which is just down the road from one of the newest, premier golf destinations in America -- Kohler, Wisconsin.
Herbie Kohler (of toilet fixture fame) likes to golf and a few years back decided to invest in some upscale courses.
So far he's built 4, (two at Kohler and two at nearby at Haven) and a five-star hotel, the American Club, to go with them.
Not wishing to build just any old course, Herbie hired the famous architect, Pete Dye, to design them and likely gave him the go-ahead to do whatever he wanted,
to hell with the cost.The results are the already famous Black Wolf Run, where Se Ri Pak won the USGA Women's Open in 1998 and Whistling Straits, which will host the Men's PGA Tournament in 2004. Both courses are in a world of their own, isolated from the everyday cares, nothing but a clubhouse (VERY nice) breaking up the views. Although the River Course at BWR is magnificent with the meandering water running through it, lush fairways and plenty of trouble, the newer Straits course at Haven is really something else, a links course along 2 miles of Lake Michigan. It's got some
very challenging holes, the wind off the lake to contend with, and in many places is reminiscent of a moonscape, with sandy depressions dotting the edges of fairways and pock marking the nearby open spaces.
The layout is all man-made, with tons of earth having been moved to convert the natural flatlands and cliffs into the dunes and hills that now
define the course. Dick was suffering from a stiff neck, so Cliff and I played BWR alone on a perfect afternoon when the weather was balmy and the course was unexpectedly quiet. No one in front of us and no one behind us for 16 of the 18 holes. What a treat!
The next day I had to golf alone; Cliff felt the cost for Whistling Straits (including mandatory caddie) was a bit too steep for his game. So off I went, hoping to be paired with someone nice. When I got there I warmed up and then met my playing partner, Kevin. Check out the photo to see who I was paired with!!!!!!!!
OK!!! So is he handsome or what? As you can see, Kevin Costner is pretty darn tall and definitely photogenic.
Actually, I have to fess up, Kevin and I didn't actually PLAY together. He was just finishing 18 when my threesome arrived at the turn. Since we were both hanging out, I worked up my nerve and asked him if it would be OK to get a photo. He said as long as he didn't have to move (the 18 hole walk is quite tiring) that would be fine, and my caddie gladly clicked the shot. As many of you know, Kevin made the movie, Tin Cup, and is a good golfer. He said he shot 12 or 13 over for the day. Depending on which tees he played, that could be anywhere from a good round to magnificent one. From the back tees this 7200+ yard course has a rating of over 76 and a slope of about 150. I had a pretty good day, shot an 88 (hitting from a mixture of red and white tees). It was ham and eggs-- parred all 4 par 3's, had 2 birdies and 2 chip-ins and to balance things out, 2 snowmen.