Fore on the speedway: this racetrack is so massive it has a golf course inside

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is famous for high-speed turns and the roar of engines. But did you know that tucked inside one of the world’s most iconic racetracks is something far less noisy: a fully playable golf course? Quite the contrast but far from just a gimmick.

When golf and motor racing collide

Brickyard Crossing Golf Course sits partly inside the 2.5-mile oval and partly just outside it. Of its 18 holes, four are planted right in the infield, putting golfers just a chip shot from racing history. And no, you don’t have to dodge race cars between shots. Access to the infield holes is by tunnel when the track isn’t in use – though during the Indy 500, the general consensus is that you let those drivers play through.

Why did they build a golf course inside the Speedway?

The idea was born in the 1920s, when original Speedway investors Carl Fisher and James Allison pitched it as a way to make money outside of race weekends. They ended up building a golf course that would welcome some of the biggest names in the sport – Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Lee Trevino among them – as well as hosting top-tier PGA, LPGA, and Champions Tour events.

Originally designed by Indiana architect Bill Diddel, the course opened in 1929 with nine holes inside the track and nine outside. That evolved over the years, with the modern 18-hole layout debuting in 1993 after a full redesign by Pete Dye.

That Beatles single cover at Brickyard

In its heyday, Brickyard Crossing held the 500 Festival Open on Memorial Day weekend. Golfers teed off Thursday to Saturday, paused for Sunday’s Indy 500, and then finished up Monday. Billy Casper and Gary Player won here. So did Doug Ford – twice.

There’s also one odd footnote, as noted in Brickyard’s history. In 1964, The Beatles spent the night at the Speedway Motel, wandered out the next morning, and posed for photos on the putting green. One of those snaps made it onto the cover of a U.S. single.

Today, Brickyard Crossing remains open to the public. So yes, you can play a round where legends once stood – for around $220 – all while surrounded by grandstands that seat over 200,000 fans. Just don’t shank it into Turn 3.

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