Whistling Straits

N8501 County LS,

Sheboygan, Wisconsin 53083

  • Office

    +1 (855) 444 2838
  • Pro shop

    +1 (800) 618 5535
  • Fax

    +1 (920) 457 0299
  • Golf pro

    Michael Aschenbach (PGA Head Golf Professional).
  • Academy

    Kohler Golf Academy

About the course

  • The Course:

    18 holes. Links-style course. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.

  • Surroundings:

    Lakeside (Lake Michigan), but given the size of Lake Michigan this feels an oceanside golf experience.

  • Designer:

    Pete Dye

Back
tees
Club
tees
Front
tees
Yards
7790
6360
5564
Par
72
72
72
SSS or slope
77.2
70.4
72.7

At the same location:

Above distances are for the Straits course. Also at Whistling Straits is the 18-hole Irish course (par-72; 7201 yds from back tees).

Location

Latitude:

43.848535

Longitude:

-87.730622

How to get there:

6.5 mi N of Sheboygan / 62 mi N of Milwaukee.

Whistling Straits (Straits course)

5-PLUS: In the world’s elite - has few peers; one of our top-rated 5s!

Est. 1998

Whistling Straits (Straits Course): Few golf locations deliver anything quite like the "Kohler experience" to be found around Sheboygan, Wisconsin. To the north of the city, directly alongside Lake Michigan are the two spectacular links-style layouts of Whistling Straits - the Straits and Irish courses. A little way inland, close to the resort accommodations, is Blackwolf Run, home to the River and Meadow Valleys courses. All four layouts are impressive Pete Dye designs, owned and run by the Kohler Company.

The links-style Straits course is sculpted along two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline - a championship layout that many argue is the best "seaside" links course in America. Pete Dye's transformation of this former cornfield was dramatic. With a seemingly unlimited budget, the great man created a fabulous big dimension and at times extraordinary layout. It delivers a great golf experience - links golf "on steroids" as it is frequently described.

Open, rugged and windswept terrain defines this walking-only golf experience. Both nine-hole loops offer four lakeside holes, perched on bluffs that drop down to the shoreline of mighty Lake Michigan. The course is one of superlatives. There is more bunkering, bigger dunes, larger greens and more elevation change than you'll find on most of the great British or Irish links.

Every hole exudes its own wow-factor; each one superbly crafted and alive with rough-edged bunkers of every imaginable shape and size. The shore hugging par-3 3rd and long par-3 17th are two of the brightest stars in the Straits constellation. The views of the course itself, the Wisconsin shoreline and out onto Lake Michigan are stunning. There's a "luxuriously rustic" stone-built clubhouse, and even a herd of hardy sheep to trim the fairways.

List of courses: Wisconsin (East)

Visitors

Who can play and when?

Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.

Must book in advance.

Green fees

Visitor fee, 18-holes in high season: Mon-Thur $560; Fri-Sun $710. Caddie fee included.

Contact club for full details, discounts, Stay&Play packages, etc. [Last updated: 2024].

Other information

Non-metal spike facility. This is a walking-only course; no carts. Caddies are highly recommended on the Straits course, but not compulsory.

Practice facilities

Excellent

Did you know?

The Straits course at Whistling Straits has hosted many top level tournaments and Major championships, including two U.S. PGA Championships and a U.S. Senior Open.

Published ranking

Straits course:
Wisconsin's No.1 course (Golf Digest, 2023/24).
USA's 26th best course and 4th best public access course (Golf Digest, 2023).
World's 91st best course (GOLF Magazine, 2023/24) and 47th best public access course (Golf World, 2023).

Where2Stay

  • The American Club Resort HotelAAA 5-Diamond

    419 Highland Drive, Kohler, WI 53044

    +1 (855) 444 2838

    Visit website

    The American Club once provided housing, meals and recreational facilities for immigrant employees who could not afford housing. Today, The American Club is a Forbes Five-Star Resort Hotel and the Midwest’s only AAA Five Diamond Resort Hotel providing unique, luxurious décor that creates a singular quality experience room by room.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      Blackwolf Run (River and Meadow Valleys courses).

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      The Bull at Pinehurst Farms.

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Whistling Straits (Straits and Irish courses)

  • Inn on Woodlake

    705 Woodlake Rd, Kohler, WI 53044

    +1 (855) 444 2838

    Visit website

    The Inn on Woodlake is a 121-room hotel located on the shore of picturesque Wood Lake. Here, business and leisure travellers alike will enjoy the best modern amenities, boutique-style rooms, stylish atmosphere and relaxing common spaces.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      Blackwolf Run (River and Meadow Valleys courses).

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      The Bull at Pinehurst Farms.

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Whistling Straits (Straits and Irish courses)

Find a course

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Tournaments

The Sentry: known for many years as the Tournament of Champions, the PGA Tour’s 2025 season-opener gets underway on Kapalua’s Plantation course (Jan 2-5). Chris Kirk defends.

Tournament of Champions: the LPGA Tour’s 2025 season is launched at Lake Nona with the their Tournament of Champions (Jan 30-Feb 2). The 2024 edition gave Lydia Ko her 20th LPGA Tour title.

Who's Who

Attahya Thitikul: also known as “Jeeno”, the Thai golfer won the LPGA Tour’s 2024 CME Group Tour Championship … and an eye-watering $4 million, the richest first-prize in women’s golf.

Rory McIlroy: scooped the 2024 European (DP World) Tour season-long Order of Merit title, joining Seve Ballesteros as a six-time winner of this prestigious award.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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