Kohler, Wisconsin
Inside Kohler: Four Pete Dye Courses, a Ryder Cup, and the Wisconsin Ground That Made Them
About Kohler
Kohler's golf sits in and around the village of Kohler, Wisconsin, split between two very different pieces of land a short drive apart. Whistling Straits runs along two miles of rugged Lake Michigan coastline, a windswept, links-style stretch of bluffs and dunes that looks closer to the west coast of Ireland than the Midwest, complete with a resident flock of Scottish Blackface sheep. Inland, Blackwolf Run follows the Sheboygan River Valley, glacier-carved terrain of river bluffs, rolling prairie, and oak savannah.
Every 18-hole course on property was designed by Pete Dye with Herb Kohler: four in all, plus a 10-hole par-3 course and a two-acre putting course, with a sixth course, Purebred Farm, now under construction.
The Courses
- River (1988), Pete Dye. Carved out of the glacial runoff that formed the Sheboygan River Valley, the River follows five miles of valley and bluff. Dye liked to say this course wasn't built but found.
- Meadow Valleys (1990), Pete Dye. Rolling prairies, oak savannahs, and heathland open the round, before the back nine turns into a roller coaster through dramatic, glacier-forged terrain.
- Straits (1998), Pete Dye. Windswept links carved along two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and the stage for every major championship and Ryder Cup played at Kohler. It's walking-only, played the way the game was meant to be played.
- Irish (2000), Pete Dye. Criss-crosses Seven Mile Creek and skirts the coastal dunes, mixing links and target golf in a way that tests every club in the bag.
- The Baths (2021), Herb Kohler and Chris Lutzke. A walking-only, 10-hole par-3 course on 27 acres, with holes from 60 to 175 yards and four water features that give it its name. Pair it with the two-acre putting course, or grab a set of hickory-shafted rental clubs for a throwback loop.
- Purebred Farm (opening fall 2027), King Collins Dormer. A walking-only, 14-hole multi-loop course of par 3s, 4s, and 5s on 47 acres west of Meadow Valleys, routed through prairie, farmland, and river valley with a minimalist touch.
What Kohler Is Known For
Kohler is one of the few places in the country where a golf trip means walking the same ground as a Ryder Cup. Whistling Straits has hosted three PGA Championships (2004, 2010, and 2015), the 2007 U.S. Senior Open, and the 43rd Ryder Cup, where Team USA, captained by Wisconsin native Steve Stricker, won by a record 19 to 9. Blackwolf Run hosted the U.S. Women's Open in 1998 and 2012.
That championship run isn't finished. The USGA has selected Whistling Straits to host the 2028 U.S. Amateur, the 2033 U.S. Junior Amateur, and the 2037 U.S. Girls' Junior.
Kohler builds its golf packages around groups playing more than one course, like its To Dye Four package of three nights and five rounds with caddie fees included. It's a natural fit for buddy trips working through all four Pete Dye courses in one stay.
Other Highlights
The American Club anchors the stay. Opened in 1918 as housing for immigrant workers and reborn as a resort in 1981, it's a Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond resort hotel. Kohler Waters Spa, also Forbes Five-Star, is built around hydrotherapy, with an adults-only Carriage House directly above it. Other lodging includes the Inn on Woodlake and the Kohler Cabin Collection.
Both golf clubhouses have their own restaurant: a farmhouse at Whistling Straits overlooking the 18th hole with an Irish flair, and an American grill at Blackwolf Run overlooking the River and Meadow Valleys courses. In the village, The Immigrant Restaurant leads a lineup of seven dining options.
Kohler Golf Academy is the only golf academy in the Midwest recognized with Golf Digest's Editors' Choice Best in Golf Award, and every overnight stay includes complimentary wellness classes and seasonal experiences across the village. For corporate groups, The American Club has a dedicated meetings and events team and venues from the Great Bay Ballroom to the Founder's Boardroom.
Plan Your Own Trip
If walking a Ryder Cup course has been on the list, Kohler is the place to start. Plan your trip to Kohler→
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