who designed whistling straits golf course

by Hettie Kshlerin 10 min read

Pete and Alice Dye

When was the Whistling Straits golf course built?

The course, which opened in 1999, also was the site of the 2007 U.S. Senior Open. Whistling Straits is a public, daily-fee golf course that is part of Destination Kohler, the hospitality and real estate arm of Kohler Co., a manufacturer primarily known for making sinks, toilets, bathtubs, faucets and other plumbing fixtures.

What are the Whistling Straits courses?

The Whistling Straits development is comprised of two, 18-hole championship golf courses -The Straits and The Irish. The Ryder Cup will be contested from Sept. 24-26 on The Straits course, which also hosted the PGA Championship in 2004, 2010 and 2015. The course, which opened in 1999, also was the site of the 2007 U.S. Senior Open.

Who is the architect of the Kohler Straits Course?

Kohler Company CEO Herbert Kohler hired Dye to be the course architect. During construction, the original landscape of the Straits Course was covered with about 800,000 cubic yards (610,000 m 3) of dirt and sand.

Who is the architect of the Straits Course at Augusta?

Kohler Company CEO Herbert Kohler hired Dye to be the course architect. During construction, the original landscape of the Straits Course was covered with about 800,000 cubic yards (610,000 m 3) of dirt and sand. Hiroshi Iwata holds the course record for the Straits Course with a 63 in the second round of the 2015 PGA Championship .

Who built the Whistling Straits golf course?

architect Pete DyeA creation of legendary golf course architect Pete Dye, Whistling Straits is a links-style course situated along a two-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline that features open, rugged and windswept terrain.

Does Kohler own Whistling Straits golf course?

Destination Kohler, the Company's sole focus to date in the hospitality industry, is home of The American Club, the Midwest's only AAA Five Diamond resort hotel; Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run golf venues; Kohler Waters Spa; The Shops at Woodlake Kohler; River Wildlife, and Riverbend, a private club in one of the ...

What golf course is Whistling Straits based on?

The two courses in Sheboygan County are the work of legendary golf architect Peter Dye. Whistling Straits consists of two links-style courses; the Straits Course and the Irish Course. Competitors at this year's Ryder Cup will be playing their golf on the former of the two.

How did Whistling Straits get its name?

The course got its name when Kohler, walking the lakeside landscape in ultra-blustery conditions during construction, noted that the wind was whistling through the bluffs, with whitecaps breaking on the rocky shoreline, or straits, of the lake. Hence the name Whistling Straits.

Who owns Whistling Straits golf?

the Kohler CompanyWhistling Straits is one of two 36-hole links-style golf courses associated with Destination Kohler, a luxury golf resort owned and operated by the Kohler Company in Kohler, Wisconsin.

Who designed Kohler golf?

architect Pete DyeWorld Hall of Fame golf course architect Pete Dye was a legendary figure in the history of golf course design and creator of KOHLER Golf venues Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits. He built four courses, all in the top 100 in the United States.

What course is Whistling Straits modeled after?

The second destination, Whistling Straits, opened in 1998 directly on Lake Michigan modeled after the best links courses in the UK. Whistling Straits Irish course is ranked #5 on Golf Magazine's 2016-17 list.

How much does it cost to play the Irish Course at Whistling Straits?

You can play The Irish for as little as $80 until May 9. Green fees bump up to $130 from May 10 to June 3.

Who designed mammoth dunes?

David McLay KiddMammoth Dunes, designed by David McLay Kidd of Bandon Dunes fame, opened at Sand Valley Golf Resort in May 2018.

What was Whistling Straits land before it was a golf course?

Whistling Straits is a sight to behold on the coast of Lake Michigan, but before the masterpiece was ever created, the course was a relatively ordinary piece of land. In the 1950s the land was used by the U.S. Army for an antiaircraft training facility called Camp Haven, and before that it was just flat farmland.

Is Whistling Straits a private course?

Overview: Whistling Straits is a public, daily-fee golf facility with golf memberships available. It is a component of Destination Kohler centered in Kohler, Wisconsin. Designer: Pete Dye designed both courses at Whistling Straits, as well as both courses at Blackwolf Run.

How much does it cost to play the Irish Course at Whistling Straits?

You can play The Irish for as little as $80 until May 9. Green fees bump up to $130 from May 10 to June 3.

Is Whistling Straits a private club?

The Ryder Cup kicks off on Friday at Whistling Straits in Sheboygan, Wis., a resort course that's open to the public.

Will Whistling Straits host another major?

SHEBOYGAN - Following the Ryder Cup, Whistling Straits owner Kohler Co. has no other major tournaments scheduled at its Sheboygan County golf courses — and a new Kohler course proposed in Sheboygan likely won't host such events, the company told The Sheboygan Press.

Where is Pete Dye's golf resort?

Plumbing magnate Herb Kohler wanted to expand the already-brisk golf business at his popular resort, Destination Kohler, near Sheboygan, about an hour-and-change from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Did Kohler play links golf?

Though he didn’t take up the game until he got into the golf business himself, Kohler had quickly developed an affinity for links golf, whose roots are in the seaside courses of the United Kingdom. “I want this course to look like it’s in Ireland,” was the directive handed down.

The Courses of Whistling Straits

Once an anti-aircraft training base, Whistling Straits was crafted by Dye along two miles of Lake Michigan’s shoreline and opened in 1998. Whistling Straits is comprised of two courses – the Straits Course and the Irish Course. Each hole on both courses has its own creative name, like Last Gaspe and Gremlin’s Ear.

The Straits Course at Whistling Straits

Year after year, the Straits Course is ranked one the top 10 public golf courses in America. The open design has a links-style look with very few trees, undulating mounds, an abundance of sand and postcard-worthy views of Lake Michigan. One thing missing from the course – cart paths.

Tournaments at Whistling Straits

In addition to this year’s Ryder Cup, several major tournaments have been held at Straits Course at Whistling Straits, including the 2004, 2010 and 2015 PGA Championships as well as the 2007 U.S. Senior Open.

Is Whistling Straits Really Open to the Public?

Unlike most tournament-type courses, Whistling Straits is open to the public. As is the case with other prestigious public clubs, Whistling Straits is not cheap to play. For example, the greens fee for one golfer on a Wednesday morning in June at the Straits Course is $440.

About the Author

Kellie Noszka is a freelance writer and former sports reporter for the Cincinnati Post. She was a golf caddie for 10 years and earned an Evans Scholarship to The Ohio State University. Kellie developed a deep appreciation for the game of golf at an early age.

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