Sarah Shank Golf Course

The Sarah Shank Golf Course, located on the south side of Indianapolis just west of Beech Grove, is one of the city’s oldest municipal golf courses. It opened in 1927 with a nine-hole layout designed by Harry Schopp. The course was expanded to eighteen holes in 1941 under the design of Indianapolis architect William H. Diddel. The course’s key features include a strategic and challenging layout, its proximity to downtown Indianapolis, and multiple tee lengths to accommodate both beginners and more experienced golfers. 

In August 1925, the Board of Park Commissioners approved plans for a new nine-hole golf course in the tract bounded by Keystone, Troy, and Southern Avenues. The plans were submitted by L. V. Sheridan, a landscape architect. The course was named for Sarah Robbins Shank, the late wife of Indianapolis mayor Lew Shank. Sarah Shank had died of pneumonia in February 1924, and the naming recognized her service as a member of the city’s Board of Park Commissioners. Upon the course’s opening in 1927, it became the third municipal course in the city, joining South Grove and Riverside (see Riverside Park). 

By 1935, members of the Sarah Shank Golf Club had organized to request expansion of the course to eighteen holes, eventually submitting a petition to the park board promoting such a plan. The campaign reflected a broader interwar (between 1918 and 1939) trend in Indianapolis and across the country, as golf grew in popularity and cities expanded municipal courses to meet public demand. 

In March 1939, Indianapolis Board of Park Commissioners board member Paul E. Rathert announced a plan to purchase 37 acres of land adjacent to the golf course from William Zobbe for $11,100. The acquisition, though, sparked miscommunication between the Park Commissioners and the city council. Assuming it was entitled to use $3,400 of unused money in its budget as down payment for the land, the Board of Park Commissioners asked the city council to transfer those funds to the Park Commissioners and issue a mortgage for the balance of the purchase price, with the expectation that the Sarah Shank Golf Course would issue annual payments of $2,000 from its profits to pay down the loan. After a tense moment of misunderstanding as to whether the $3,400 represented a down payment or the total cost of the property, the city council agreed to the resolution the parks department presented.  

Once the land was acquired, golf course architect and Indianapolis native William Diddel was hired to reconstruct and expand the course, which reopened in 1941. In October 1955, the Indianapolis News reported that the original clubhouse, described as a former farmhouse over 100 years old, was razed due to a crumbling foundation. A new community building was constructed to replace it and continues to serve as the course’s central facility. 

The course features open fairways, small greens, rolling terrain, bunkers, and water hazards, with elevated tees and greens for several holes. Unlike many of Diddel’s other courses, which were later remodeled by architects such as Pete Dye and Alice Dye, George Fazio, and Bob Lohmann, Sarah Shank has remained largely unchanged. As of 2025, the course remains in operation as a municipal golf facility managed by Indy Parks and Recreation.