Blackwolf Run -Original Championship Course
Kohler, WI
Architect: Pete Dye, 1988#39 on Golfweek’s Best List of Modern Golf Courses
#99 (previously #69) on Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses (USA)
#3 in the State of Wisconsin (Golf Digest)
1988 “Best New Public Course”
Host of 1995, 1996, 1997 Andersen Consulting Match Play
Host of 1998 US Women’s Open and Future Site of 2012 Women’s OpenThe American Club hotel building was built in 1918 to house the Kohler Company's immigrant workers. However in the late 1970’s, Herb Kohler, President of the Kohler Company, decided to build a high end resort using a renovated American Club as its primary lodging. The focus of the resort was a country retreat theme with outdoor activities at its core. As the resort grew in popularity, more of the American Club guests began to request a local option for golf to which Kohler had none.
The original 18 holes at Blackwolf Run built by Pete Dye in 1988, was built in response. After Herb Kohler tried to purchase a nearby private country club and failed, he decided to develop a part of his family’s private land behind the Kohler Company factory. The land, with the Sheboygan River running through and its dramatic glacial slopes, was primarily used for hunting, fishing, and hiking prior to development.
The course proved to be so popular that after only one year Kohler and Dye made plans to build an additional 18 holes at Blackwolf Run. Yet, since the only available property was actually
around the existing course, nine holes were built on either side and the original course was split up creating the “River” and “Meadows” courses.
Yet, due to the compact routing, the “Original Championship Course” was used as the host course for the 1998 US Women’s Open to which there were many complaints about the difficulty of the course with the winning score being +6 (290). Due the overwhelming success of the event the USGA awarded Blackwolf Run with a return visit in 2012.
In preparation for the 2012 event, the Kohler Company went ahead with a sweeping maintenance initiative at Blackwolf Run. The Championship course went under the knife last year (2009), with the remaining two nines being working on this year (2010). The plan involved replacing the sand in all of the bunkers and re-seeding all tees, fairways, approaches, green surrounds and putting greens with new Bentgrass. The program came in addition to course work on the River course in 2008 that added nearly 400 yards of length to the black tees. Because of the construction initiative the Original Championship Course was put in play during the 2010 season.
This past Sunday, October 31st, myself and GCAers George Freeman, Andrew Calcutt, and Bill Seitz drove the two hours north to Kohler from Chicago to experience the course in its original form on a brisk Wisconsin fall day (50* High, 10mph winds from the North). After a very wet summer, Wisconsin has seen an extremely dry and warm fall which allowed for the course to play very firm and fast through the green. The greens themselves were also very firm considering the weather as well as each green being in their first season of play and fast with an estimated stimp of 10-11. Overall the conditioning was extremely good considering it was the last day of October!
The Course Yardage
Black Tees: 7261
Blue Tees: 6782
Green Tees: 6409
Rating/Slope
Black Tees: 75.3 / 149
Blue Tees: 72.9 / 140
Green Tees: 71.3 / 136
Looking up at the front of the Clubhouse on the putting green before the round:
Hole 1 – “Quiver”
Par 4 392 / 378 Yards
The current 37th hole at Blackwolf Run is usually unplayable. However the resort has maintained it all these years primarily to keep the original routing together for major tournaments. This hole plays to the same green as the normal 10th hole on the Meadow Valley (“MV”) course, however from a right angle from the base of the clubhouse. A downhill tee shot leaves an steep, but short, uphill approach to the green. With the course in such firm shape, it was near impossible to get an approach shot close to the front pin.
The approach shot to the 1st green:
Hole 2 – “High Country”
Par 5 522 / 514 Yards
A fitting name for the hole as it plays on the highest ridge of the property. A huge bunker left is the biggest hazard off the tee. A good tee shot leaves the following 2nd shot look:
After a mid iron the player will see this for the 3rd shot:
Hole 3 – “Ledge Walk”
Par 4 461 / 438 Yards
A long par-4 with a bunker left, the player needs to hug the bunker on the left for the best approach:
A look at the greensite:
Hole 4 – “Chimney”
Par 4 341 / 335 Yards
A very fun hole. The tee shot on this dogleg left should either be played safe to the right with a long iron, or be a driver or 3 wood over the bunker on the left. The green is not seen from the tee:
The 2nd shot from the center of the fairway is daunting from 140 yards as the green is very small, elevated, and features a hazard long and right of the green:
Hole 5 – “Nature’s Course”
Par 4 423 / 409 Yards
A very good hole that is straightforward off the tee but reveals itself on the approach shot. Off the tee the player hits a tee shot of about 260 yards toward the right center of the hole:
The second shot plays down into a ravine to a green built up with railroad ties and surrounded by a stream:
Players walk over a bit of history coming off the green:
Hole 6 – “Mercy”
Par 3 227 / 196 Yards
#6 is a very hard par-3 that is made more difficult under firm conditions. Our group hit long irons to a back left pin. I wish I had a picture of the surprisingly huge green which featured a nice barritz-type swale running through the center that a player who bails out to the right is forced to play through.
Hole 7 – “Rolling Thunder”
Par 5 550 / 544 Yards
The blind tee shot on the par-5 7th (note the aiming rock):
The long 2nd shot which the green seems to invite the player to give it a go:
Until the player walks closer to the green does he notice just how long, large, and deep the greenside bunker on the right is, making for hard up and downs. The pin is on a tough and small shelf, note the fall off just behind it:
Hole 8 – “Maple Syrup”
Par 3 182 / 165 Yards
A tricky short par 3 where the player hits a mid iron over the tree in front of the green:
Hole 9 – “Salmon Trap”
Par 4 458 / 395 Yards
A long hard hole actually features two greens (one for the ladies and one for the men over the water).
A scenic shot from the back tee box:
The approach shot over the Sheboygan River with the clubhouse in the background:
Back nine to follow.