Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run

[sabram]

I just got back from a short trip to Kohler, WI and highly reccomend it to anyone who loves great golf. The courses at Whistling Straits are completely different from the courses at Blackwolf Run. The Straits course is as close as anything I've played in North America to a true links. Half of the holes are on the edge of lake Michigan and it was a chilly, misty,windy cloudy morning that reminded me of when I played Turnberry. There are hundreds of bunkers (many of which are there only for visual effect) and huge dune, all of which are man made. My caddie was great at reading the greens and I didn't have a single 3 putt which was a miracle. The Irish course is not as extreme as the traits and was in perfect condition, almost to the extebt that in that regard in was more American than Irish,as the cousres I've played in Eurpoe ar a little rougher around the edges (LIke the Straits.)

The River course at Blackwolf Run was beautiful. The Sheboygan River comes into play on many holes and it is a great layout with a perfect mix of long and short holes and a few dog legs.

Here are links to the photos I took of the courses.

Blackwolf Run pix

http://sports.webshots.com/album/563361855brlTQx

Whistling Straits pix

http://sports.webshots.com/album/563362146wpPzyH

[erova]

good to hear you had a great time. easily one of my most memorable golf experiences.

next time i want to hit up erin hills en route up to kohler.

great pics and thanks for posting.

[sabram]

easily one of my most memorable golf experiences. next time i want to hit up erin hills en route up to kohler.

Erova - My trip to Kohler was following a business meeting to Chicago. One of the guys on the trip also played Erin Hills before the meetings and said it was great.

I checked out your golf course photos on Flickr. Very Nice! Lots of great courses. I also like to take photos of the courses I play and am also trying to play in all 50 States. I've done 28 so far. I'm thinking about Northern Michigan in August... Arcadia Bluffs, Bay Harbor, Treetops, Tullymore and a few others.

[erova]

Nice, sounds like a great loop up in Mich. I'm also trying to make that similar swing as well and was considering August.

I've kicked around adding High Point to the list as I'm a Tom Doak fan and wouldn't mind checking out his early stuff.

28 states ain't bad--definitely a lot harder to knock'em out after you get through your border states and the resort-friendly ones...

[hurley9192]

the straits looked like it was in horrible shape. Although, they did have snow up until a few weeks ago...

[weber2323]

I've been toying with the idea of heading up there. But if you had a choice which would any of you have done, the trip to Whistling Straits or Pebble?

[sabram]

the straits looked like it was in horrible shape. Although, they did have snow up until a few weeks ago...

Hurley- It was very interesting that the fairways on the Straits course still had so much dormant (brown) grass while the other courses there (even the Irish which is right next door) were lush and green. They said the Straits was about a month behind where it would normally be because of the bad winter. But I don't understand why that wasn't true for the other 3 courses there. However, although it was visually different, it did not effect play. The guy I was playing with was disappointed in the way the Straits course looked, but other than the color of the grass I would not say it was in bad shape. There was solid turf from tee to green and it played the same as if it had been green. You just had to think you were in Scotland. In the UK the courses aren't always green. Remember the Open Championship at Hoylake a couple of years ago... it was all brown

[sabram]

Nice, sounds like a great loop up in Mich. I'm also trying to make that similar swing as well and was considering August. I've kicked around adding High Point to the list as I'm a Tom Doak fan and wouldn't mind checking out his early stuff.

I'll let you know if we actually do the trip and you'd be welcome to join the group. I'll check out High Point. Black Forst is on my list already. That's a Doak layout too.

[sabram]

I've been toying with the idea of heading up there. But if you had a choice which would any of you have done, the trip to Whistling Straits or Pebble?

Weber - I don't think you could go wrong with either trip. But, if I lived in San Diego I'd probably play the Monterey courses. I've only played Spanish Bay, but from what I've heard, read and seen Pebble and Spyglass are awesome. Spanish Bay was okay, but IMO not in the same league as the Straits or Irish courses at Whistling Straits. Although the Kohler courses are not cheap, you can get some decent deals that allow afternoon rounds for the price of a cart only or at no charge if you walk so overall the cost is not terrible. Pebble is ridiculously expensive and you ahve to stay at the Lodge there in order to reserve a tee time in advance, but if you are saving airfare by driving from Socal, that would save you some bucks.

[hurley9192]

sabram...good point on the dormant grass. I grew up in Wisconsin, so I remember it...it did look funny with the other courses being so green.

As for pebble vs. Kohler...Kohler beats Pebble due to being slightly cheaper and the courses are better. The difference from the ocean to Lake Michigan is virtually nil. try to play Cypress or Monterey Peninsula if you go up there because it makes Pebble a better trip. If you just do Pebble and Spyglass vs. Whistling and Blackwolf...Kohler gets a slight nod.

[erova]

man, the question of pebble vs. kohler (vs. bandon) comes up all the time after a few beers at the bar.

i just don't think i could decide--i mean, leave from chicago and hit up erin hills on the way, or leave from san francisco and play pasatiempo on the drive down? come on, too tough to decide.

i played pretty poorly at pebble so i wouldn't mind some revenge on that course, but then i basically forgot how to play golf on bwr (fwiw i played decent at spanish bay & straits) so i can't even use that as a motivator.

[erova]

I'll let you know if we actually do the trip and you'd be welcome to join the group. I'll check out High Point. Black Forst is on my list already. That's a Doak layout too.

definitely keep me posted with any details. i really want to check that whole region out...

[weber2323]

I already did the Bandon last year and will go back when Old MacDonald opens up. Did Pinehurst the year before. But in the meantime its looking like Kohler, i was wondering about the cost to but erova answer that.

[erova]

I already did the Bandon last year and will go back when Old MacDonald opens up. Did Pinehurst the year before. But in the meantime its looking like Kohler, i was wondering about the cost to but erova answer that.

hey weber, then to clarify, the kohler resort is certainly a bit less expensive.

also looking forward to old macdonald--just played greenbrier's old white and it was a lot of fun to play the redan, alps, mounds, long, short, etc. and can't wait to see the interpretations ofdoak, budo, and everyone else...

[Lemay427]

We are planning a trip to Kohler July 10-12. We will be playing Whistling Straits for sure and then a second round somewhere else. Any suggestions for good local food up there?

[Scratch-Hopeful]

I got to play the Straits course for a high school match a few years ago and like you said, it was amazing. Couldn't believe that I was still in Wisconsin and that I was only 45 minutes away from my home course. Second best golfing experience of my lifetime, with the best being golfing at state, which would be hard to top.

[erova]

We are planning a trip to Kohler July 10-12. We will be playing Whistling Straits for sure and then a second round somewhere else. Any suggestions for good local food up there?

Lemay,

My wife and I basically just ate at the resort itself--we had a great dinner at the Immigrant Room, a few lunches at the BWR and Straits clubhouses (trust me, there's a bit more on the menu than dogs for the turn), and did an easy happy hour at the Horse and Plow--easily one of the bars that should have been on Golf Digest's list of best golf bars. So while we didn't try any Sheboygan local flavor, we weren't disappointed at all, either.

[mstuk]

Spyglass is a simply fantastic course a real golfers course with good service and it's not overrun. Pebble is in my opinion a very overated golf course and one that I would not rush back to overpriced , overcrowded and overated .