Despite the state’s cold winter weather, Wisconsin has some of the best golf courses in the nation. In addition, a planned golf course development could add another elite golf destination in the state.
Six Wisconsin golf courses were named to Golf Digest’s latest list of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.” They are: the Straits and Irish courses at Whistling Straits (whistlingstraits.com), located near Sheboygan; Erin Hills (erinhills.com), in Washington County; the River and Meadow Valleys courses at Blackwolf Run (blackwolfrun.com), in Kohler; and The Bull at Pinehurst Farms (golfthebull.com), in Sheboygan Falls.
Whistling Straits, owned by the Kohler Company, is the crown jewel of the state’s golf courses. Located on bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan, the course was the site of the 2004 PGA Championship, the 2007 U.S. Senior Open and the 2010 PGA Championship. The course will host the 2015 PGA Championship and the 2020 Ryder Cup.
Blackwolf Run, also owned by Kohler Co., is located in the charming village of Kohler. It was the site of the 1998 and 2012 U.S. Women’s Open.
Erin Hills, located on the undulating landscape of southwest Washington County, will host the 2017 U.S. Open. The course was also the site of the 2011 U.S. Amateur.
And now excitement is building for yet another high-end golf development in Wisconsin. Mike Keiser, who developed the renowned Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon, plans to create a multi-course resort near Wisconsin Rapids. Keiser hired two of the best golf course architects in the industry, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, to design the first course.
Other top-notch golf courses in Wisconsin include: Milwaukee Country Club (themilwaukeecountryclub.com) in River Hills, Blue Mound Golf & Country Club (bluemoundgcc.com) in Wauwatosa, Pine Hills Country Club (pinehillscc.com) in Sheboygan and public course SentryWorld (sentryworld.com) in Stevens Point, well-known for its “flower hole.”
But less skilled golfers need not fret. There are more than 600 golf courses in the state, providing suitable challenges for players of all skill levels.
