Sultan’s Run expands stay-and-play lodging, upgrades clubhouse to boost Dubois County tourism

Sultan’s Run, the 18-hole course straddling the Jasper and Ferdinand area, has shifted from a golf club to a full hospitality operation by expanding lodging and enlarging event facilities to draw more overnight visitors and larger gatherings. General manager and co-owner Chris Tretter frames the shift plainly: “These days, when asked what Sultan’s Run is, Chris is quick to say they are a hospitality company.”

The course’s transformation builds on decades of capital work. Sultan’s Run opened in 1992 and underwent a major remodel in 1996 by designer Tim Liddy, described as a disciple of Pete Dye and called the property “the finest piece of property he’s ever had the opportunity to work on.” Owners have continued investing since 2009, and the business rebranded from Sultan’s Run Golf Club to Sultan’s Run in 2022 to reflect added amenities. Tretter joined the operation in 2019 and has led a steady program of improvements since.

A visible milestone arrived in 2024 when the renovation and expansion of the clubhouse were completed and the building was almost doubled in size. The enlargement created an expanded pro shop for higher-quality merchandise, a renovated kitchen and 19th Hole Dining Room to serve golfers and the community, and a larger lower-level banquet center billed as a state-of-the-art venue overlooking the 18th Hole green and waterfall. The site promotes the space for weddings, showers, corporate outings and fundraising events, with Visit Dubois County materials saying each event is “framed by one of the most dramatic finishing holes in the region.”

To capture overnight business, Sultan’s Run added stay-and-play lodging proximate to the course. Starina Ranch sits near hole 14, while King of Siam Cottage and King of Siam Chalet are located near hole 17. “With the addition of Starina Ranch near hole 14, along with the King of Siam Cottage and King of Siam Chalet near 17, Sultan’s Run has answered the growing demand for stay-and-play experiences,” the operation notes, a positioning that aims to bring visitors from beyond Dubois County for multi-day stays.

Course and operational upgrades accompany the lodging push. Sultansrun materials state that all 18 holes have been “beautified” through new bunkering, reconstructed greens and complete reworks of several holes. Recent offseason projects specifically included adding another bunker on hole six, renovating the driving range, planting no-mow native grasses to “make the course pop” and completely updating the golf cart fleet. Small guest touches—such as a towel in every golf cart cupholder and custom Sultan’s Run crest tees for each golfer—reflect Tretter’s view that “little touches like that are what elevate the experience and hopefully make the guests feel special.”

The combined package of expanded banquet capacity, upgraded course features and on-site lodging carries direct implications for Jasper, Ferdinand and county tourism planners. An enlarged lower-level banquet center and multiple lodging units create capacity to host larger weddings, holiday fundraisers and corporate outings without relying on off-site hotels, which could lift local event spending and overnight tax receipts. Publicly available materials do not include round counts, lodging occupancy rates or revenue figures, so quantifying the economic lift will require tracking bookings, occupancy and event volume over the coming seasons.

Sultan’s Run’s decade-plus investment trajectory—owners investing since 2009, a rebrand in 2022, clubhouse expansion completed in 2024 and continuous improvements under Tretter since 2019—signals a sustained bet on tourism-driven growth. As Tretter says simply about his motivation, “I love the game.” That personal commitment now anchors a broader commercial strategy to turn Sultan’s Run into a regional hospitality draw.