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

[Kyle Henderson]

Trucking a few million cubic yards of sand to the shore of Lake Michigan for the purpose of building a synthetic Irish links experience is more than moderately ambitious. And judging by the golf magazine rankings, full tee sheets and word of mouth during my stay in Wisconsin, the final product is an unqualified success story.

The quaint, well-equipped clubhouse/pro shop/restaurant/locker room.


Practice green.


Bridge to the 1st tee.


1st hole: 497 yards (405 yards or less for mortals)
The opening tee shot (sets the tone for the round – with acres of pseudo-sand dunes on either side, the fairway appears wholly inadequate.


For those that find the fairway, a flat lie will be the universal result. Off-piste, the wild undulations manufactured by Pete Dye and his crew provide a stark contrast in fortunes.


Ever enamored with angles, Mr. Dye offsets many of his greens relative to the fairway axis, in this case favoring a drawing approach.


From the left fairway, the 1st green offers a narrow visual target beneath our first of many lake views.


At sunset, the view over the property to Lake Michigan is quite pleasing.


More sandy waste is found beyond the green in this retrospective image.

[Kyle Henderson]

Hole #2 is a long par 5 (533 yards for mortals, 597 yards for the big boys!!!) with sand piles to starboard and abundant water views to port.


Right of the ridge (and usually hidden from view) is a marsh and the “Irish” course.


Finding the flattish fairway provides one with a distinct advantage over opponents that stray even a few yards off course.


The golden fescues are actually much more forgiving than the lush, green primary rough that borders the fairways.


This long bunker shot to the 2nd green will challenge even the most proficient golfers.


A central bunker standing sentry at the 2nd green’s entrance must be the tiniest orifice of particulate hell on earth, for golfers.


The 2nd green is angled toward the lake. Favoring a drawing approach down the axis pictured below.


A pulled approach, or a shot that comes up short from the wrong angle, will find more unpleasantness.


Looking back at the beautiful brute.

[Matt Kardash]

Beautifull photos

[Terry Lavin]

Eye Candy National.

[SteveOgulukian]

Kyle,

Great pictures....postcard quality!

[Josh Tarble]

Great photos as usual! Looking forward to te rest

[Tim Martin]

Kyle-I have viewed the photos on a PC,IPad and an IPhone and they are stunning regardless of the device. They really popped on the IPad.

[Kyle Henderson]

Thanks, fellas. Mr. Spaulding's flight was cancelled, so I had a few hours to kill around sunset and a camera in the back seat... The results were pleasing to me as well.

[John Kavanaugh]

I believe the people who travel to this resort see themselves in these holes.

[Kyle Henderson]

I believe the people who travel to this resort see themselves in these holes.

I do not consider myself a beauty or a brute.

[Kyle Henderson]

With a green light to shape nearly every inch of the property, Dye elected to produce a double figure 8 routing with all but the 1st and last hole of each nine running roughly parallel with the shore and all of the par 3s playing at lakeside. The 3rd travels south for up to 188 yards.


This look back to the tee displays the importance of proper club selection to match the day’s pin position.

[Sean Leary]

Looks almost identical to 17, but shorter..

[Kyle Henderson]

Looks almost identical to 17, but shorter..

There are many similarities. Aside from length, the most notable difference is that #17 has a large, bunkered hillock that obscures the right portion of the green.

Pretty much every hole on the shore, including the par 4s and 5s,  features a green angled at the water such that it is much riskier to attack back pins.

[Kyle Henderson]

Hole #4: At 494 yards from the aft plate (451 yards from the Blues), a par “4” is a very good score.

A tee shot over the foreground bush is ideal.


As at the 1st and 2nd, the left side is defined by a steep fall-off while the right is bordered by bunker-strewn mounds and the green is angled from short/right to long left. Thus, a consistent draw will be of benefit on holes 1-4.

[Eric Smith]

A central bunker standing sentry at the 2nd green’s entrance must be the tiniest orifice of particulate hell on earth, for golfers.

Should be called "Axe Wound"

[Kyle Henderson]

A central bunker standing sentry at the 2nd green’s entrance must be the tiniest orifice of particulate hell on earth, for golfers.

Should be called "Axe Wound"

Does the encompassing strip of rough match your preferences?

[Kyle Henderson]

5th hole:
Looping back inland, the long 5th snakes between wetlands (created as  environmental concessions), which curiously do not drain through the 4th hole to the lake.


The angled fairway encourages bold drives on the shortest line near the lake.


After a faded driver, those seeking the green in two should summon a draw. Classic Pete.


The lay-up lane is mercifully wide…


…as left = death.

[Josh Tarble]

I know a lot of people hate the 5th, but I think it's a decent hole that is just completely out of place.  Put it on another style of course...maybe Blackwolf Run for example...and I think it would be fairly well regarded.

[Kyle Henderson]

I know a lot of people hate the 5th, but I think it's a decent hole that is just completely out of place.  Put it on another style of course...maybe Blackwolf Run for example...and I think it would be fairly well regarded.

Agreed. The Irish course has even more incongruous holes, with massive synthetic lakes on 4 holes  and only a third of the routing occupying the manufactured dunes.

[Kyle Henderson]

6th hole: 409 yards.

A hole even average players can tame, the 6th first asks for a drive that slides right.


Blocked drives may leave blind approaches over this bunkered hillock.


Long, blocked drives may leave awkward approaches from an uneven lie in the hay.


Rather obviously, a huge gouge has been taken out of the green’s front center to separate the left and right portions. As such, anyone bemoaning the loss of a chance to chip from one clover leaf to another on the 18th green (which had a leaf converted to fairway cut) can have a crack at it here.


Looking back, the caddies is dwarfed by the fledgling crevasse.

[Kyle Henderson]

7th hole: 221 yards

One of the north-facing par 3s, the 7th is distinguished by its low-set proximity to the lake’s surface.


Erosion control measures can elicit untimely richocets.


With little apparent bail-out room surrounding the angled green, proper club selection is absolutely imperative.


From higher up, one can visualize the small patch of fairway providing respite for those that miss just short and left.


Glamour shot.


The green contours are fairly benign.


This retrospective illustrates the lessened difficulty of a front/left pin.

[Kyle Henderson]

8th hole: 506 yards. Par 4.
The 8th tee shot is quite daunting from the tips.


From the regular tees, a view of the appointed task is afforded.


While the hole bends to the right, cutting the corner is inadvisable.


The high side should also be avoided.


From the fairway, the 8th green seems to hover over the lake.


There isn’t much room for a low running shot, unless the perfect approach angle is achieved.


Glamour shot.

Retro.

[Kyle Henderson]

9th hole: 442 yards.

The final "outward" hole brings players as far inland as the course reaches.


While the playing corridor is reasonably wide, a narrow fairway cut and large tree will place a premium on accuracy from the tee.


Playing well away from the tree will add difficulty to the approach.


Tucked intimately below the clubhouse, the 9th and 18th holes set up well for spectators.


I am still amazed by the colors in this completely photoshop-free image of the 9th green’s left flank.


A rear ¾ view provides a sense of the elevation drop that must be factored in for the 9th approach.


It's o wonder I couldn’t find the fairway…

[Kyle Henderson]

10th hole: 391 yards

The 10th, a short par 4 with a wide target area broken up by central hazards, adds a welcome helping of variety to the course.


The choice of line from the tee will depend heavily on the day’s selection of teeing grounds, wind conditions and swing repeatability. Left, right or over the pot?


While this bunker’s diminutive size may limit the number of shots it ensnares, it also compounds the magnitude of such mistakes as the recovery shot must be well struck with a lofted club just to escape.


When the fairways run hard, shots that barely cover the first pot may reach the second. Reasonably sound drives will usually find green grass and elicit simple pitches for the approach.

[Kyle Henderson]

11th hole: 645 yards(!!!!!!!)
 

Another Pete Dye standard, this time with a favored fade for the tee shot and a demanded draw for long, running approaches.


For those seeking the green in 3, the simplest lay-up is short of the railroad ties. This is also the best position to attack back/right pin locations.


Those with shaky wedge play at the preceding holes will not welcome this view, but the shot is easier than it looks.


Retrospective.