The scenery on the windy Straits golf course at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin will blow you away
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- As Jon Bucciarelli, of Akron, Ohio, walked the Straits golf course at Whistling Straits, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the dunes, the views of Lake Michigan and the thought of walking in the footsteps of the pros who played at the 2004 and 2010 PGA Championships.
"I said it about four times, 'This is the best (golf) experience I've ever had,'" he said. "It's everything and more."
A feeling of euphoria is common at Whistling Straits, even if the wind kicks up and Pete Dye's maniacal bunkers decimate your score. The fact that it's just minutes from a cornfield in the heartland of the U.S., well, that just blows people's minds.
Golf Digest ranks the Straits as the third-best public course in the country and No. 6 on its list of toughest courses in the land.
"People come here to be transported to coastal Ireland," said Dirk Willis, the manager of operations and merchandising at Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run. "The only similar experience (in America) is Pacific Dunes. With the walking-only policy, it is the way golf is meant to be played."
The Straits looks intimidating with nearly 1,000 bunkers and all those blind shots through manmade dunes. Players who trust their caddie, though, will find wide fairways. Dye maximized every inch of the shoreline, routing eight holes directly on the water, including all four par 3s.
The truth is playing the Straits might be better than a round on any true links, especially on a glorious summer day. How often is it 80 degrees at Turnberry in Scotland or Ballybunion in Ireland?
Straits Golf Course at Whistling Straits
in
Sheboygan
N8501 County LSSheboygan, WI 53083
Sheboygan County
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Photo Gallery: The scenery on the windy Straits golf course at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin will blow you away
A feeling of euphoria is common at the Straits Course at Whistling Straits, even if the wind kicks up and Pete Dye's maniacal bunkers decimate your score. The f [...]
