Audie Tarpley on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Golf Course

Audie Tarpley is an Indiana building executive who delivers quality planning and execution on wide-ranging projects spanning all phases of commercial development. An avid golfer, Audie Tarpley enjoys exploring courses throughout central Indiana. While the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, affectionately known as the Brickyard for its brick construction, is best known as a race track that hosts the Indy 500, the property also features a storied golf course inside and surrounding the track.

Established in 1929, the Brickyard Crossing originally encompassed nine holes on the infield of the race track and nine holes outside of the track. Designed by noted Indiana architect Bill Diddel, what was then the Speedway Golf Course was the brainchild of property owners and Indianapolis Motor Speedway founders Carl Fisher and James Allison. They brainstormed ways of generating year-round revenue, alongside incoming owner Captain Eddie Rickenbacker.

At that time, year-round activities for tourists centered around hotel, museum, and bus rides around the track had not taken off. The landscape was rural, with the speedway executive offices located downtown. The only real activity outside of May racing season, when the Indy 500 was held, was occasional automobile testing. Course architect Bill Diddel was an Indiana basketball legend who developed a legendary golf game and designed numerous courses across the state. The 18 holes were named after past Indy 500 winners, with greens fees an affordable $1 on weekdays (around $19 in today’s money) and $1.50 on weekends and holidays.

Interestingly, when racing shut down in the early 1940s as World War II raged across Europe and Asia, the golf course remained open for business as usual, providing a welcome source of income to the owners. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby took part in a well-attended exhibition match as the war drew to a close, providing a clear signal that brighter days were ahead.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway took a leap forward in the public imagination in 1960, as the PGA 500 Open commenced. Legends such as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer participated, and championship trophies were hoisted by the likes of Billy Casper, Bruce Crampton, Doug Ford, and Gary Player. The addition of an additional nine holes outside the backstretch in the mid-1960s brought the total to 27 holes.

The course’s motel played host to musical act The Beatles in September 1964, when they performed at the nearby Indiana State Fairgrounds. The Fab Four were at the height of their fame, and posed for photos on the green with golf clubs. One of the pictures from that session wound up as the cover image of the “Eight Days a Week”/“I’m a Loser” single.

In 1992, renowned course architect and local resident Pete Dye was hired to create a true championship-level experience. His concept for the renamed Brickyard Crossing included the creation of several hills on what had been flat terrain, as well as water features such as a lake. The hole count was brought down to 18, with only four still on the infield.

During the 1990s, the marquee event each year was a PGA Seniors tournament that drew the likes of Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, and Chi Chi Rodriguez. From 2017 through 2019, the Brickyard hosted the Indy Women in Tech Championship LPGA tour event. American Lexi Thompson hoisted the trophy in the inaugural running, while subsequent champions included South Koreans Sung Hyun Park and Mi Jung Hur.