The club warns not to be
fooled by the funnel effect to
the small green on hole No.
9 of The Straits. Opposite:
Another view of The Straits’
glorious finishing hole.
THE STRAITS AT WHISTLING STRAITS
The Straits is The American Club’s flagship
course and was the site of Jason
Day’s record-setting, 20-under-par PGA
Championship win in 2015. Additionally,
The Straits is ranked #3 in Golf Digest’s
most recent list of America’s 100 Greatest
Golf Courses, and #21 in the same publication’s
rankings of the country’s top 100
overall courses.
A flat stretch of land that, at times, had
served as an airport and an Army training
facility, Dye brought in 800,000 cubic yards
of sand to, in the words of Herb Kohler himself,
“Make it look like Ireland.” With that,
The Straits was born.
Today, this walking-only, 7,790-yard
course is noted for its stunning views and
offers links-style play amongst giant sand
dunes, stone bridges and eight holes that
border the shores of Lake Michigan—a true
sight to behold.
The Straits’ 17th hole—a breathtaking,
249-yard par-3 aptly named “Pinched
Nerve”—requires both precision and foresight
to avoid a series of sand dunes that
rest 20 feet below green level (along with
Lake Michigan), as well as a steep, bunker-laden
hillside that protects the right
side of No. 17’s green.
“When you first arrive at Whistling
Straits, it’s just a feeling of awe when you
see the clubhouse, the course, and the lake
all come together. It’s really a spectacular
thing to experience.” Maliszewski said.
“As for the course itself, the risk-reward
options are incredible, and I think it will set
up for a dynamic match play that should be
pretty awesome.”
THE IRISH AT WHISTLING STRAITS
Ranked #43 in Golf Digest’s list of America’s
100 Greatest Public Courses, The Irish
opened in 2000 on the same Haven, Wis.,
property as The Straits. Cart play is allowed
on The Irish’s 7,201-yard grass-and-dunes
design (a layout that can be deceiving at
times), and its golfers use the same clubhouse,
practice facilities, and hospitality
facilities as those who play The Straits.
THE RIVER AT BLACKWOLF RUN
Named “the nation’s finest public-access
course of modern times” by GOLF Magazine,
The River takes golfers on a journey
through 7,404 yards of rich hunting and
fishing land once owned by the Algonquin
and Winnebago Tribes. Featuring water
or gorges on 14 holes, strategically placed
bunkers and large, undulating greens, The
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COURSES
32 V IRGINIA G OLFER | M AY/J UNE 2020
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