Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
FRENCH LICK – For the first time since the pandemic, employment at the French Lick Resort has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
If the growth in golf and hospitality continues on trend, the current staff of 1,100 employees won’t be enough to serve guests and maintain operations. That was the message from Chuck Franz, French Lick Resort CEO, during an update of the French Lick Resort he gave Sept. 29 to community stakeholders.
Hospitality revenue, which includes rooms, food & beverage, golf and spa/stables, has grown by 47%, or $30 million between 2019-2025. Golf has seen the most growth, up 200%, or $9 million, since 2019. The growth coming out of the pandemic “has been astounding,” he said.
The Resort recorded 46,000 rounds of golf in 2024; this year, golf play will top 57,000 rounds. The golf demographic is also trending younger, he noted.
“Hospitality will hit $94 million this year and next year it will be $100 million. We don’t see any slow down whatsoever in our reservations,” Franz said. “And this is with nothing new.”
Quite a bit of “new” is on the horizon. Resort leadership is continuing to invest in golf and to pursue the leisure travel market with projects that will be completed over the next two years.
RidgeView Links will open in 2027. The course overlooks the valley and will be the Resort’s third 18-hole golf course.
A new lodging option, RidgeView Cottages, will open in spring of 2026. The cottages, located near the Resort’s Klondike housing subdivision, can accommodate groups of visitors who want to stay together during their visit, something the Resort hasn’t been able to offer in the past. Without any advance marketing by the Resort, the cottages are already getting booked for next year. Depending on the initial demand, the Resort has room to build four more of the double units.
Group travel, which includes meetings, conventions and motorcoach tours, continues to grow. The Resort is at 76,500 rooms booked this year, a 10% increase from 2024.
“We’re projecting 10% growth next year,” Franz said. “That continues to fill the mid-week, which is great, and fills the rooms in January, February and March.”
Billiard & Bowling update
The restoration of the Billiard & Bowling Pavilion is nearly complete and is expected to open later this month.
The project, on the grounds of the West Baden Springs Hotel, includes an additional wing, flood barrier wall and interior restoration. Amenities include six bowling lanes, pool tables and Sprudel’s Pizzeria.
The new Sand Creek Course, a new short course designed for golfers of all levels who want to play the game in a shorter time frame, continues to be a popular attraction. Lights will be added to extend the hours golfers can play. A new recreation hub opened last week. There, visitors can rent their clubs for the Sand Creek Course as well as pickleball equipment.
Amid positive growth forecasts for golf, leisure and group travel, the Resort’s casino gaming revenue continues to be affected by market saturation.
Franz said the Terre Haute Casino, which opened in 2024, Owensboro (Ky.) Racing & Gaming, which has 600 slots and is operated by Churchill Downs, and gaming sites in Ohio, are creating headwinds for all casinos in southern Indiana.
“We’re trying to hold our own but saturation continues,” he said.
Looking back to when the casino restored hotels opened, the casino model was necessary to generate the revenue to develop other aspects of the Resort. Now, hospitality and other amenities are driving growth at the Resort’s two hotels – French Lick and West Baden Springs.
Even without strong gaming numbers, the Resort continues to re-invest. Franz said he’s frequently asked how much the Resort has spent.
“Once we hit $400 million, we quit counting.”
French Lick Resort by the numbers
A few other notable numbers from the Resort update:
- 15% – the increase in guests coming from outside of Indiana and Kentucky
- 72% – percentage of Resort employees who are Orange County residents
- 54,000 – number of rooms already booked for 2026, a 10% increase from the same time this year
- 1.1 million – visitors annually to French Lick and West Baden Springs