nature works its magic.

Visitors can savor the color, bouquet, flavor and finish in the tasting room following the tour and also hand-dip souvenir bottles in Maker’s red wax.

Tours and tastings are also on tap at Jim Beam American Outpost, home of the number top selling bourbon in the world, which includes Jim Beam Black 8 Year and small-batch bourbons, Basil Hayden’s, Knob Creek, Baker’s and Booker’s. The former residence of T. Jeremiah Beam, is open for visitors. Three generations of Beams lived there when they were distilling the family’s namesake premium bourbon.

The Chapeze House, “Kentucky’s Home for Bourbon,” offers a leisurely and unforgettable way to cap a day. Michael Masters, “The Host of Kentucky” and author of Hospitality Kentucky Style, in “full battle gear” will wax eloquent about bourbon and Kentucky history, lore, food traditions and more. Famous for his Kentucky Bourbon-marinated grilled pork chops, The Masters, known as” the Colonel,” invites dinner guests to join him at the grill as he flambes chops and later, to enjoy a cigar on the front porch of the Federal-style Chapeze House or in its gardens.

Let the big dog eat
In spite of its petite proportions, Bardstown has a profusion of locally owned eateries, including no less than a dozen in its historic downtown district. Man-sized meals are served up at Old Talbott Tavern with its half-pound burgers, marinated sirloins and grilled chops, not to mention down-home favorites like Southern fried chicken and cornmeal breaded catfish. Kreso’s is European-inspired dining, with schnitzel, goulash and Bosnian salad headlining a menu with a Mediterranean twist.

Head down to the basement digs of Xavier’s Restaurant in historic Spalding Hall for pub grub – including tasty two-handed fish sandwiches – a really happy Happy Hour and live entertainment. Hit the Java Joint for a stout cuppa Joe. Get casual with café-style dining at Kurtz’s, where the fried cornbread melts in your mouth, and at Hurst’s Soda Fountain where the juice-dripping burgers get a nostalgia boost with a malt served on the side. Time permitting, Keene’s Depot, not far from the square, is worth a good browse for its selection of guns and hunting supplies and Bass Pro Outlet shop.

As a golfing destination, the “Bourbon Capital of the World” is one sweet spot, perfect for a foursome for a long weekend on the links and atop the bar stools at three of the most famous tasting rooms in the world.

Visit www.SampleOurSpirit.com.

Kathy Witt is a travel writer based in Kentucky. She is author the novel The Secret of the Belles.

Visit www.kathywitt.com.

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