Saw Whistling Straights this week

[MtlJeff]

Didn't play it....as i didn't have time (was in Chicago, and then various Wisconsin areas on business last week)

 

But i gotta say, it's the nicest golf course i've ever seen, didn't realize some of the elevation changes especially on 9 and 18. I asked one of our local guys to drive me there just so i could walk around.

 

On the way i said 300$ or whatever is a rip-off....once i walked around the course i said i'd probably pay 500$ to play it

 

Anyone played it? I just thought it was just a breathtaking view from the clubhouse.

[Daddy_Danglez]

I buy my tickets Thursday for next years PGA championship there. I can't wait!

Did you take any pictures?

[MtlJeff]

[quote name='Daddy_Danglez' timestamp='1408923412' post='9999681']
I buy my tickets Thursday for next years PGA championship there. I can't wait!

Did you take any pictures?
[/quote]

Didn't bring my camera, and my phone is a work-assigned phone that's like a 6 year old blackberry. Basically i can draw better then the pics it takes

sorry...

[EJ Mac]

A buddy of mine played it and Cog Hill a few weeks back. He said it was possibly the best course he has ever played and definitely liked it more than Pebble.

[IrishGolfer14]

I'm from Milwaukee and was thinking about getting up there to play it before the PGA next year. I've never payed close to that for a round of golf, but I think you might have just made the decision for me.

[MtlJeff]

[quote name='IrishGolfer14' timestamp='1408924733' post='9999809']
I'm from Milwaukee and was thinking about getting up there to play it before the PGA next year. I've never payed close to that for a round of golf, but I think you might have just made the decision for me.
[/quote]

I've been to Milwaukee a couple of times now and passed through there on the way to Sheboygan. It's all relative to how much you love golf, and how much you want to pay etc...But i've never seen a course like it. I'm sure courses like Pine Valley (or maybe like a sand hills in nebraska) might compare...

But yeah, they could'a told me 500 hundred bucks to play and i would've done it

[IrishGolfer14]

[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1408925014' post='9999835']
[quote name='IrishGolfer14' timestamp='1408924733' post='9999809']
I'm from Milwaukee and was thinking about getting up there to play it before the PGA next year. I've never payed close to that for a round of golf, but I think you might have just made the decision for me.
[/quote]

I've been to Milwaukee a couple of times now and passed through there on the way to Sheboygan. It's all relative to how much you love golf, and how much you want to pay etc...But i've never seen a course like it. I'm sure courses like Pine Valley (or maybe like a sand hills in nebraska) might compare...

But yeah, they could'a told me 500 hundred bucks to play and i would've done it
[/quote] Yeah I've dreamed of playing it for a while, and now that I'm out of college I might actually be able to afford it. I might try to get there on an off season price though.

[zer0]

[quote name='EJ Mac' timestamp='1408924352' post='9999781']
A buddy of mine played it and Cog Hill a few weeks back. He said it was possibly the best course he has ever played and definitely liked it more than Pebble.
[/quote]

That's pretty cool that you're buddies with Stevie Wonder.

[whatswrong11]

I played the Irish course two weeks ago. It was one of the most enjoyable rounds of golf I've ever played. [attachment=2391467:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1408940560.437479.jpg]

[duffer987]

MtlJeff maybe you can play Pat Ruddy's course in Montreal on a really overcast day and pretend it's Kohler

Check the Midwest forum and you'll see loads of people with glowing reviews for it. The high-end course's fees are what they are, so I won't get into that; however, we played it twice last year - and in my mind - the only area in North America I've played that I enjoyed more was Bandon.

18 is a beast of a finishing hole and it's got arguably the best quintet of par 3's in public golf. Next time you are going down there, bring your clubs!

[cdnrockies]

[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1408922671' post='9999623']
Didn't play it....as i didn't have time (was in Chicago, and then various Wisconsin areas on business last week)

But i gotta say, it's the nicest golf course i've ever seen, didn't realize some of the elevation changes especially on 9 and 18. I asked one of our local guys to drive me there just so i could walk around.

[b]On the way i said 300$ or whatever is a rip-off....once i walked around the course i said i'd probably pay 500$ to play it[/b]

Anyone played it? I just thought it was just a breathtaking view from the clubhouse.
[/quote]

It's closer to the $500 than $300...and worth it, imo.

I think I was $450 all in with green fee, caddie plus tip.

I do agree with duffer that Bandon is better as a pure golf experience but, obviously, Kohler is more feasible for you travel wise.

[jimwgt26]

[quote name='cdnrockies' timestamp='1408951445' post='10001489']
[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1408922671' post='9999623']
Didn't play it....as i didn't have time (was in Chicago, and then various Wisconsin areas on business last week)

But i gotta say, it's the nicest golf course i've ever seen, didn't realize some of the elevation changes especially on 9 and 18. I asked one of our local guys to drive me there just so i could walk around.

[b]On the way i said 300$ or whatever is a rip-off....once i walked around the course i said i'd probably pay 500$ to play it[/b]

Anyone played it? I just thought it was just a breathtaking view from the clubhouse.
[/quote]

It's closer to the $500 than $300...and worth it, imo.

I think I was $450 all in with green fee, caddie plus tip.

I do agree with duffer that Bandon is better as a pure golf experience but, obviously, Kohler is more feasible for you travel wise.
[/quote]

+1, By the time it's all said and done, you will spend $500 to play WS. It's a great experience, a lot like Ballybunion. Sometimes you just have to treat yourself, and forget about the money.

[SilverBullets]

I played the Kohler courses at the end of June this past year. The day at Whistling was truly incredible. I am a bit in the minority though, Whistling Straits - Straits was not my favorite course I have played. Don't get me wrong, I think the course is excellent, but in my opinion you can tell it was built for professionals (major championships specifically) and that it is way too much of a course for 99% of the people who play it. It's a beautiful course, it feels like you're playing golf on the moon, it's in great shape, but for me from a pure golf course layout perspective it just wasn't my favorite.

I played Arcadia Bluffs the very next weekend and like it more. I thought the it was in between the Irish and Straits course from a difficulty perspective. I thought Arcadia Bluffs was prettier and liked the layout a little more than WS. Overall on my trip up to Kohler I think Erin Hills was my favorite course (thought it's not in Kohler).

I don't know what it was about Whistling Straits - Straits that I didn't like, but I simply didn't fall in the love with the course like I have on some other highly touted courses (Cypress, Arcadia Bluffs, Muirfield Village, Kapalua, Forest Dunes to name a few).

[teejaywhy]

[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1408923582' post='9999701']
[quote name='Daddy_Danglez' timestamp='1408923412' post='9999681']
I buy my tickets Thursday for next years PGA championship there. I can't wait!

Did you take any pictures?
[/quote]

Didn't bring my camera, and my phone is a work-assigned phone that's like a 6 year old blackberry. Basically i can draw better then the pics it takes

[/quote]

Could you draw some pictures for us??

[mwmgolfx]

I've had the opportunity to play Straits several times and Erin Hills once. Erin Hills didn't impress me a lot and I see that several of the items that bothered me about the course have been changed by USGA requests since I played it. I got one of the assistant pro's as my caddie when I played it and mentioned to him that some of the greens didn't seem to leave enough hole options or they needed to change some shot lines.

Whistling Straits is certainly one of the toughest courses I've played (alongside Sawgrass and Bethpage Black (as both were setup for pro tournaments)). But I thought that some of the holes were beyond difficult for the average 18 hdcpper. And I felt that a lot of the bunkers were just there to say that they had a lot of bunkers and would never ever be in play (like a couple of the holes along side the water that had bunkers from the tips all the way up the water side to 50 yards or so in front of the regular tees. What good player would ever hit a shot into a bunker 5 feet in front and to the side of the tips? And what good player would even worry about any of those bunkers alongside the tees. Yet there were tons of these types of bunkers.

Yet, its a fantastic place and the staff there are fantastic. And I thoroughly loved playing there each time I played there. Definitely will go back. More importantly, inside they treated my wife (non-player) very well and made her happy. And considering that my wife has some influence on where we vacation, that's important to me. Pinehurst caused her to NOT want to go back and staff was nowhere near as friendly.

[Chilidog]

Played the Straits several times. One of my favorite courses on the face of the planet basically because of the spectacular par 3s. As close to Cypress Point's collection of par 3s that I think you could find. I did make an ace on the 17th from 227 my first time playing it so maybe that's why I am partial to them. : )

I will say that the 4th or 5th hole that is the par 5 where you hit around the lake was a severe let down. While the rest of the course looked completely natural, that hole looked completely man made. Tough hole though.

Also like the sheep roaming around freely.

[cdnrockies]

[quote name='mwmgolfx' timestamp='1408993311' post='10005079']
Yet, its a fantastic place and the staff there are fantastic. And I thoroughly loved playing there each time I played there. Definitely will go back. More importantly, inside they treated my wife (non-player) very well and made her happy. And considering that my wife has some influence on where we vacation, that's important to me. Pinehurst caused her to NOT want to go back and staff was nowhere near as friendly.
[/quote]

This is a really important point for those of us that travel and golf with our wives. My wife joined me at both Kohler and Pacific Dunes. While she had an absolute blast at PD, she LOVED Kohler and will go back anytime that I want. The spa at Kohler is one of the best in NA and between the accommodations and dining, it is head and shoulders above what Bandon can offer.

Bandon just happens to be more convenient for me being closer to the West coast.