Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)

Whistling Straits

N8501 County LS,

Sheboygan, Wisconsin 53083

  • Office

    +1 (800) 618 5535 (toll free)
  • Pro shop

    +1 (920) 457 8000
  • Fax

    +1 (920) 457 0299
  • Golf pro

    Michael O'Reilly (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 par-72 Irish course (7201 yds from back tees).

Location

Latitude:

43.851009

Longitude:

-87.735593

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)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)
  • Photo of Whistling Straits (Straits course)

Visitors

Who can play and when?

Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.

Must book in advance.

Green fees

Visitor fee, 18-holes on the Straits course in high season: c.$410 (all days).

Credit cards accepted. Contact club for full details, discounts, Stay&Play packages, etc. [Last updated: 2018].

Other information

Non-metal spike facility. This is a walking-only course; no carts. Caddies are compulsory on the Straits course prior to twilight tee-times.

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:

      No

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Blackwolf Run (River and Meadow Valleys courses); 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:

      No

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Blackwolf Run (River and Meadow Valleys courses); The Bull at Pinehurst Farms.

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Whistling Straits (Straits and Irish courses)

Find a course

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

AVIS CAR RENTAL

To secure the best rates and ensure availability, it's recommended to book your rental car in advance, especially during peak golfing season.
Car Rental in Belgium, Europe & Worldwide – Avis

Avis Budget

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

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.

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