Whistling Straits - Straits course: A pictorial!!! (18th hole posted)

[Phil McDade]

The 10th is Peter Dye's favorite hole on the course -- it's a very good short par 4 with multiple options on how to attack it. Singh essentially won the first PGA held here with an aggressive tee shot on a line well left of the center pot bunker, for an easy chip-up-and-in birdie.

[Kyle Henderson]

The 10th is Peter Dye's favorite hole on the course -- it's a very good short par 4 with multiple options on how to attack it. Singh essentially won the first PGA held here with an aggressive tee shot on a line well left of the center pot bunker, for an easy chip-up-and-in birdie.

I think it probably offers the most strategic options, particulalry in match play scenarios. Sir Spaulding and I also picked it as the best hole on the course, at least from a purely beard-pulling perspective. I suspect many in this forum would concur as well.

[Kyle Henderson]

12th hole: 163 yards. Another waterside par 3.


This “single-shotter” is distinguished by its tiny back/right pin location, one that essentially occupies its own separate and tiny putting surface.


Only a fool attacks this pin. Play for the main surface and try to lag one close.


A look back to the tee over the meat of the green.

[Sven Nilsen]

I've played the Straits course probably 5 or 6 times and generally have close to photographic memory when it comes to golf courses.  For some reason this course is one of only a handful of courses that is hard to recall in detail.  I remember the individual holes pretty well, but have a hard time placing them in order.  The only ones that I can picture and name with no difficulty are 1, 5, 9, 10, 11, 17 and 18.

Anyone else have the same issue, most likely caused by the parallel nature of the holes on each 9?

[Kyle Henderson]

Not only are most of the holes parallel with the shore, the greens are all angled toward the lake. Furthermore, the flattish fairways are all surrounded by seemingly random dunescapes and 100s of bunkers. In other words, the aesthetics are a bit homogenized.

I leave it to others to judge these characteristics as good or bad, but certainly they impede one's ability to recall the individual holes.

I have no problem remembering which hole is which, but that ability stems partially from the process of sifting through these photos and posting them.

I've played the Straits course probably 5 or 6 times and generally have close to photographic memory when it comes to golf courses.  For some reason this course is one of only a handful of courses that is hard to recall in detail.  I remember the individual holes pretty well, but have a hard time placing them in order.  The only ones that I can picture and name with no difficulty are 1, 5, 9, 10, 11, 17 and 18.

Anyone else have the same issue, most likely caused by the parallel nature of the holes on each 9?

[Phil McDade]

Sven:

I think that's a pretty fair comment -- and to me the holes that stick out are the ones unlike most of the others on the course. It's a pretty formulaic routing -- two holes on each nine to get you out from, and then back to, the clubhouse (1, 9, 10, 18), then a figure-8 routing for the remaining holes on each nine, with all four of the par 3s hanging on the lakeshore. Different than, say, PacDunes, where Doak did back-to-back par 3s and used relatively flat areas of the property as par 5s to transition to more interesting and coastal parts of the property.

To me, the holes that are memorable (not saying good or bad, just the ones that are easy to remember) are 9 and 18, because they both head back down toward/alongside the ravine, the two par 3s on the back nine (largely because of unique features -- the tiny green section highlighted by Kyle on 12, the volcano bunker on the line of sight on 17 and that enormous green), and 5 (the wetlands trade hole, the par 5 which as most everyone notes looks different than most anything out there). I also think 10 and 13 are pretty memorable, but I also think they are two of the better par 4s out there.

[Kyle Henderson]

13th hole: 402 yards.

Playing into the north corner of the property, the 13th is the penultimate lakeside hole.
 

Though nearly 100 yards shorter from the back plates, the fairways shape here is quite similar to the  8th, diving down and right past a small ridge beyond the driving zone.


Approaches may bounce on from short/left, but other misses will be punished.

[Phil McDade]

The 13th in my view is  a really good hole, as it plays as a sort-of dogleg without the fairway being shaped that way. You definitely want to come in at the green from the left side of the fairway, particularly with any pin center or right of center. The way-back tee on this hole is one of the most intimidating tee shots I've seen, because somewhat unusually for a back tee, it sits (from what I recall) below the level of the other tees, and below the grade of the fairway. A real case of Dye's visual intimidation tactics.

[Kyle Henderson]

The 13th in my view is  a really good hole, in my view, as it plays as a sort-of dogleg without the fairway being shaped that way. You definitely want to come in at the green from the left side of the fairway, particularly with any pin center or right of center. The way-back tee on this hole is one of the most intimidating tee shots I've seen, because somewhat unusually for a back tee, it sits (from what I recall) below the level of the other tees, and below the grade of the fairway. A real case of Dye's visual intimidation tactics.

The back tees are also lower at #8 (even more so, I believe).

[Carl Nichols]

Beard pullers would also love how you can bounce balls onto the 13th green

[Kyle Henderson]

14th: 396 yards.

A short(ish) par 4!


The fairway wraps around a popular bunker that requires a 280-yard carry. Those that stay right must also stay short to avoid running through the dogleg.


The well-protected green is very large and features some of the most bold undulations of any putting surface on the property.

[Kyle Henderson]

15th: 503 yards. Par 4.
While the landing zone is fairly generous, the green is most easily reached in two from the fairway’s starboard side – this side is also perilously close to a sunken sand hell.



Recovery efforts after miscued drives must negotiate a cross bunker around ~85 yards short of the green’s center.


The incorporation of the right-side dune into the green contours allows golfers to feed running approaches toward left-side pins.

[Kyle Henderson]

16th: 568 yards.
You’d think this shoreline scenery would distinguish the 16th, but after so many other lakeside holes the embarrassment of riches has rendered Sven incapable of committing it to memory.


Trouble left…


Trouble right…


Trouble ahead (for the 2nd shot).


On this day, lies were much better from the wispy weeds than the lush rough adjacent to the fairways.


As at the last hole, the dune on the right is incorporate into the putting surface to curve shots a la izquierda.

[Matt Kardash]

I always thought the 16th was the most dissapointing hole on the course. I think up to that point the course has a good amount of variety and every hole offers something new. This hole, while by no means a bad hole on it's own, just doesn't live up to the 15 holes that came before. If this hole was swapped with the par 5 2nd I'd probably say the same thing. Though I do think I still like the 2nd better.

[Phil McDade]

Matt:

Worse than 5?

[Matt Kardash]

Phil,
I know what you are saying, but in a manner of speaking, yes.

[Phil McDade]

Phil,
I know what you are saying, but in a manner of speaking, yes.

How so?

[RJ_Daley]

This hole reminds me of following one of our local club pros at the PGA club pro toon-a-mint back around 99-2000.  A few of us locals were following this local club pro, who was known for hitting the long ball.  He hit his drive well down the FW, a bit on the left side of FW, and had about 280-90 left.  This was in his wheel house to reach.  He needed to finish this Friday from this point to the house in par to make the projected cut.  

This hole is a relatively easy par, play the second up into the high right corner, pitch on and make your two putt.  Plenty of room to play that way.  Well, as I stood with some of our locals rooting for our hometown boy, I see him pull his 3w and licking his chops to carry from approx a bit left of the 4th photo down of Kyle's pics.  I swear I was almost the guy that the marshals would have to eject from the grounds because I had the overwhelming compuction to run out and grab that club from his hand, and have him play safe to the high right, chip-putt-putt, and get out of there alive.  He struck his mighty blow, dead aim at the center of green, and the old proverbial waft of wind came up, much like the waft that knocked Kevin Coster''s character's ball in Tin Cup.  Our boy's ball falls just short, bounds down left into the grunch, took him three more whacks to get out, sailing the green on last attempt, chip, couple of putts and dashed dreams of glory...

This hole is perfectly placed to set up the crazy conclusion.  The wild par 3. 17th, and even crazier 18th.  Once our local boy made bogey on 17, and got up to 18 with no question he blew making the cut, I remember him taking the wildest most outrageous lash at the tee ball on 18 and probably sailing it so far hooked high left to an area no man has ever been.... as he yelled loud enough to hear back in Sheboygan, YeeHaw!!!  

[Matt Kardash]

Phil,
I know what you are saying, but in a manner of speaking, yes.

How so?

While the 5th is out of character with the rest of the holes (even Dye admits this) it come early in the round and provides a type of challenge not yet seen in the round until that point. So while it doesn't fit entirely with the rest of the design it provides a unique challenge at that point in the round.
The 16th fits well with the rest of the course but because it is near the end of the round I feel it just feels like another hole and I don't feel brings anything new to the course by that poiint in the round. That's why I feel like it's the type of hole that the average person will probably forget by the end of the round. But I am not saying it is a bad hole. I'd say there is a lot to like about it on it's own. Whistling Straits is a very good golf course, so I am just nit-picking.

[Kyle Henderson]

17th hole: 249 yards.

As RJ pointed out above, it is tough to make up ground on the closing holes. The penultimate challenge is “long short” hole with nowhere to miss but the fronting apron.


Moving to a shorter tee will bring the volcano bunker more into the line of play.


The green extends quite far around the volcano, making the target much more ample than the eye would suggest.


This view from long/right gives a sense of the green’s full depth.

[Matt Kardash]

Why doesn't the 17th get more recognition as one of the great par 3's of the World? It just is flat out one of the best ball-busting par 3's out there, and it ain't bad looking either!

[John Foley]

I'm with Matt - why this doesn't get mentioned with the all time great par 3's is beyond me.

Love the volcano!!

[Kyle Henderson]

18th: 520 yards. Par 4 (did you expect anything less?).

The fairway presents a fairly simple target from the elevated forward tees (the pro tees are more left, low and long).


The offset fairway cut seems a bit odd. As elsewhere on the course, the green rough is often more penal than the wispy “native” grasses.


Approaches must contend with a rather intimidating gorge. Many golfers will choose to lay-up short/left or across the stream on the right-side apron.


The green is large, but the surrounding safety margins are slim.


One last look back over the last green, now a 3-leaf clover (the 4th leaf, just right of frame, is nor maintained as a fairway-cut swale).


Tally up your score, shake your head, tear it up, forget the numbers and savor the adventure.