Awesome Spots to Play in Wisconsin When Visiting Whistling Straits

When people think of golf destinations, they usually do not think of the state of Wisconsin… but they should. During my time in Wisconsin, I would hear about a different course to check out every week- and all of them lived up to the high expectations the locals provided.

Thousands of people travel to Kohler, Wisconsin every year to play the championship course: Whistling Straits. With its impressive history, views, and overall quality of golf- it is worth the trip to the Cheesehead state alone; however, do not ship your clubs back home too soon. Here is a list of phenomenal courses to try out when you plan your Wisconsin golf trip.

Known for hosting the 2017 U.S. Open won by Brooks Koepka, Erin Hills is an experience I will never forget. This walking-only track makes you feel like you gained enough steps to lap two golf courses instead of one when you walk off 18 green, but it is all worth it. This course is a beast, and it is one of the most visually intimidating and dominating courses you will ever play. With one of the most challenging finishing holes in golf, Erin Hills will kick your butt, but it will also make you want to return and do it all over again the next day.

This Arnold Palmer design is a challenging, but fun, track that is quite literally built adjacent to a bog. Providing tricky blind shots along with fairways and greens cut to perfection, The Bog makes for an enjoyable round. The golf course oozes character from Mr. Palmer, and with this comes time to bring out the creative side of your golf game. The straight ball will not do you too many favors here, and the greens will make you second-guess your eyesight. Either way, the design and condition of the course do not disappoint. 

“Hello, world.” Does that quote sound familiar? The infamous Tiger Woods quote during his professional debut happened at this public golf course in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With a plaque to commemorate the start of Woods’ phenomenal career, the course gives you an immediate special feeling when teeing it up. Originally a George Hansen design, followed by an Andy North redesign, this golf course makes you feel like you are going back in time. Brown Deer Park Golf Course gives you classic golf architecture for a fun day chasing the white ball around.

Talk about a golf course that brings on a challenge with elegance. It feels as if every tee shot needs to be meticulously placed in the fairway to avoid difficult rough or fairway bunkers. Approach shots are tricky because of greenside bunkers guarding the already-small landing areas. This is a course that makes good golfers bring out their best games, and a course that makes the higher-handicapers discover new parts of their game. When I think of Morningstar, I think of “green.” If you get the opportunity to tee it up here, you get a lot of high quality grass for your golf ball to rest on.

Growing up on a Jack Nicklaus design, I thought I knew all of Jack’s quirks. Nope, I was not even close after I played this gem for the first time. The Bull is a well-loved golf course that is less than twenty minutes away from Whistling Straits, and it is easy to see why. This course is hard, like really hard, but it is so fun. Part of the fun is that you and your group are all struggling to navigate this course together, but the other half of the fun is that you are playing one of the most unique courses you will ever experience. If you have the time to drive 15 minutes from Kohler to get to The Bull, do it.

Newer to the Wisconsin golf scene, Sand Valley opened in 2017 to much acclaim for its namesake course, Sand Valley, designed by Coore & Crenshaw. Built in the rolling sand hills of central Wisconsin, the courses at Sand Valley perfectly mesh with the surrounding landscape to appear as if they have always been there. You really must see it to believe it. The addition of David McLay Kidd's incredible Mammoth Dunes and the Sandbox short course have only added to Sand Valley's allure. It's a bit of a hike from Kohler, but it's well worth the trip.

If you are planning your trip around playing Kohler golf, do not forget that there is more to offer in that town than just Whistling Straits. There is the Irish Course at Whistling Straits, as well as The River Course, Meadow Valleys Course, and Par 3 course, The Baths, at Blackwolf Run just down the road. 

There is so much golf to be played in the state of Wisconsin, so make sure you have time to tee it up more times than one.