Idle Hour Country Club
Lexington, KY
Idle Hour Country Club is a private 18-hole, par-70 golf course in Lexington, Kentucky, playing 7,011 yards with a course rating of 75 and slope of 134. It is ranked #1 on Top 100 Golf Courses's Top Courses in Kentucky (as of Oct 2026).
🏛 Designed by Donald Ross
Idle Hour Country Club in Lexington was founded on November 19, 1946. From around the mid-1960s its 18 holes have been named for thoroughbred racehorses, among them Citation on the 6th, Assault on the 7th, Kelso on the 10th, Man O' War on the 12th and Whirlaway on the 18th. Most of the horses had ties to club members.
Accolades
- Ranked #3, Best in Kentucky (Golf Digest, 2025-26)
- Ranked #1, Top Courses in Kentucky (Top 100 Golf Courses, as of Oct 2026)
📍 1815 Richmond Rd, Lexington, KY 40502
Course layout
Hole lines and layout © OpenStreetMap contributors. Tap a hole line for par and yardage.
Scorecard, hole by hole
- Par 70 over 18 holes: 4 par 3s, 12 par 4s, 2 par 5s
- Longest hole: No. 12, 529 yards, par 5
- Shortest hole: No. 4, 167 yards, par 3
- Hardest hole by handicap: No. 7 (par 4, 461 yards)
- Biggest elevation change: No. 7, about 40 ft downhill from tee to green
- Water in play on holes 3, 4, 5 and 13
- Doglegs: 1 left, 3 right
| Hole | Par | Yards | Hcp | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 437 | 7 | 7 bunkers, plays about 15 ft downhill |
| 2 | 3 | 220 | 11 | 3 bunkers, plays about 10 ft uphill |
| 3 | 4 | 463 | 3 | water in play, 2 bunkers, plays about 25 ft downhill |
| 4 | 3 | 167 | 17 | water in play, 1 bunker |
| 5 | 4 | 319 | 15 | water in play, 9 bunkers, plays about 25 ft uphill |
| 6 | 4 | 442 | 5 | 6 bunkers |
| 7 | 4 | 461 | 1 | dogleg right, 5 bunkers, plays about 40 ft downhill |
| 8 | 5 | 499 | 13 | dogleg left, 9 bunkers, plays about 35 ft uphill |
| 9 | 4 | 404 | 9 | 5 bunkers |
| Out | 35 | 3,412 | ||
| 10 | 4 | 370 | 18 | dogleg right, 8 bunkers, plays about 10 ft downhill |
| 11 | 3 | 214 | 16 | 2 bunkers, plays about 30 ft downhill |
| 12 | 5 | 529 | 10 | 9 bunkers, plays about 25 ft uphill |
| 13 | 3 | 186 | 12 | water in play, 3 bunkers, plays about 15 ft downhill |
| 14 | 4 | 438 | 8 | dogleg right, 11 bunkers, plays about 20 ft downhill |
| 15 | 4 | 475 | 4 | 5 bunkers, plays about 25 ft uphill |
| 16 | 4 | 442 | 2 | 4 bunkers, plays about 25 ft uphill |
| 17 | 4 | 484 | 6 | 7 bunkers, plays about 20 ft downhill |
| 18 | 4 | 461 | 14 | 9 bunkers, plays about 10 ft uphill |
| In | 35 | 3,599 | ||
| Total | 70 | 7,011 |
Scorecard from the Ross tees (7,011 yards). Doglegs, water and bunkers are read from the OpenStreetMap hole lines and mapped hazards © OpenStreetMap contributors. Elevation: Open-Meteo / Copernicus DEM, approximate.
Nearby golf courses
| Course | Miles | Holes | Par | Rating / slope | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tates Creek Golf CourseLexington | 3.0 | 18 | 72 | 69.4 / 126 | Municipal |
| Lakeside Golf CourseLexington | 3.1 | 18 | 72 | 72.2 / 123 | Municipal |
| Gay Brewer Jr Golf CourseLexington | 3.5 | 18 | 72 | 71.6 / 127 | Public |
| Lexington Country ClubLexington | 4.1 | 18 | 72 | 73.5 / 129 | Likely private |
| Meadowbrook Golf CourseLexington | 4.3 | 18 | 55 | 52.2 / 70 | Public |
| Athens Golf CenterLexington | 4.4 | Public | |||
| Griffin Gate Golf ClubLexington | 4.5 | 18 | 72 | 72.4 / 135 | Public |
| Greenbrier Golf and Country ClubLexington | 4.5 | 9 | 72 | 73.7 / 134 | Private |
| Spring Valley Golf ClubLexington | 5.0 | 18 | 72 | 72.7 / 129 | Likely private |
| Man O' War Golf Learning CenterLexington | 6.5 | Public |
Straight-line distance from this course.
⛳ See all 22 public golf courses near Lexington, KY · this course on the golf map
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