Whistling Straits (Straits)

Overview: The Straits Course at Whistling Straits is a Pete Dye links layout on the Lake Michigan shoreline near Kohler, Wisconsin. It uses exposed dunes, fescue, deep bunkers, sharp contours and long views across the water to create a course that can change character with the wind. From the back markers it reaches 7,790 yards at par 72. The routing stays close to the lake for several holes, but its challenge also comes from the scale and irregularity of the inland ground, where recovery shots often demand imagination.

History: Herb Kohler selected the former lakeside military property in the mid-1990s and asked Pete Dye to turn a largely flat, disused site into a links course with a strong sense of place. Construction began in 1995 and the Straits opened in 1998. The venue soon entered major championship history, hosting the 2004 and 2010 PGA Championships, the 2015 PGA Championship and the 2021 Ryder Cup. Dye's work kept traces of the former runway and shoreline landscape visible while introducing the earth forms needed for golf.

Did You Know? The Straits name refers to the narrow water between the Wisconsin shore and Michigan across the lake. The course also occupies land once used by the U.S. Army for anti-aircraft training, which explains why remnants of a broad former runway were part of the original site story.