Those considering golf vacations to play Whistling Straits should also consider staying at the little-known (and private) Riverbend mansion.
If you plan on watching this season’s final major, the PGA Championship, you’re going to see and hear the following:
You’re going to hear endless discussion about whether Tiger or Phil deserves to be No. 1 in the World Golf Ranking.
You’re going to see and hear a lot about bunkers because the Straits Course at Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits Golf Club has more of them than any other course in the world…967 according to Golf Digest.
But what you won’t see or hear talked about is one of the most important secrets to know if you’re planning a golf vacation to play Whistling Straits and the other three courses at Kohler’s American Club. Read more →
Given its recent upgrades, the Inn on Woodlake is an even more attractive option for an American Club Kohler golf vacation.
Taking an American Club Kohler Golf Vacation to play Whistling Straits golf course and its other fine layouts is not an inexpensive proposition. However, there are less expensive options besides staying at the classy American Club Hotel and the little-known private mansion and sporting club called Riverbend, which we recently told you about.
Two years ago, we shared with you fact that the Inn on Woodlake was, “The Best Budget Hotel Option on Your American Club Kohler Golf Vacation.” In light of its recently completed major renovation, we now view the Inn on Woodlake as an even more compelling, lower-priced lodging alternative, particularly for visitors more focused on golf than accommodations. Read more →
Riverbend offers one more level of luxury on an American Club Kohler golf vacation.
After taking American Club Kohler Golf Vacations nearly every other year since 1995, we’ve had the opportunity to inspect virtually every inch of this popular Wisconsin golf resort. And while we’ve known about the existence of Riverbend, the resort’s marvelous, private club, since it opened in 2001, even we were surprised to learn that anyone can experience it…at least once.
Located about one mile from the American Club Kohler, Riverbend is a historic mansion house that serves as the centerpiece of a private, outdoor and sports retreat. Each of the 31 guest chambers is unique and beautifully appointed with comfortable beds, fireplaces, stocked refrigerators, LCD televisions, and of course, gorgeous bathrooms with oversized whirlpool tubs and showers.
The mansion itself has several inviting common areas, particularly the Rathskeller. The mansion’s “pub,” it includes a well-stocked bar, card tables, a 1917 Brunswick billiards table, large flat-panel televisions, and oversized stuffed chairs. A cigar or two have most certainly been sampled here. A putting green and croquet court are also on the property. The intimate setting along the Sheboygan River, exquisite accommodations, private dining, and above all, personalized service, create a memorable guest experience. Read more →
Several Wisconsin golf courses, such as The American Club Kohler
I hope you weren’t taking a golf vacation in the Midwest over the last two weeks. I recently spent four days in and around Milwaukee, Wisc., and I witnessed first hand the damage left by the record storms that ripped through the area.
While all golf courses were affected to some degree, those located in low lying areas or routed along the state’s many rivers were hardest hit. For example, during my midweek visit, The American Club Kohler’s two golf courses at Blackwolf Run (the River Course and the Meadows Valley course) were outright closed (nine holes on each have since reopened as of early this week), as was Milwaukee Country Club. Kohler’s golf courses at Whistling Straits (the Straits Course and The Irish Course) were open. Read more →
No. 17, "Pinched Nerve," sets up the "Diabolical" closer on the the American Club Kohler's Straits Course.
Their swings may not be as graceful or powerful as their younger counterparts, but the professionals on the Champions Tour can flat-out play. And this week, they’re playing their biggest tournament on a course that you can tackle during an American Club Kohler Golf Vacation.
The U.S. Senior Open continues today on Whistling Straits’ Straits Course, the jewel in the crown of the four-course American Club Kohler resort in Wisconsin. The Straits Course is generous off the tee, but that’s tempered by substantial forced carries, penalizing rough, and higher-stakes risks for better players who aim at its pins. Read more →
The American Club/Kohler has the total package.
If you’re thinking about taking an American Club Kohler Golf Vacation, do yourself a favor and check out one of its many package deals.
Two things are particularly impressive about them. While you wouldn’t mistake them for discount golf vacations, they’ll truly save you a significant amount of money rather than purchasing everything separately. Someone needs to remind other resorts that this is the main idea behind a “package.” Read more →
The Irish Course's seventh hole is beset by bunkers.
In America, you don’t often find an individual golf hole with more than a handful of bunkers; having a dozen or more is downright rare. But golfers lucky enough to experience an American Club Kohler Golf Vacation have the unique opportunity to play a hole with twice that amount.
Architect Pete Dye’s ode to bunkers can be found on Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits Irish course, particularly hole number seven, named Troll for the creature that supposedly presides over its greenside creek. Read more →
The fighting Irish: beating par here can be a true struggle.
According to their course and slope ratings from the “mere mortal” tees, Whistling Straits’ two courses, Straits and Irish, bear the same level of difficulty.
In our experience, however, those numbers don’t add up. The Irish course is easily the more challenging one to play on an American Club Kohler Golf Vacation.
It’s not that the holes are overly long or tricky. Rather, Pete Dye’s fourth creation at this world-class resort simply eats errant golf balls and it’s the forced carries, gnarly rough, ponds, streams and ravines that set the table. The Straits course, while challenging in its own right, provides a wider margin for error. Read more →
