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

[Kyle Henderson]

At Whistling Straits, the “Straits” course is clearly meant to be the star of the show. It hogs ALL of the lakefront property and most of the manufactured dunes, while the Irish course faces the inland farms and harbors the on-property holding ponds.

Course map: http://www.americanclubresort.com/golf/ws/irish_course_map.html

So why would anyone chose to play the Irish? Well, it does allow carts for those too weary to walk on the long, caddy-only Straits. It’s also quite a bit cheaper and it offers a different golfing experience for those hoping to play 36 distinct holes in a single day (or trip). Better yet, it is a very good course with several memorable holes in its own right.

Just how different is Irish golf from Straits golf? Well, it measures 600 yards fewer in total from the tips, is less predictably/redundantly routed, and generally features more contour in the greens. Also, judging from my 2 days on the property, it is far less crowded (making for faster rounds).

Will I ask any more redundant questions? No I will not. They represent poor writing. Let’s take a look at the course.

#1: 400 yards.
The opening hole of the Irish course is adjacent to# 1 on the Straits, and several key differences between the two courses are already apparent: 1) the fairway is much wider, 2) the hole is MUCH  (nearly 100 yards) shorter  from the tips 3) there aren’t 12 other golfers and caddies clogging up the hole.


The approach angle is less favorable from the left side but, even uphill, with a short club this shot is well within the capabilities of a competent golfer.


The first green features enough rolls and surrounding trouble to keep golfers honest – birdies will be well-earned while few will pile up a huge number and immediately regret their decision to tee one up.

[Matt Kardash]

In all fairness, the Straits course was designed with very wide fairways. When the 2004 PGA came in they narrowed them down for the tournament and they have stayed that way ever since.

[Scott Weersing]

Ok, i will ask the obvious question, why is this course called the Irish course?

I look at the first hole and it looks like it could be anywhere in the US with the tee boxes as islands and you hit a drive to a wide fairway.

What is Irish about this first hole?

Let's see the rest of the photo tour to see why this course is Irish.

[Kyle Henderson]

In all fairness, the Straits course was designed with very wide fairways. When the 2004 PGA came in they narrowed them down for the tournament and they have stayed that way ever since.

The playing corridors for the Straits course are fairly wide, but the Irish is clearly wider even accounting for the altered fairway cut imposed by the PGA.

Take a look at google's satellite image. It's easy to see which holes belong to which course purely by noting width.

[Kyle Henderson]

Ok, i will ask the obvious question, why is this course called the Irish course?

I look at the first hole and it looks like it could be anywhere in the US with the tee boxes as islands and you hit a drive to a wide fairway.

What is Irish about this first hole?

Let's see the rest of the photo tour to see why this course is Irish.

I'll post the brouchure taglines when I have access to them later tonight, but I suspect the flowered prose is more idealized than descriptive. I haven't been to Ireland, so I can't really comment on how closely the course resembles a genuine course on the Emerld Isle. There are sheep on property to maintain the rough.

EDIT: The course guide says, "Whistling Straits offers two courses of dynamic contrast and world-class prestige. Open, rugged  and windswept terrain defines the Straits Course, scultpted along two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Borrowing influences from Irish links courses, The Straits has fescue fairways and massive sand dune bunkers. Just inland, interspersed by four meandering streams, the grassland and dunes aspect of The Irish is a deceiving tranquil landscape."

So, whatever that means...

[Carl Nichols]

I look at the first hole and it looks like it could be anywhere in the US with the tee boxes as islands and you hit a drive to a wide fairway.

I think there aren't many places in the US that look like the 1st at the Irish Course -- not because it looks much like Ireland, but just because it doesn't look like many places in the US.

good opening hole, IMHO.  Didn't like the next couple, but did generally like the course.

[Kyle Henderson]

I think there aren't many places in the US that look like the 1st at the Irish Course -- not because it looks much like Ireland, but just because it doesn't look like many places in the US.

good opening hole, IMHO.  Didn't like the next couple, but did generally like the course.

The yardage guide has this quote on the inside of the front cover:
"There's nothing in the United States that has the look and feel of this golf course." -Pete Dye, designer, The Irish at Whistling Straits

[Ronald Montesano]

"a deceiving tranquil landscape."

This is what begets when you have amateur grammarians playing drunken darts with a thesaurus.

[Jud_T]

And at $185 a round, one of the cheapest courses at the resort!   

[Kyle Henderson]

#2: 372 yards.

Despite Mr. Dye’s assertion that this course is unlike any other in the country, I’m pretty sure the 2nd hole is similar to others he has produced. The angled tee shot around the man-made lake is classic Pete, as are the railroad ties shoring up fairway’s edge. My humble opinion is that this hole would be better with more length or more penalizing greenside bunkering, as the wide fairway and short approach remove any need to challenge the water.


Even this right-side pin is easily accessed after a fairway-wood tee shot played down the right side.


The bunkers, while not forgiving, are quite small. Poor approaches short and right will often result in a simple pitch from a good lie.

[Kyle Henderson]

#3: 147 yards.
The third tee shot is played one over a pond’s corner to a diagonally oriented green. I see Raynor’s influence in the shaping.


Putting from far left to this short/right pin is an adventure.

[Terry Lavin]

Well, at least they sell Jameson's in the bar...

[Carl Nichols]

As mentioned above, I thought 1 was a really good opener, but also thought that 2 and 3 were two of the most boring holes at the entire resort.  These pics don't cause me to rethink that view.

[Kyle Henderson]

If the early holes don't grab you, things get more interesting starting with #4.

[Kyle Henderson]

#4: 489 yards (443 from the blue tees). Par 4.

The 4th exemplifies the classic Dye draw drive/fade approach motif.


Drives that bail out to the right will land safely but leave a long, difficult approach.


Conversely, tee shots that successfully skirt the large left-side waste bunker will be hugely beneficial.


This view of the approach demonstrates the relative difficulty of second shots played from right of the fairway’s center.

[Connor Dougherty]

I thought that the 4th was one of the best holes on the course. The bunker running along the left is just a very well set up hazard.

[JLahrman]

#1 and #4 look a lot more interesting than #2 and #3.

And railroad ties look better than the rocks on the 3rd.

[Matt Kardash]

The 4th hole green complex looks a lot like the 16th at Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys). Only difference is at BWR the green is set up for a par 5 instead of a long par 4. I like it better at BWR.


Here is the only photo I could find of the 16th green at BWR. It's unfortunately from behind.

[Kyle Henderson]

The 4th hole green complex looks a lot like the 16th at Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys). Only difference is at BWR the green is set up for a par 5 instead of a long par 4. I like it better at BWR.

Here's a view from the front at BWR #16. The greenside bunker does present a somewhat similar approach angle, but it's much more difficult to get an angle in from the far left and that angle is really only available for thrid shots hit with short irons (if memory serves).

BWR-Meadows #16



The comparison view of Irish #4

[Kevin Lynch]

I'm glad I played the Irish first during my initial visit to Kohler.  I was able to enjoy it on its own merits rather than constantly comparing it to the Straits (which is inevitable once you play both).  However, during that first visit, I was able to simply enjoy the engineering miracle that was the entire Whistling Straits complex and had fun with the variety of challenges presented by the Irish.

I would concur with others that #2 & #3 at Irish seem out of character, as does #17 (massive dunes don't seem to blend well with artificial lakes).  Like Carl, I loved #1, was ambivalent to #2/3, and then the course really seemed to take off for me at the 4th & 5th.

My enjoyment of the 4th really depends on the condition of the course.  The last time I played there, the course was drenched, so any of the designed ground game options were stifled.  I pushed my drive a little right with a back right pin.  Actually pulled off the low burning fade with the 2 hybrid that I needed, except that it plugged 10 yards short of the green.

Some people criticize the WS courses because thay play more "aerial" than the surrounding dunes would seem to indicate.  I don't have a problem with that necessarily, but on certain holes like #4 (with such length), softer conditions (dictating a solely aerial game) hurt the design significantly.

[Kyle Henderson]

#5: 570 yards.

The “Devil’s Elbow” asks for a drive as near as one dares to the right-side fairway bunker.


The fairway wraps around this wasteland at a sharp angle. My feet were ~ 280 yards from the green’s center when this photo was snapped.


Up ahead, a diagonal (short/right to long/left) hazard interrupts the line of play around 100-75 yards short of the pin.


Shots that carry the hazard can ride this Redan-style ramp toward the green.


Pulled approaches will require deft sand play from a short-sided lie to make par.


Once again, few will hole putts from long range, due to the sizable slopes separating the front and rear green sections.

[Kyle Henderson]

6th hole: 160 yards.

The 6th tee shot is played to an island in the faux sandscape.


While few will find it necessary to shape shots with such short clubs, this green favors a fade and contrasts nicely with the draw-favoring 3rd. I personally find that fade holes are a bit tougher,since pulls tend to travel farther and pushes shorter (exactly what I don't need).

[RJ_Daley]

Backing up  to #5, a short story on that huge wastearealike bunker up the right.  I attended the Palmer Cup  some years ago at the Irish.  As I was walking in, I bumped into former Tour Pro and had done a stint of golf commentating, Robert Wrenn (a really friendly and great rep for the game - loves to talk to the crowds even when not on camera, etc.)

I said hi, having met him a couple times and chatted him up.  He said, go out there and look up a kid named J.B. Holmes.  Wait til you see that kid bomb the ball.  I caught up with J.B.s group on #5.  I was out by that service road and just caught a glimpse of someone on the tee... it was apparently Holmes.  Next thing I see the tee ball carry that huge bunker and come fairly near the service road where I was.  At first I thought it I may have been confused and it wasn't a tee shot, but a lay-up.  I saw the whole group leaving the tee area and realized it actually was a tee ball.  I think J.B.  had like a 7-8 iron from there.  Now that was several years ago, and while the equipment was already juiced up, it was about 10 years ago and that much less techie than the stuff now.  I did the rough math and figured that tee ball went about 370 or so.  That was a neat am tournament, Spencer Levin was about 16 and dragging Arnie style on ciggies, and also Matt Every and Overton and a few others on tour now. It was an entertaining event to watch on the Irish Course with several big brawny holes.

[Kyle Henderson]

Backing up  to #5, a short story on that huge wastearealike bunker up the right.  I attended the Palmer Cup  some years ago at the Irish.  As I was walking in, I bumped into former Tour Pro and had done a stint of golf commentating, Robert Wrenn (a really friendly and great rep for the game - loves to talk to the crowds even when not on camera, etc.)

I said hi, having met him a couple times and chatted him up.  He said, go out there and look up a kid named J.B. Holmes.  Wait til you see that kid bomb the ball.  I caught up with J.B.s group on #5.  I was out by that service road and just caught a glimpse of someone on the tee... it was apparently Holmes.  Next thing I see the tee ball carry that huge bunker and come fairly near the service road where I was.  At first I thought it I may have been confused and it wasn't a tee shot, but a lay-up.  I saw the whole group leaving the tee area and realized it actually was a tee ball.  I think J.B.  had like a 7-8 iron from there.  Now that was several years ago, and while the equipment was already juiced up, it was about 10 years ago and that much less techie than the stuff now.  I did the rough math and figured that tee ball went about 370 or so.  That was a neat am tournament, Spencer Levin was about 16 and dragging Arnie style on ciggies, and also Matt Every and Overton and a few others on tour now. It was an entertaining event to watch on the Irish Course with several big brawny holes.

Wow. That's a stependous carry... stupid long. Even Pete Dye must struggle to make playable resort courses that will test every club in a  (fledgling) tour pro's bag.

[Kyle Henderson]

#7: 372 yards.

This dogleg right seems quite forgiving from the tee, but skilled players will be reward for threading a driver down the left center of the fairway.


Down the right, a blind approach and possible tree intrusion will make for a difficult second shot.


Strolling ahead for a look at the green, the target presented is quite deep, but a slight push or pull will be punished from this angle


The higher left portion of the fairway presents better view of a wider target, surely a benefit to those in possession of excellent distance control with their wedges.


The green falls away steeply at the rear into Raynor-esque bunkers too deep to fit in frame.