Swan Lake Golf Resort

Getting To Know: Swan Lake Resort

An Insightful Interview With Chad Hutsell, Head Golf Professional

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Chad Hutsell who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Swan Lake Resort is artfully nestled over 600 acres of northern Indiana countryside in a relaxed and unobtrusive atmosphere a world apart from the tireless bustle. Great golf and Hoosier hospitality meet here, providing memories certain to bring you back time and again. For nearly 50 years the Resort has existed with the exclusive intent to serve golfers. While a heritage of 36 holes of fantastic golf is still a pillar of our success, we proudly present something for everyone...with a charming hotel, quaint cottages, rustic cabins, modern villas, state of the art conference center, pools, fantastic dining, spa and a Golf Academy focused all around you. At Swan Lake Resort you can escape the noise of everyday life and truly find something for everyone. We've dedicated our Resort experience to you.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
The cornerstone of Northern Indiana's most complete getaway is The Golf Club at Swan Lake Resort. With two expertly maintained golf courses designed for the enjoyment of both accomplished golfers and those still learning the game, everyone will find their game at Swan Lake Resort. Our 36 holes are often described as in Country Club condition, but you won't be paying private club fees to enjoy outstanding golf, facilities and service. We offer a modern clubhouse with a fully stocked golf shop and a sports bar style grille room. You can also take your game in a new direction and allow our PGA Professionals to tailor the perfect golf experience for you whether you seek group golf packages, personalized golf instruction packages, formal outings, fun group gatherings, membership or special events. Any way you play it, you are sure to leave Swan Lake Resort with lasting memories at a great value.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
The Black Course combines all elements golfers look for in a challenging course. With the addition of new tee areas, numerous water features and the 18th hole sweeping along the main Resort, the Black Course will provide a championship experience. The Silver Course provides all players with a chance to shoot a career round! Playing to a slightly shorter layout yet very strategic layout, this course plays well around numerous eye-pleasing water features. The Silver Course will prove challenging and rewarding for all levels of play.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
Golf Digest Americas Top 100 Clubfitter in 2011 SMT Certified 5 Star Clubfitter Top 100 Mizuno Clubfitter Nominated for 2012 Merchandiser of the Year Award- Resort Category in Indiana
2012 pick "the knot" Best of Weddings

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
Swan Lake Resort has vast array of stunning and remarkable holes throughout the Black and Silver Courses. Perhaps the most talked about hole is the par 3 second hole on the Silver Course. Playing from 100 to 170 yards. Your tee shot must carry a beautiful water feature to a large green guarded on three sides by the water and by a bunker at the back. This scenic hole captures the essence of Swan Lake Resort with the beauty of the water feature, the challenge of the forced carry and the reward of a large putting surface from a variety tee positions to match any golfers level of ability. Challenging yet fair and playable. On both courses there truly is something for everyone and we've dedicated it to you.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
My favorite hole is the 18th on the Black Course. A par 5 playing from 441 to 524, the 18th is a stunning finishing hole offering beauty, some risk and potential for much reward. Teeing off and playing alongside the beauty of the Resort, an accurate tee shot is required to avoid a water feature on the left and trees right, yet the landing area is fair. From there the golfer is faced with a decision. The green is offset to the right and the second shot landing area is guarded closely on the right by a pond with a lovely fountain. A safe layup second shot short of the water is obvious, but the player is tempted to squeeze the ball further up the left side bringing the water into play but leaving a shorter pitch shot. Longer hitters from the tee have an opportunity to reach the green over the water and a front right green side bunker possibly rewarding them with an eagle or birdie opportunity. The elegant fairway Villas and modern clubhouse frame the backdrop of the green for a great finish. The 18th on the Black is a fabulous risk/reward hole that puts the finishing touch on an exciting Swan Lake Resort experience.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
Too many choices prohibited labeling a favorite dish or drink. The Restaurant and Fireside Lounge are spacious, authentically appointed and offer wonderful views. The menu is varied to compliment any taste and paired with fabulous wines from our wine locker. The Clubhouse Grille is a fun and relaxed atmosphere for the sports enthusiast. The Grille features 6 large HDTV's showing the latest sporting events and ten beers on tap, including a few microbrews. The menu features all your favorite pub and golf course style food, making the Grille the perfect venue for settling your post round wagers!

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
Chad Hutsell, our own Head Golf Professional holds the course record with a 63 on the Black Course. On July 29, 2011, Chad had a blistering round with nines of 32 and 31. Chad came out of the gate on fire with four straight birdies and finished the front in 32. A birdie at the long par 4 10th kept the round hot. Back to back birdies at the tricky par 4 14th and reachable, must birdie par 5 15th put Chad at 7 under par and the record within sight. Pars at 16 and 17 left the Chad in a great position on the his favorite hole, the risk/reward par 5 18th. A big drive left him with a 5 iron into the closely guarded green. With perhaps the best shot of his round, Chad dropped the 5 iron to within 12 feet of the flag, where he drained a downhill, right to left putt for an eagle 3 and the course record of 9 under, 63!

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72 for both courses
Yardage: 7131 Black, 6772 Silver
Slope: 135 Black, 124 Silver
Rating: 74.5 Black, 72.6 Silver

More Information
Swan Lake Resort
5203 Plymouth LaPorte Trail
Plymouth, IN, 46563
574-936-9798
www.swanlakeresort.com

Revised: 12/04/2012 - Article Viewed 33,920 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.