{"id":504024,"date":"2026-03-04T22:24:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/504024\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T22:24:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:24:09","slug":"building-on-a-legacy-at-sultans-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/504024\/","title":{"rendered":"Building on a Legacy at Sultan\u2019s Run"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was written in partnership with\u00a0Visit Dubois County<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe have such good people, and that\u2019s the beauty of Dubois County,\u201d Chris Tretter, General Manager\/Co-owner of Sultan\u2019s Run, explained about the success of the renowned golf course.<\/p>\n

His words echo across the 18-hole course set in the rolling hills of Southern Indiana near Jasper, where American Saddlebred Stallion, Supreme Sultan, once roamed. The course, a Boardroom Magazine and Forbes Travel Guide Distinguished Golf Destination, is 300 acres of sculptured serenity. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Even in this setting, he insists the heart of hospitality at Sultan\u2019s Run is its staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sounds so cliche,\u201d he said. \u201cBut, man, is it true. These people are solid individuals. Good at what they do, passionate about what they do, and they want Sultan\u2019s Run to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s the welcome waves from the outside staff as guests enter the parking lot at the end of the scenic drive up through the heart of the course or the helpful conversation with the attendant in the pro shop, every guest is treated like a friend. It\u2019s one of two guiding principles for the club.<\/p>\n

\u201cNumber one, make our guests feel special,\u201d Chris said. \u201cIf that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do, it\u2019s pretty hard to go wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

His first principle overlaps with his second: details matter.<\/p>\n

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Details like providing a small towel in every golf cart cup holder and custom tees with the Sultan\u2019s Run crest for every golfer to use and keep.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle touches like that are what elevate the experience and hopefully make the guests feel special,\u201d Chris said.<\/p>\n

A country club experience without the required membership.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the work in the background and offseason that elevates the atmosphere and the course\u2019s aesthetic. This offseason\u2019s projects included adding another bunker on hole six, renovating the driving range and planting no-mow native grasses to \u201cmake the course pop\u201d, as well as completely updating the golf cart fleet.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a constant drive toward improvement that has been the foundation of Chris\u2019s leadership of the course since joining in 2019.<\/p>\n

A decision that came from a path that began as he was searching for ways to deepen his faith and service.<\/p>\n

Around 2004, Chris found himself on the treadmill of life, coming up empty. In that emptiness and through prayer, he brought some newfound golf skills back to his hometown, Ferdinand, looking to help kids through the game.<\/p>\n

He became the Forest Park Boys\u2019 coach and helped start the local chapter of The First Tee, a core group of golf enthusiasts and coaches who work with youth to instill character, self-confidence, determination, and leadership through golf.<\/p>\n

His dedication to the game and coaching built the program at Forest Park from six players in his first season to 17 players in his final season. He did this by visiting local elementary schools and introducing the game to third-grade students.<\/p>\n

He still runs into kids, now adults, whom he coached or introduced to the game.<\/p>\n

It was during this time that he was approached by Steve Braun, former owner of Sultan\u2019s Run, about becoming a partner. Steve was seeking someone with a vested interest in building Sultan\u2019s Run into the world-class course it could be.<\/p>\n

Chris saw the vision and the beauty of the land he would be working with, and agreed to partner with him. And as with everything in his life, he\u2019s dedicated himself to making Sultan\u2019s Run better while building on its legacy since making that decision.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s driven by a work ethic instilled in him at an early age, bound by his faith and connection to golf.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the game,\u201d Chris said.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s improving Sultan\u2019s Run, taking some time in the evening after work to hit some balls on the range or using it as a foothold for mentorship, golf has filled that emptiness he had those many years ago. It\u2019s also filled his life with people from all over the country who want to experience Sultan\u2019s Run, and an opportunity to work with all three of his children.<\/p>\n

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These days, when asked what Sultan\u2019s Run is, Chris is quick to say they are a hospitality company. Every improvement he\u2019s made has been aimed at creating a complete experience for guests \u2014 not just 18 memorable holes, but a place to gather, celebrate and stay awhile.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s expanded the clubhouse into an event venue for weddings, showers, corporate outings and celebrations of all kinds, each framed by one of the most dramatic finishing holes in the region. And with the addition of Starina Ranch near hole 14, along with the King of Siam Cottage and King of Siam Chalet near 17, Sultan\u2019s Run has answered the growing demand for stay-and-play experiences.<\/p>\n

Those names carry the weight of a legacy built on Supreme Sultan. Each property carries the name and legacy of a descendant of Supreme Sultan, just like the individual holes of the course are also named after champion foals sired by the stallion.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a distinct legacy that reflects the land\u2019s origins as the home of a celebrated American Saddlebred horse farm, anchored by a world champion.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an important connection for Chris.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis place is very special,\u201d Chris said. \u201cThe legacy of Supreme Sultan stands on its own. No other course in the world can claim what Sultan\u2019s Run can claim.\u201d<\/p>\n

For him, honoring that legacy isn\u2019t just about preserving history. It\u2019s about extending the same sense of pride, excellence, and welcome that built it \u2014 ensuring every guest who walks the grounds leaves feeling like they were part of something special.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article was written in partnership with\u00a0Visit Dubois County. \u201cWe have such good people, and that\u2019s the beauty…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":504025,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[427,99],"class_list":["post-504024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=504024"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504024\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/504025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=504024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=504024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=504024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}