At Blackwolf Run's River Course, the beauty — and challenge — begins on the first tee.
Clearly, playing Whistling Straits‘ two spectacular courses is the No. 1 priority on an American Club Kohler golf vacation. But, if you’ve already played them or — gasp! — can’t secure a tee time, Blackwolf Run’s River Course should be your first resort-course alternative.
Of the two Blackwolf Run courses, River and Meadow Valleys, the River Course is the marquee layout.
Designer Pete Dye has admitted that he began his work at Blackwolf Run after gaining an appreciation for the masochistic thrill golfers get from being utterly beaten up by a golf course yet still pulling off a couple of heroic shots during the round.
Dye’s initial 18 holes were so well received, resort owner Herb Kohler brought him back for another 18. Unbeknownst to most, the River Course actually comprises nine of the original holes and nine of the “new” ones.
All 36 are located one mile from the American Club and are anchored by a rustic log clubhouse. The property rambles trough woodlands surrounded by the vast River Wildlife Nature Sanctuary and is routed over rollercoaster terrain created by the movement of ancient glaciers.
As such, the River Course is an exhilarating ride through thick forests, over kettles, and across the Sheboygan River. There are thrilling tee shots over the river, though chutes of trees, and down from a hilltop into a valley.
And the fun begins right away. The first hole, a 564-yard par-5, is one of the most difficult opening holes in American golf. The fairway is beset by a vast bunker on one side, and the river on the other, with an endless array of bunkers and mounds on the way to the green.
Dye has said he considers the ninth hole, called Cathedral Spires, the best one he has ever built. The hole is short, but three vastly different strategic options involving cottonwood trees, deep pot bunkers and the Sheboygan River pose risks and rewards on every shot.
Such is the game on the River Course. Prepare to throw out your score and love every minute of the beating you’ll take.
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