Erin Hills' natural beauty, challenge and proximity to Milwaukee may land it a U.S. Open.
There is a fantastic new course to play while you’re on an American Club Kohler golf vacation, but it’s not located at the resort.
It’s called Erin Hills Golf Course and you may have recently read about it one of the mainstream golf magazines. Golf Odyssey readers, on the other hand, learned about it a year ago, when we were the first golf publication to feature it at length.
Much like Kohler’s Whistling Straits, Erin Hills suggests the links topography of Scotland and Ireland. The course, designed by Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten, is full of massive, dune-like hills and deep kettle holes with tall fescue grasses all around.
What is most astounding about this inland links, other than its supreme beauty, is that it is completely natural. Fourteen of the 18 holes required no earthmoving whatsoever and all but one green were within one foot of their final grade. In this respect, it’s the polar opposite of Whistling Straits, which is a piece of Pete Dye wizardry transformed from formerly flat land.
Because nature is given free reign here, golfers will not necessarily find lush, emerald-green turf. The links ramble over a sandy playing field and, more often than not, they play fast and firm. All the bunkers have natural, ragged borders rather than crisp, clean edges. Owing to the constant movement and undulation in the terrain, uneven and awkward lies and stances are the norm and add intrigue to every shot.
As we said in Golf Odyssey last May, “Erin Hills promises to be a unique destination golf experience” and “the USGA, which desperately wants a Midwestern public venue for the U.S. Open, has Erin Hills on its radar screen.” It’s certainly worth the 90-minute drive southwest from Kohler to play as part of an American Club Kohler golf vacation.
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Played this track last October and it is outstanding. Links golf at its finest with no water in sight. You will play every shot in the bag and be challenged. Will only get better with a couple of years maturity.
If you truly want to play one of the finest classic courses near Kohler Wisconsin, have the pro at your club contact the pro at Pine Hills Country Club (5 minute drive from Kohler WI) and set up a tee time. Cost is about $125.00 for 18 holes and includes a caddie or a cart. Fastest greens this side of Augusta National.
I would without question get over to The Bull at Pinehurst Farms. (5 minutes from The American Club) Every bit as good, if not better than three of the four Kohler Courses, and literally half the price. Supposedly the only Jack Nicklaus design in Wisconsin.
Jeremy forgot to mention that he’s the assistant pro/tournament director at The Bull at Pinehurst Farms. It is, in fact, a great course, one that I thought wouldn’t have to resort to sneaky tactics like this.