Erin Hills - playable but still under construction w/ pictures

[Mike McGuire]

Tim

I just got a report from someone who works there. Course is very playable, a lot of the areas being worked on are the native areas between the holes. Im told they have a discounted rate of $95.  I would play it if your in the area.

[Greg Clark]

Tim,

I love Lawsonia, and would highly recommend it, but a 3 hour round trip (if you are staying in Kohler) may not be something your party is up for.  The Bull is a great option for convenience.  After a slow start for the first 2-3 holes, the course really picks up and has several very strong holes.  It is a tough track, particularly the back side which borders on brutal, but is on really good land by and large.  The 2 times I've played it the conditioning has been outstanding.  Erin Hills offers more of a belt notching experience, and is just a very interesting course.  If you are looking for convenience, don't hesitate on the Bull.  As I understand it, right now play at run at Blackwolf Run is the front 9 at Meadow/Valley and 5-13 on the River.  The Bull is superior to the front at MV, but not as strong as 5-13 on the River - only one of the better stretches of 9 anywhere.  Have fun!

[Steve Kupfer]

After checking out the photos I am concerned that I am sending my playing partners down the wrong path. 

Tim - Have you checked out the pictures that Dan posted? I think the quality of his images paint a better picture of the conditions than those above.

[Brad Butzke]

While late to the party, I figured it might be a bit easier posting a few pictures of the revisions that I had taken a few weeks after the initial poster. Some thoughts to the discussion first, I think the changes improved the layout of EH. I believe it's more of a "major" course now than previously due to tighter landing areas, visual intimadation, and general playability. Although, in the same token, it's also lost some of it's uniqueness as a result. When it was initially developed, I believe a lot of the empowerment of the course revolved around how natural it was. From the limited movement of land, to the natural grasses indiginous to the area, nothing seemed forced. With the changes the USGA is/was pushing, things don't appear as natural as they were previously. While the "jury" is still out with the changing of the fescue, I don't believe it'll carry as much depth in appearence as the previous grasses held. Minor, I know, but it refers to the uniqueness the course held.

Like mentioned, I'm sure there will be additional renovations to fine tune the track. I do believe the changes that were completed are for the better, and that the course holds a bright future. Hopefully it wil live up to everyone's expectations. Being very local, I know that I'll continue to play it a few times each year. Even though the price will almost constantly increase, and as they follow the Kohler model to develope the land/course into a golf destination. Here's something from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this past week:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/golf/52476292.html

Enough of my banter, everyone likes pictures:

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[PThomas]

did i read correctly recently that they will be changing 10 green too?

[Brad Butzke]

There were already revisions made on it. The "valley" remains, but the front and back was shaved down (if I remember correctly). Plays similar, only not as severe as the previous version. Mike Wagner might be able to confirm or deny it though, being there almost 24/7 right now..

[Link Walsh]

-- The USGA surely bears a great deal of responsibility for the hype, doesn't it? The USGA, after all, is the organization that selected EHills for one of its tournaments (Publinx) even before the darn thing was built; the hype about EHills would surely be lessened if the USGA hadn't come calling.


Phil,

Do you think some of this overhype by the USGA was built up by the pressure they felt after missing out on making connections with Whistling Straits?  If I remember right, didn't Kohler just get tired of waiting on the USGA to make up their mind and eventually sign a long term deal with the PGA?  My guess is that once they saw how much media attention came the way of Whistling Straits before and after the PGA deal (rightly or wrongly), they felt almost cornered into starting from scratch to build another Midwest course for the U.S. Open.  It's like they just went all in out of desperation. 

There is a lot that I liked about the course when I played it last summer, but I won't go back for at least another year to let it grow in better.  To me, the "new" photos just look so plain without the native grasses framing the holes.  So it's hard to really judge the final product after the renovations for me right now.   

[Mike McGuire]

I believe a lot of the empowerment of the course revolved around how natural it was. From the limited movement of land, to the natural grasses indiginous to the area, nothing seemed forced. With the changes the USGA is/was pushing, things don't appear as natural as they were previously. While the "jury" is still out with the changing of the fescue, I don't believe it'll carry as much depth in appearence as the previous grasses held.
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Brad -

In the center of your image #1 is a stand of reed canary grass. It is the #1 invasive plant on the Wisconsin DNR's trouble list. It forms a tall dense mat crowding out any fescue. Impossible to enter much less find or play a ball. Might as well be water. It is super aggressive and without control will eventually take over all unmaintained areas.

Unfortunately, in this area the invasives force you to maintain the natural areas.

[Phil McDade]

-- The USGA surely bears a great deal of responsibility for the hype, doesn't it? The USGA, after all, is the organization that selected EHills for one of its tournaments (Publinx) even before the darn thing was built; the hype about EHills would surely be lessened if the USGA hadn't come calling.


Phil,

Do you think some of this overhype by the USGA was built up by the pressure they felt after missing out on making connections with Whistling Straits?  If I remember right, didn't Kohler just get tired of waiting on the USGA to make up their mind and eventually sign a long term deal with the PGA?  My guess is that once they saw how much media attention came the way of Whistling Straits before and after the PGA deal (rightly or wrongly), they felt almost cornered into starting from scratch to build another Midwest course for the U.S. Open.  It's like they just went all in out of desperation. 

There is a lot that I liked about the course when I played it last summer, but I won't go back for at least another year to let it grow in better.  To me, the "new" photos just look so plain without the native grasses framing the holes.  So it's hard to really judge the final product after the renovations for me right now.   

Link:

I think Herb Kohler did get a little tired of waiting on the USGA -- he really did want the men's U.S. Open at WStraits, but when the PGA came calling with two PGAs and the Ryder Cup within a space of 12 years or so, Kohler said the offer was too good to pass up, acknowledging at the time that it was likely to end his chances (in his lifetime, at least) of seeing the US Open at WStraits.

I do think the USGA has been casting about for a US Open-worthy site in the Upper Midwest -- the market is just too lucrative to pass up, and the USGA to me has been very deliberate about wanting to move its biggest tournament around the country. For lots of reasons discussed previously, Medinah seems out as a future US Open site, and for whatever reason (rightly or wrongly; I thought it was a pretty solid test) Olympia Fields doesn't seem to be generating as much interest in a return visit. And Butler still has its membership issue. Thus, you see lots of re-working at Cog Hill's Dubsdread course (by Rees Jones, a true tip-off), and a fairly intense effort by both the USGA and Lang to "get" EHills right for a US Open visit. I think the US Amateur will be the big test as to whether it eventually gets a US Open.