Wild Wisconsin course to host the final major of a wild PGA season
Powerful forces of nature shaped seaside St. Andrews. The vivid imagination of Alister MacKenzie and the majestic pines of Georgia inspired Augusta National. The primary architect of Pebble Beach, it has been said, was the hand of God.
But there is no way to candy-coat the evolution of Whistling Straits, site of this year’s PGA Championship. It was conceived by a toilet-seat maker, started as a cow pasture and was sculpted via dump truck and tractor.
After major championships at golf’s three most illustrious venues, the 12-year-old Whistling Straits, an hour north of Milwaukee, stands in gaudy contrast, perhaps appropriate for golf’s maligned “fourth major.”
It was designed — with an unlimited budget — by Pete Dye as an ode to the links-style golf of Ireland.
The contrived nature of Whistling Straits horrifies traditionalists, but there’s no doubt housewares magnate Herb Kohler got his money’s worth. Dye created a course with a unique TV signature: 1,200 craggy bunkers, abundant dunes and mounds, knee-high fescue and arresting views of Lake Michigan.
“It was hard to tell Pete that I wanted a course to lead the edge of design,” Kohler told reporters. “Instead I simply told him to save our trees and the wildlife sanctuary and to make the golf course worthy of holding a golf major while still remaining playable by resort duffers, even though it might scare the hell out of them.”
Many storylines from this season will come to a head at Whistling Straits this weekend, including Tiger Woods fighting to regain his stroke and Phil Mickelson dealing with an arthritic condition. Woods, who ranks 10th in the standings for the U.S. Ryder Cup team — the top eight players receive automatic bids — is in the midst of a seven-tournament drought at the majors. His mettle will be tested by Whistling Straits’ blind tee shots and hidden hazards that can frighten the best players in the world.
“As soon as you drive through the gates there’s bunkers there staring you in the face,” said Hunter Mahan, winner of the Bridgestone Invitational last week. “I don’t see a golf course anywhere near there. Yeah, they’re everywhere, really.”
When Whistling Straits hosted the PGA in 2004, Vijay Singh won in a playoff, shooting 8-under par. In his final round, however, with the wind up, he struggled to a birdie-less 76.
“There’s no doubt a sea breeze is a heavy breeze,” U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell said. “This golf course, you have to drive your ball extremely well around here or you’re in big trouble. If you get out of position on this golf course, you’re in a world of pain, no doubt about it. There’s stuff, bunkers, that you never even imagined and some pretty heavy rough around.”
In 2004, Whistling Straits was the longest course in major championship history (7,514 yards). There are three par 4s that measure at least 500 yards. All four par 3s, including two longer than 220 yards, are along the lake.
“It’s a jacked-up links golf course. It’s got some length and got some teeth to it,” McDowell said. “Amazing that this golf course is man-made because it just looks like it’s been there since the beginning of time.”
