Developer Plans Golf Course of Dreams

Henke explaining some of the changes he plans to make to the existing course. 

Developer Steve Henke is planning to build a golf community that “puts Hendricks County on the map.”

His first step in doing so was purchasing the Deer Creek Golf Club, currently in Liberty Township.

The course, which was originally built in 1991, has seen some changes since Henke purchased the property in January of 2024. Though the updates, such as that to the clubhouse, are only the beginning of the site’s future potential.

“I want to build a course that’s really what I’d say is a national course,” Henke explained. National meaning local members, national members, and a tournament destination according to the property owner.

Before talks of a premiere golf location entered the conversation, the land was brought to Henke’s attention by a fellow builder. At the time, said builder was interested in buying a couple hundred acres. Meanwhile, the Hall family was looking to sell around 900 acres - all or nothing.

Timing wise, Henke was finishing up Chatham Hills, a private residential golf course community in Westfield, while continuing work on Holiday Farms, a luxury custom home community around a course in Zionsville, when he looked at the Deer Creek deal and thought, “We can do this.”

One obstacle that arose in the early stages was the developer’s desire to be a part of Plainfield’s jurisdiction.

“Henke Development began discussions with the Town . . .to secure municipal services and utilities,” according to Plainfield’s website.

The challenge was in the fact that the property was noncontiguous with the town limits. However, legislation has since been passed allowing for noncontiguous annexations.Which leaves Henke in the planning stages.

While nothing has been filed with the local municipalities at this point, ongoing conversation initially suggested that the current 18-hole course would be altered to accommodate nine holes on each side of 39.

Though the developer, Steve Henke seems to have other plans.

“Can we say you’re building another golf course,” The Republican asked.

“Definitely,” Henke said.

“Building two,” the paper questioned.

“Maybe building two,” the developer affirmed. “They’d be membership courses, except the second course will probably be a semi-private - a membership and some public.”

With the potential for two courses, Henke is hoping one will become a tournament destination.

Chatham Hills, Henke’s Westfield course is hosting LIV this August. LIV is a professional men’s golf tour, which originated in 2021. Bryson DeChambeau is one of the league’s well-known players.

“With Chatham, when they’re talking about economic benefit to the area - $40 million,” Henke shared.

Since the purchase of 900 acres, Henke has acquired around 300 more, bringing his acquisition to roughly 1,200 acres, a factor that led to him rethinking previous plans.

“Because we’ve got about five or six-hundred acres on each side … and the more we began looking at it and you look at … potential for major tournaments … it became more apparent that this [east] side of the road needed to be more of a national type course.”

“Basically a course that you don’t cross over a road to play,” Henke said. The developer added that they like to try and control much of the land around a project in order to increase things like amenities and quality.

Speaking of quality, Henke Development mentioned the benefits for local entities and schools.

“We want good schools. If we don’t have good schools, we’re not going to attract the highest quality of development that we could do. We will work with them [schools],” the developer emphasized. “It’ll be a win-win for the taxpayers too. “We end up creating so much value that over time as we get our infrastructure paid off and everything, the tax base is pretty phenomenal.”

As far as a timeline, things have yet to be finalized, though Henke mentioned the possibility of fi ling development and zoning plans with Plainfield this fall. If all goes well with plans he hopes to have a completed course by 2028.

Other surrounding development, such as residential and commercial, is expected to take upwards of 10 to 15 years.