Golf in Kohler - How good is it?

[cary lichtenstein]

Been there a dozen times, we used to go up for 3 day weekends when we lived in Chicago twice a year:

WS: What Pete Dye did here borders on genius. When you consider that it was a dead flat landing strip, you'll see what I mean. Not everybody's cup of tea, but you just gotta see it.

River: Excellent with a few bad holes, 4 and 15 I think. Amazing topography on a whole bunch

Meadow: Kind of a pick and chose, about 9 top notch holes on this one, some very unusual.

Irish: Pass

ALso check to see if Erin Hills is open, the track looks excellent

[Rob_Waldron]

Thank all of you for the input. I do not think we can go wrong with either Kohler or Bandon. Many of you mentioned the cost for golf in Kohler as prohibitive. My preliminary research indicates that the costs are approximately 1/2 of the costs for a similar trip to Bandon (Not including airfare, food and adult beverages). Please correct me if I am wrong.

[cary lichtenstein]

Shivas:

#4 I've been to the left many times, fear of the water on the right, but my problem with the hole is that it just looks cold and uninviting from the tee and I'm sure that is what Dye intended, I guess I just don't like the look

Cary

[John Kavanaugh]

Thank all of you for the input. I do not think we can go wrong with either Kohler or Bandon. Many of you mentioned the cost for golf in Kohler as prohibitive. My preliminary research indicates that the costs are approximately 1/2 of the costs for a similar trip to Bandon (Not including airfare, food and adult beverages). Please correct me if I am wrong.

I think you are correct about the pricing...I am getting offers from Kohler all the time that seem like as good or better than Bandon.  The most recent that is just this week:

Straits Challenge Packages – Overnight stay required to play
One or two night packages available at The American Club®, two guests, two-rounds of golf per player — one round on the Straits course at Whistling Straits and one round on either the Meadow Valleys course at Blackwolf Run or the Irish course at Whistling Straits.
The American Club
July 1-2, Starting at $556, Straits & Meadow Valleys
July 3-4, Starting at $537, Straits & Meadow Valleys
July 5-6, Starting at $568, Straits & Irish
Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy and do not include taxes or gratuity.
 
Straits Challenge Prizes:
First Place — Each player receives:
One room night at TAC (double occupancy);
Two rounds on Straits (him/herself + guest) to be used in October 2006 or in May 2007
Second Place — Each player receives:
One room night at IOW (double occupancy);
Two rounds on Irish or MV (him/herself + guest) to be used anytime before the end of
May 2007
Third Place — Each player receives:
Two rounds on Irish or MV (him/herself + guest) to be used anytime before the end of
May 2007

[Mike McGuire]

There is a private club 2 minutes from the American Club called Pine Hills. 1905 Harry Smead.

Rolling topograhy, the Sheboygan river, udulating greens. It is magnificent.


www.pinehillscc.com

[Adam Clayman]

[And I heard that the Bull is a good course; Erin Hills is only an hour away and Milwaukee is only about 45 mintues away]

Well, I heard today that The Bull is pretty bad. Risks that reward the golfer with blind hazards and less than desirable angles.

Same with Dismal, I heard toady that there are at least three holes where if you are 100 yards from the green, in the fwy, you cannot even see the flag.

[Keith Durrant]

Just got back from a recent trip to the American Club. Played both the Straits and the River courses.

Here's a couple of views of the River course par 3 4th hole mentioned in this thread a couple of times:



4th looking back to the tee:


The famous shot par 4 hole with options to play over the river direct at the green or to the left with an iron and a pitch. It is roughly 250 yards carry on a direct line. However even if you carry the river, you're still left with a wicked pitch over a bunker from 40 yards short of the green. Really i wasnt clear taking the risk provided a reward worth taking.
Is this Dye at his most Dyabolical?!

[Greg Tallman]

Add to it that Bandon is approximately half the price and doesn't try to stick it's hand in your pocket incessantly, and that adds up to an overwhelming victory for the Bandon complex.

How is it beyond the gren fee that Kohler is sicking its hand in your pocket incessantly? Just curious.

[Tim Bert]

I've been to Kohler once and Bandon twice.  I don't think it is really a fair comparison, but its probably because I'm not a fan of the 2nd gem at Kohler.  Everyone thinks the River course is right on the heels of the Straits, and it is consistently rated way up on the lists.  It is my least favorite of the four.  I've said a few times I just don't get it.  Everyone talks about the Irish course being contrived, and I don't disagree to some extent, but I enjoyed the golf more there.

I would rather play any of the three course at Bandon over any of the four at Kohler - the Straits is the only one that is close for me.

Given that I'm not close to either site and that it costs at least as much to go play Kohler, I'd probably visit Bandon 2 or 3 more times before Kohler even made it back on my radar.

Not intended to be an insult to the Kohler courses.  More of an indication of my feelings about Bandon.

The other frustrating thing is the packages at Kohler, where they try to force you into playing the other courses by limiting your rounds at the Straits course.  It reminds me of the "you can only play #2 one time" rule at Pinehurst.

[Keith Durrant]

Some pictures and comments on the Straits:

In general, the lakeside location generated a consistent breeze,  perhaps 1 club in strength, which on the day I played came from a direction that made most holes either up or down wind, and always a challenge to select the right club on approach.

This hole demonstrates the course at his best and worst: a great driving vista with a centerline pot bunker leaves this wonderful half-blind second shot created by the large bunker on the hilltop.



However, once you move over the brow and down to the flag one discovers it is 7 feet behind a pot bunker downwind, with no opportunity to bounce the ball into the flag (shot approaches from the right side of the picture):



The previous hole, the 5th (Snake I think it's called), is a par 5 with a long carry over water to the flag also played downwind, with a water hazard on 3 sides. Again no opportunity to hit a low running shot in. This hole really doesnt fit in with the links-like feel of the rest of the course.

On the more positive, here is an open-fronting green and an example of many "skyline greens" which does present a very attractive approach with the blue sky as a backdrop:



Another hole I didnt like is the par 4, 18th. The fairway runs out at 260 yards from the tee I played. The caddie recommended 3 wood off the tee, which left essentially a second 3 wood to the back portion of the green. My caddie recalled that Sergio and most of the pros also had to hit 3 wood off the back tee. Personally, I'm not a fan of a hole which doesnt allow one to hit a driver, and then forces one to hit a long wood or long iron on the second. The hole rather sheepishly provides this 18 inch wide bunker-trench to catch a drive which over-runs the fairway (leaving pretty much an "unplayable lie call" as the long iron approach needs to be hit to the right over a waste and wetland to the green):



To finish, here's a picture of the great clubhouse and amphitheatre environment behind the 9th and 18th greens: