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The Global Golfer Top 100
Whistling Straits — Straits Course
Kohler, Wisconsin, USA · #42 in the World
Location: Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wisconsin, USA | Ranking: #42 — The Global Golfer Top 100
Type: Faux-links Coastal | Designer: Pete Dye (1998)
Editor’s Note: Pete Dye moved five million cubic yards of earth on the Lake Michigan shoreline to create a course that looks ancient — nearly 1,000 sand bunkers, sheep grazing the fairways and the freshwater “sea” of Lake Michigan as backdrop. The 2021 Ryder Cup played here produced one of the most dramatic team golf events in years. The Straits Course is an extraordinary visual and strategic achievement regardless of the artifice behind it.
Contact & Booking
- Website: americanclubresort.com | Green Fees: From $350 | Rating / Slope: 76.3 / 151 | Airport: Milwaukee (MKE) — 1h 30m; Chicago O’Hare — 2h.
Championship Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | OUT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 |
| Yards | 410 | 596 | 177 | 468 | 377 | 447 | 225 | 462 | 573 | 3,735 |
Par 4
Par 3
Par 5
Total
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | IN | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 403 | 392 | 180 | 534 | 397 | 533 | 224 | 490 | 617 | 3,770 | 7,514 |
Key Notes & 19th Hole
- Hole 18 — Par 5, 617 Yards: The 2021 Ryder Cup finale — Dustin Johnson’s clinching point on this hole sealed the USA’s dominant 19–9 victory. A sweeping par 5 running to a lakeside green with the American Club hotel visible across the water.
- The Bunkers: Nearly 1,000 bunkers on the Straits Course — many illegal by USGA rules, many more diabolically placed. The slope rating of 151 reflects their severity.
- The American Club (5★): Kohler’s magnificent resort hotel — one of the Midwest’s finest, with the Kohler Waters Spa providing excellent post-round recovery. Book via Expedia →