As the internship neared its final days, it was time to take on the big names of Wisconsin golf. At this point, Kohler is just as synonymous with golf as it is with bathing fixtures. This notoriety has led to 7 public golf courses in the area that deserve your attention. 5 of these belong to Destination Kohler and the other 2 both start with the letter B. There are 3 lodging options that will also need to be considered. Here it is, the official rundown of the most popular golf destination in Wisconsin.
The Lodging
Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, rests the big and bold Blue Harbor. This resort will significantly upgrade your Sheboygan golf experience with access to everything from fine dining to a 54,000 square foot water park. Even if you just want to take a stroll along the lake, the Blue Harbor will enhance your adventure.
Each of the rooms at Blue Harbor are themed and I was fortunate enough to have access to the Captain’s quarters during my stay. Ahoy Matey! My intern HQ was located in the right rotunda on the picture below. I made a bunch of captain jokes and cleaned my clubs for the golf.
The American Club and The Inn on Woodlake
The other 2 top options for lodging in Kohler reside with Destination Kohler. You have one of the country’s finest hotels at The American Club and you have the more budget friendly, yet equally convenient, Inn on Woodlake. For this trip to Kohler, I was treated to a special stay at The American Club. Every detail is looked after over at The American Club. From the lighting beneath the beds, to the butlers at the front door, every stay is guaranteed to be special.
The B Courses
The golf portion of this post begins with the first of the two local B’s, The Bog. This Arnold Palmer design is a local favorite and is a very reasonable daily fee option for play in the Sheboygan area. You better have control of your tee ball at The Bog if you are looking to score. Once you find the fairway, the course is really fun to play. I even enjoyed the polarizing par 4 12th hole. On the 12th hole, Arnold Palmer made a 7 en route to a 74. I made a 4 en route to an 84.
When I arrived at The Bull, there was an issue of GOLF magazine sitting on the coffee table, I picked it up and turned to page 69. As predicted, I found an image that I had taken of The Bull on a previous visit. There I was back at The Bull, holding the nation’s premier golf publication and enjoying my imagery. I was one happy golf course photographer.
The Bull takes it easy for the first 3.5 holes. After that, the golf course completely transforms itself. The remaining 14.5 holes are equal parts challenging and fun. Prepare for a long day if you’re not striking the ball well and prepare for a ton of fun when your game is on.
I attempted to recreate my image from GOLF magazine on my visit to The Bull.
Destination Kohler
If the River course at Blackwolf Run isn’t the most challenging golf course in the state of Wisconsin, then it is certainly in the top 2. There are plenty of chances to hit it into the river and pound it into the trees. Only the truly dialed in golfer will survive the River course without a series of scorecard blemishes.
For as difficult as the golf course is, the River course is also one of the most photogenic golf courses in Wisconsin. The view from the tee box on #5 could be the best vista in Kohler and helps to secure #5 as a nominee for best par 4 in the official internship awards.
It is a total shame that the Meadow Valleys course ends up playing second fiddle to every other golf course at Kohler. In truth, the back nine on the Meadow Valleys course is one of the finest in town.
I was thrilled to be playing Meadow Valleys with longtime friend and fellow golf superstar, Chelsea Pezzola. Chelsea was in town to help support the WSGA and undergo her very first Kohler golf experience. I was happy to be her tour guide.
Pezzola prepares the putt.
It’s not exactly a Turkish spa or some sort of hot tub time machine. The Baths is America’s latest and greatest short course. It’s just 10 holes and 27 acres but I was more excited about playing The Baths than any of the other golf courses in Kohler. As expected, the new short course did not disappoint me.
The golf holes range from 60 to 175 yards in length and never dip below an 8 on the fun meter. This addition to the Golf Kohler portfolio is an important one. Before The Baths, Golf Kohler was just about full championship golf experiences. Certainly not a problem, but the game of golf has shifted over the past 10 years. People are looking for more casual, quick, and fun golf experiences. The short course meets that demand perfectly.
Named after the top tier bathing design that Kohler has provided for over a century, The Baths is designed by Charles Lutzke and even Herb Kohler himself has earned co-designer credits. With long fescue grasses, The Baths has a strong links feel and vibe to it. Strolling through the Bath’s grass pathways and playing holes like “Punch Bowl” help to legitimize this links style experience.
The best part about The Baths… guests on golf packages at Destination Kohler will enjoy complimentary use.
After further consideration, complimentary use for guests on golf packages might not actually be the best part about The Baths. The best part about The Baths is actually the bath tub… and eating bratwursts in that bath tub.
It ain’t easy being the little brother of the Straits course. After all, the big brother has hogged every inch of waterfront property and pretty much has a lock on all of the major championships that come to town. Most little brothers would throw a fit and go running to their mothers. However, the Irish course has decided to make the best of what it has to offer.
As it turns out, that offer is quite substantial. There are a number of excellent golf holes on the Irish course and it starts right out of the gate with the first hole. Bearing the strongest resemblance to it’s sibling, the first hole sets a solid tone for a quality round of golf.
The Irish course delivers a particularly strong collection of par 3 holes. The short 6th hole and the linksy 13th are two of my favorites. Holes like Last Gaspe and Frog Water bring a serious challenge and will make sure that even the finest ball strikers are on their games.
Whistling Straits - The Straits
The biggest of the big boys has been saved for last. The Straits courser at Whistling Straits has become a golf course that needs no introduction. With 3 PGA Championships hosted and the upcoming 2021 Ryder Cup, the Straits course has become the go to Wisconsin golf destination.
For the everyday golfer, the Straits course delivers one hell of a challenge and when the wind whistles at Whistling Straits all bets are off. Fortunately for us, the wind was mild, the sun was shining, and the cameras were rolling as we took to the Straits.
When I talk about cameras, I am talking about the TMJ-TV Milwaukee cameras. Veteran Anchor, Susan Kim, was on the scene at the Straits to capture the full story. This piece is worth the watch.
Exclusive BTS footage provided by Beth O’Reilly
After the pressure of the local news had left us, it was time to get serious and golf our balls. Our crew got off to a dynamite start, but as typical at the Straits. it eventually all goes to hell. Even as our game began to go downhill, the fun meter never stopped rising. The excitement of exploring each successive golf hole overpowers any disappointment one may have with their golf game.
Nicholas Iacovella golfs the Straits
On my previous 3 visits to Whistling Straits, the course was under normal operation. On this visit, it was preparing for the 2021 Ryder Cup. With the action only a month away, the stands were mostly up and we were fully capable of pretending that they were filled with wild screaming fans. USA! USA!
The ups and downs at the Straits are always excessive and this round was no exception. As illustrated by the Instagram post not the left, the highs and lows reached a dramatic peak on the 13th hole.
One of my favorite aspects of the Straits course is the routing and Pete Dye’s use of the property. The routing reminds me of the Old Course. Back and forth, It is simple, yet profound. It maximizes the waterfront real estate and the golfer only feels disengaged from Lake Michigan on 1 of the 18 golf holes. All of the par 3’s play directly along the waterfront and the Lake Michigan vibes seep into every step of your walk through the Straits of Whistling Straits.
As we reach the end of this blog post, we leave with a silent send off from my favorite 2 hole stretch of golf in Wisconsin. Please enjoy this Ryder Cup version of the 17th and 18th holes at Whistling Straits.
