Whistling Straits - Straits Course Trip 2015 (pic heavy)

WOW.  That's pretty much all I got for explaining The Straits course.

Played from the blues at 7142 with a 20mph SSE wind and 68* all day.  All you could hope for in a May round at the Straits!  Shot a 96 (48/48) with plenty of poor shots that could've been avoided, but I am not a walker and after about 7 holes I was feeling it.  Started off at even par through the first 3 holes (with a drained flop shot on hole three)

Looking out at the first hole from one of the practice greens:

Hole one from the teebox:

Hole two teebox:

A buddy found himself left... don't go left on any of the North-to-South holes!

Hole three.  I flopped over this bunker from this vantage point and trickled the ball IN THE HOLE for a birdie!

Went right on my tee shot on hole six (Gremlin's Ear) and found myself here:

and smacked a perfect shot to 6 feet.  (Missed the birdie putt):

Cool dugout rain shack:

Our caddies Matt and Zack:

Hole seven (shipwreck):

Great pics, thanks for posting!

Hole nine (Down and Dirty).  Found myself in a greenside bunker...

A closer look... Pete Dye is an a$$hole.  Absolutely no stance - picture does it no justice... it's like verticle so I had to play the ball at chest level. I hosseled the ball over the green to another bunker with a bad stance and ended up 3 putting (only 3 putt of the day!)

A view from the turn of the 18th hole

Hole 11 (Sand Box) - Pete Dye has a knack for visually beating you senseless.  Never easy to pick your line since there isn't a straightforward landing zone.  I ended up going right down in the pit.

Flew the green on a nutted shot and ended up in this deep pot bunker behind the green:  Barely missed my sand save.

My only par on the back (my ball is sitting nicely 6 feet left of the pin - barely missed my birdie again)

A rare fairway on my back nine.

Hole 17 (Pinched Nerve) which is what my back was after walking so much:

The walk between 17 and 18:

18 Teebox (Dyeabolical) - It's a 490 yard par 4 with a forced carry approach shot over a huge ravine.  Even on a perfect drive (which one guy in the group hit right to the end of the fairway) still had to play it short and right in the landing area in front of the green.  I mean, come on Pete, have a heart.

Awesome pics.  Thanks for sharing.  Love to play that place some day...

We played it at the "May Special" rate for $150 green fee.  $65 caddie fee and $40 tip.  So $255 for the most fun I have ever had shooting a 96.

That sounds like a self imposed torture.  You well deserved your 96 .

( I played a similar linked course with 20+ mph.   I remember hitting a driver on 180 yard par 3 hole.  Caddy kept telling me, "it's a 3 club up wind."  Hopefully, all your shots were downwind .  )

Heh... the design of the course is such that pretty much every hole is either North-to-South or South-to-North... so it was either a 3 club headwind or 2 club tailwind.

My problem was my back was stiff after the first couple holes, so more often than not my driver was not finding the fairway.  Playing a Pete Dye course off the fairway is like nothing I've ever experienced before... just shot after shot with ball WAY above or below your feet, blind shots over HUGE berms, or crazy long bunker shots.

We had a 2, a 5, a 10 (me), and a high handicapper.  The 2 shot a 78, the 5 shot an 85, I shot a 96, and we never tallied up the high capper's score.  He tipped the caddy well. :)

I would've 'easily' shot in the 80's if I wasn't so tired.  At 5'8" and 270 I prefer to ride in a cart after each shot.  hehe

Chuckle.  The course I was referring to were Bandon Dunes courses where they don't allow carts.   But I had a presence of mind to bring my pull carts (I had a group caddy, they don't carry your bag).   Played 4 courses in 4 days but I weigh half much as you (no offense ) and felt fine afterward.   My caddy told me that many young studs play two rounds per day (to get the most out of their money I would assume).    Many of them end up lying down after each shot toward the 2nd half of their afternoon round.   Some does it even sooner.

Someday I will do Bandon Dunes... hopefully I'll be half the man I am today before going.  Although, us Wisconsinites are getting our own Bandon Dunes in the next couple years!!

Sand Valley Golf Resort will be developed by the same guy that did the Dunes.  Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw will be architects for one of the courses.  Another course will have an architect who's firm did a course at Bandon Dunes and St. Andrews Links Castle Course in Scotland.  The site is big enough to fit 5 courses, but will be years and years out from adding more than the initial 2 courses, as long as they make money on the first 2.

Even at full price you will not be disappointed.  The views alone are so spectacular and different from any other golf course you'll ever play.

I only played the Straits Course, but I'm assume you will be hitting at least one of the other courses (Irish, or River or Meadows at Blackwolf Run)?

I/we expect pics and a report when you get back.  Good luck and have a blast!

Have a great trip.  The weather should be almost perfect for you guys (sans Sunday morn TStorm).

We played 2nd from back tees and I feel like if you can hit it 270-ish plus you'll be just fine.  We will want pics.