Bright Leaf Golf Resort

Golf Course Overview: Bright Leaf Golf Resort

Insights From An Insider With Kevin Hendren, Golf Pro

By Brian Weis

Local and traveling golfers love to research courses before playing them, whether it is to gain some local knowledge or to set an expectation before their upcoming round. Below is an interview with Kevin Hendren who shares some valuable insight about the property, its most talked about holes and the signature dish/drink to consume at the 19th hole.

Provide a brief description of the golf course/property, the terrain and best times of the year to play.
The 18 hole course is a par 72 layout playing approximately 6,400 from the back tees.The course is a open layout to ensure a good pace of play with gently rolling terrain with newly sewn Bluegrass fairways.The greens are fairly large with Bent grass.Water comes into play on 5 holes.A links style course,(you play a continuous 18 holes) before coming in.

The 9 hole course is shorter but tighter course, with lots of sloping terrain.Even though it plays around 3,000 yards, water comes into play on 6 of the holes.It is the original 9, which was constructed in 1963.

The best time of year to play would be April-October.

Share with golfers, your most recent awards and golf course improvements.
The most recent improvements have been sewing in new bluegrass fairways and moving #5 on the 9 hole course to a more picturesque and playable hole.

Bright Leaf was named Kentucky Livings best course for 2019.

Any tips on playing and reading the greens?
The greens are gently sloping with little break.

Starting on hole #1, are there any tips to get your round off on the right foot?
The first hole is a par 3.The best advise I would give would be to hit at least a half club to a club more, since it plays uphill.
Also, if the wind is blowing, you are normally hitting into it.

What is your favorite par 5, and how would you recommend playing it?
My favorite par 5 would be #13.You need carry the ball at least 220 yards to carry the water unless you bail out right.It plays approximately 575 yards, so hitting a solid first and second shot are a premium.

What is your favorite par 3, and how would you recommend playing it?
My favorite par 3 would be #10. It plays approximately 200 yards over water with sand on the left.

In your opinion, what is the hardest hole and do you have any tips on playing it?
The hardest hole would be #12.It plays approximately 430 from the back tees with OB all the way on the left.Any draw or pull will result in going OB.

As a golfer plays the final three holes, is there a chance for salvation? (any tips on closing out the round?)
Yes there is.After 16, par 3 over water, you have two finishing par 4's that you can get a birdie on, that both play under 360 yards.

Contact Course
Bright Leaf Golf Resort 1742 Danville Rd Harrodsburg , Ky, 40330 859-265-1588

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Revised: 03/01/2021 - Article Viewed 10,836 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.