This article appeared in Geoff Shackelford's website. Will the USGA copy the PGA and award a major to a new course?
www.erinhills.com From the Lake County News
Lang on right course at Erin Hills
Chuck Delsman, Sports Editor October 06, 2005
The 2015 U.S. Open golf tournament being held just north of the Lake Country in the Town of Erin.
Sounds kind of ridiculous, doesn't it?
Well, if things go right, don't be shocked when and if that happens.
Because right now, months before Erin Hills is even ready to open, the powers-to-be at the United States Golf Association are well aware of the potential of Bob Lang's latest adventure in Washington County.
The 580-acre site is spectacular to say the least. There are oak and maple trees, pine and tamarack trees, natural wetlands, eskers, hills and valleys and some of the most dramatic rolling ground you'll ever find where a golf course is being built.
How good is Erin Hills going to be? The mission is for the course to be the best in Wisconsin and one of the best venues for golf in the entire country.
Lang, a self-admitted hacker, says he has only a few goals for Erin Hills, which is expected to open in July or August of 2006.
"There are only a few things I want out of the golf course," the Delafield entrepreneur said earlier this week. "I want Erin Hills to be the most traditional, natural and challenging course the land allows it to be. And second, I want it to be a journey and an escape for a foursome of golfers to get away from any kind of civilization."
And, by the way, Lang has one other mission for Erin Hills.
"I want the golf course, to some day, host the U.S. Open," Lang added. "That's my journey for the course."
As wild of a vision as that might seem, especially for a Wisconsin golf course, don't be shocked if it comes to be. Several USGA officials, including executive director David Fay, have visited Erin Hills already. And that's pretty impressive for a course that's not even open.
In fact, in an uncharacteristic move, the USGA has already given Erin Hills a national tournament in 2008. The course will host the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links tournament. That tells you the kind of reputation Erin Hills has already, despite being 9 or 10 months away from opening.
So, will Erin Hills be ready for play by next July or August? Mother Nature will probably have a lot to say about that.
"Our hope is to get the course open next summer," Lang said. "But we won't open it early if it's not ready. We want the course to be perfect on the first day we open. From there the golfers can make their own judgments."
Erin Hills, unlike a lot of exclusive courses, will cater to golfers of all abilities and ages.
There are six sets of tees on every hole. The course will measure 5,700 yards from the forward tees and a knee-knocking 7,700 yards from the black tees. If necessary, the course can be stretched to a never-heard-of 8,100 yards.
All the greens and tees will be bent grass and the fairways will be fescue. Lang loves to use the words "sea of fescue" when describing what golfers will see on their first trip to the course.
How difficult will the course play? It could be a monster, but at the same time be fair.
The fairways roll, twist and turn unlike any other course in the state. There's not a flat fairway on the course.
Designers Dana Fry, Michael Hurdzan and Ron Whitten have done some brilliant bunkering around the greens and fairways. Lang and general manager Steve Trattner also had some input into the overall course design.
Rather interestingly, while the dropoffs, undulations, rough and wetlands come into play on just about every hole, very little earth was moved on the course. On 14 of the 18 holes, not a single shovel of dirt has been turned.
The course has no signature hole. All of the holes qualify for that distinction in their own ways.
The course will have a par of 35 on the front side and a par of 37 on the back.
Rather unique, the back nine will have three par-5 holes, most unreachable in two shots, no matter how far you hit it. The 10th hole measures 658 yards from the black tees, the 14th is 583 and the finishing hole, the 18th, is 602 yards.
Golfers won't have to wait long to feel the wrath and the quality of the course. The dramatic first hole measures 578 yards from the blue tees and 640 yards from the blacks.
The tee shot goes gradually uphill, reaches a plateau, and then goes downhill to a green surrounded by wetlands on the left and behind the putting surface.
Erin Hills also has a 19th hole, a beautiful 185-yard par-3 (with seven traps) that could be used to play into the clubhouse after the round, breaking any ties. The hole also could be used for tournament play if it's needed.
The course is a golf course, not a country club. There will be no tennis courts, no swimming pool and no wedding receptions.
You also won't find a single house on the course. There will be no home sites on the course in the future either. In fact, from any part of the course, you won't be able to see a single house. One farm can be seen to the north and Holy Hill is visible from just about every elevated area.
A pub will provide the golfers with refreshments and food.
Lang said he hopes to keep the green fees somewhere around $125. If that's the case, it will be the biggest bargain in Wisconsin golf, and maybe in the country.
Right now, Erin Hills looks like it could turn into one of the best golf courses in the country, bar none. That's the vision Lang had when he started the project almost six years ago.
The course is located 11 miles north of Highway 16 using Highway 83. At the intersection of Highway O (just south of Hartford) and 83, Erin Hills can be found less than two miles to the west on the south side.