Meadows Valley Course Blackwolf Run (Kohler, WI)

      TOP 100 PUBLIC GOLF COURSES 

            GOLF DIGEST 2017/2018                           

             #60 BLACKWOLF RUN    

        MEADOWS VALLEY COURSE 

The biggest reason for playing the MV course is to see the back nine. (It was the front nine when the ladies played the US Open here. 

River 1-4 13-18 was back nine)

For many people, the MV course is the most enjoyable to play. It still has Pete Dye’s testy greens, but there’s much more short grass and recoverable places to miss. 

(The 403/362 yard fifth has a well placed green tucked behind two huge trees.) 

MV also builds towards an arousing finish. The front nine has several good birdie opportunities and players can get off to a good start. 

(The 240/176 yard eighth is a fine par three. Note all the internal contours that make for interesting pin locations.) 

The back nine is where things get interesting. Unfortunately, the original tenth tee can’t be used because of logistical reasons, so the compromise is a poor dogleg right through a chute of trees. That’s too bad because the original is a great. 

(The 461/407 yard twelfth is a strong par four where anything missed left can lead to a big number.)

(The 423/384 yard fourteenth plays downhill to a green beautifully built up with railroad ties. The creek guards the right and rear.) 

The two par threes on this side get a lot of attention for their bravado do or die style shots. They’re both totally Dye! They do have similar qualities but they’re exactly what this  type of terrain dictated.

(The fifteenth is 227/189 yard all carry shot over a scrub filled valley...

...this view from twelve fairway shows just how much contour is in the green.) 

(I’m not a big fan of trees that block entrances to greens especially like the one here on the par three seventeenth. It’s a mid to shortish iron so the player should be able to control the ball enough to get on the green. 182/152)

Dye’s 5-3-4 ending makes this a fantastic finishing stretch. Players can be bold and brash, and hit exciting shots for birdie attempts, or play conservatively for pars. Mix in some difficult pin placements and bogey or worse is also a possibility. 

(The 590/487 yard sixteenth is the prototypical Dye par five that’s reachable in two shots. The sand short is very deep. Note the steps. Laying up demands concentration as the fairway narrows.) 

MV gets overlooked by most going up to Kohler to play Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits. It’s the easiest course of the four, but it’s a ton of fun and has some excellent holes. I give MV a 6 (very good)(worth driving 2 hours). 

(The 458/383 yard eighteenth ends with a long approach shot over the river. The clubhouse overlooks the green in grand style. (An alternative green short of the river can be used.) Par is a well deserved score.)

[ The American Club is one of the few Five Star Five Diamond resorts in the world. It has everything which makes Destination Kohler the perfect buddies trip, couples trip, or whatever trip. Obviously the golf is second to none! ]

TOP 100 PUBLIC GOLF COURSES 

#4 Straits

#15 River 

#45 Irish 

#60 Meadow Valley 

https://www.americanclubresort.com/press-room/press-releases/2017/10/the-american-club-resort-hotel-receives-top-honors-in-conde-nast-travelers-2017-readers-choice-awards

River Course Blackwolf Run (Kohler, WI)

      TOP 100 PUBLIC GOLF COURSES 

              GOLF DIGEST 2017/2018

         #15 BLACKWOLF RUN RIVER

The US Women’s Open was held at Blackwolf Run in 1998 and 2012. For the tournament, they use the back nine of the Meadows, and holes 1-4 14-18 of the River. (This was the original course before Pete Dye expanded it to 36 holes.)

(Ripples or ridges in the greens demand precise iron play to have good birdie attempts, while longer putts are difficult to negotiate in two.) 

The River possesses some of coolest holes I’ve ever seen! Interestingly, the best ones were not used for the US Open because Dye was given the property by the river after he designed the original course. That was a huge gamble by Kohler and Dye, and it paid off big time!! 

(The triple option ninth where players can hit down the left, over the trees, or at the green...

...it is often cited as one of the best short par fours in the US.) 

(The forever turning par five eleventh is excellent. It’s reachable in two, but the second is all carry over the river. Even short hitters will eventually need to challenge the water. For most, getting by the group of trees in pic is the key to par. It’s a super cool hole!)

(The par four twelfth green is snug by the river. A good drive down the left leaves a longer but open shot in while the right side leaves a shorter but all carry approach.) 

(The par three thirteenth is one of the most intimidating holes I’ve seen. It’s all carry over the river with towering trees on the left. A draw is the obvious play but can you hit it under pressure? How bout a high cut? Can I hit it high enough? Wow!)

While the river holes are the highlight, it’s Dye’s patented “getting the proper angle” architecture that solidifies the course. Missing fairways or hitting the wrong side can leave testy second shots. 

(The par three fourth can cause plenty of trouble. Right is a definite no-no, but overcompensating to the left can leave an incredibly difficult up n down.) 

(The short par four fourteenth slides along the water. Bail away from the water and it’s a blind shot over a mound. Driveable too for the long hitters. It’s a fun hole.) 

(The par five sixteenth displays Dye’s infatuation with trees guarding the green. Hitting this in two means going over the river and cutting it back onto the putting surface. For the open, the ladies we’re hitting it far down the right, and taking the tree out of play.) 

I can only imagine Pete Dye chomping at the bit when he saw all the possibilities with the serpentine river. The way he uses the water along with the trees makes this a wonderful course to study. As I’ve become a better player, I must admit my hostility towards trees defining strategy. They can expose ones inability to hit a particular shot. With the greens having so many nuanced pin positions, pars become valuable. 

(The split fairway par five eighth has an upper and lower route to the green. It has been said that River has the best set of par fives anywhere.) 

While Blackwolf Run is quite overpriced, there’s no denying the quality of it’s design. It changed the way golfers looked at resort courses. I give River an 8 (excellent)(worth spending the weekend.) 

(The eighteenth doglegs left to a green set below the clubhouse. During the US Women’s Open, Kohler surprised Dye with an unexpected twist. He flooded the waste area in the pic, making this a stern finishing hole. In 1998, Se Ri Pak stood in the water, her ball above her feet on the side slope, and hit a marvelous shot that saved bogey. A few holes later in sudden death, a birdie clinched the championship.) 

Whistling Straits - Straits (Kohler, WI)

     TOP 100 PUBLIC GOLF COURSES 

             GOLF DIGEST 2017/2018

             #4 WHISTLING STRAITS

Whistling Straits was the best golf experience I’ve ever had. It was unbelievably amazing from the caddy, to the views, to the shots, even to the 20 mph winds. There are few courses in the US that one must see in their lifetime, and this is one of them. It ranks right up there with Pebble Beach. 

(The first hole wastes no time taking the player to the water. While modest in length, a par is a fine way to begin the round.) 

Pete Dye designed Whistling Straits in 1998, and in its first twenty years, it’s already held three PGA Championships and is hosting the 2020 Ryder Cup! 

(The par five second is reachable in two shots though water left and a pot bunker short right guard the green...

...a myriad of stances and lies can be found in here. Should be interesting to see how it influences players at the Ryder Cup.) 

It’s hard to believe Whistling Straits is completely man made. It once was an airfield called Camp Haven. Dye brought in over a million cubic feet of dirt and moved it around until it became what he envisioned. His figure 8 routing has been labeled genius and golfers play along Lake Michigan four distinct times during the course of the round. 

(The par three third is beautifully perched above the water. The slope in back right will push ball towards the left and rear pin location.)

(The fourth follows with a strong par four.) 

The setting at Whistling Straits cannot be overstated. There’s something about being on the water that adds another element to one’s round. The olfactory receptors are stimulated by wind and moisture. 

(The drive at the sixth...

...leads to this green that is essentially split in two by a nasty bunker eating into the middle. Pin in pic is accessible via aerial or ground, but pin on the right demands perfection.) 

(Whistling Straits has more than just have water views. It literally plays on the shoreline! The par three seventh is another captivating one shotter!)

The par threes at Whistling Straits are incredible! I’m not sure there’s a better set anywhere in the world. All four play along the Lake Michigan shoreline, and each one has its own particular demands and shot requirements. 

(The par twelfth is a birdie hole when the pin is in the meat of the green on the left, but when it’s placed on the “whale tail” to the right, it’s like trying to hit the ball to an area the size of your living room.) 

(The seventeenth is probably the most iconic hole at Whistling Straits. This view looking back to the green shows just how tall the volcano bunker is short right. There’s plenty of room behind it if they want to “hide” the pin.) 

Whistling Straits is arguably Pete Dye’s best course. While a handful of others can make that claim, there’s no mistaking the engineering marvel that went into building it. The two miles of shoreline is awfully hard to beat too.

(It’s possible to see them move the tees up and make the thirteenth a driveable par four for the Ryder Cup.) 

(The “infinity green” at the par five sixteenth. Nothing behind it except blue skies and blue water.) 

I give Whistling Straits a 10 (perfect)(must play during one’s lifetime). It’s a modern classic that is only going to get more recognition as time moves on. The PGA of America loves the place and the Ryder Cup is only going to improve its stature. It will also increase the rate on what is already a big ticket item. 

(The eighteenth green with the large stone clubhouse in the background. It takes two well struck shots to reach this green in regulation. It gets panned by many as being too over the top, but for pro competition, it provides high drama.) 

[A couple sidebars to point out. First, a few years ago, Arcadia Bluffs was voted as the number one course in Midwest. At a third the cost, it is a better value, but Whistling Straits is undoubtedly the better course. 

Second, from 1997-1999, Bay Harbor, Whistling Straits, and Pacific Dunes all opened and there was a huge headline in one of the golf magazine about the next Pebble Beach. It’s twenty years later, and if you look at the rankings, both PD n WS are ranked in the top five, yet BH is at 73. Makes me wonder if a better architect could’ve designed a top twenty course. I’ve played all three. 

PD 10 WS 10 BH 7]

Other reviews:

Arcadia Bluffs

https://golfingwithshawn.blogspot.com/2015/06/arcadia-bluffs-arcadia-michigan.html?m=1

Pete Dye’s Harbour Town

https://golfingwithshawn.blogspot.com/2015/02/harbour-town-golf-links-hilton-head-sc.html?m=1

Sand Valley - Sand Valley Golf Resort (Nekoosa, WI)

Mike Keiser found a sandy parcel of land in Wisconsin and hired his go-to design team of Coore n Crenshaw to design the first course at Sand Valley. Their course opened to rave reviews and was selected as best new course in 2017. 

This is my fourth C&C course. I’ve come to appreciate their ability to find a fun routing, and make interesting golf holes. Anyone who has played Dormie Club or Bandon Trails can attest to the classic features they put into their designs. 

(The 568/536 yard seventh has central bunkering that influences the decision on the second shot. The green is nicely tucked between traps.)

Sand Valley begins and starts with a high sand dune nicknamed “the volcano”.  The first and tenth holes tee off from it, nine plays to the base, and eighteen climbs up it. This one feature produced four holes. 

(The uphill eighth plays to a skyline green. It’s only 136/115 yards but the wind can’t be totally felt by the players so it’s a difficult club selection.) 

When we played here, there were fours greens on the front that were lost to the harsh winter. It skewed my ability to understand the holes and was a disappointing experience. I’m sure they’ll have course back to its impeccable shape.

(The view from the tee box on ten. 563/541...

...the green has some serious movement in it. Several good pin positions make getting birdie a difficult task.) 

Sand Valley has many uphill shots. That was one of the first things I noticed. It makes the course play longer that what the scorecard reads. There are many bunkers that eat into the fairway and while others are placed in the middle of it. One doesn’t always know where these hazards are located, and several times the players in my foursome found their ball in the sand after a well struck tee shot. 

(The uphill 405/387 eleventh has a false front and slope that funnels balls away on the right.)

Many people envision Sand Valley as a cross between Sand Hills and Pine Valley, hence the name. It definitely has some unusual characteristics that makes it play different than what most people are used to playing. The fescue is the first. I feel it plays like dormant Bermuda. The ball sits very tight to the ground, and needs to be struck perfectly.

(The 419/392 fifteenth plays uphill to a green backdropped by evergreens.) 

(The 236/215 yard seventeenth plays uphill to a punch bowl green. It’s hidden by the Himalaya mounds. While this is a throwback to classic architecture, I’m curious how modern golfers will view it.)

After playing Mammoth Dunes the day before, Sand Valley felt like a slog with too many uphill shots. The fairways seemed to shed balls towards the sand too. For a resort course with a superior setting, C&C could’ve came up with something less punitive and more enjoyable. It’s geared more towards better players. I give it a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play).

(The final hole plays uphill to a green fronted by a giant waste bunker. It is downwind so a chance to reach in two for the long hitters. Maybe the best hole at Sand Valley. 523/507)

Other Coore Crenshaw course reviews:

Dormie Club

https://golfingwithshawn.blogspot.com/2017/04/dormie-club-west-end-nc.html?m=1

Bandon Trails

http://golfingwithshawn.blogspot.com/2017/09/bandon-trails-bandon-dunes-resort.html?m=1

Sand Valley website:

http://www.sandvalleygolfresort.com/

For comments email:

golfingwithshawn64@yahoo.com

Mammoth Dunes - Sand Valley Resort (Nekoosa, WI)

How cool is this?!! My friends and I were at the official opening of the most anticipated new course for 2018.  Golf Channel’s Matt Ginella was there along with a host of eager golfers chomping at the bit to see DMK’s newest design. And boy does Mammoth Dunes deliver!!

David McClay Kidd went to this sandy site in Wisconsin with a new attitude and new philosophy. He decided “protect birdie” would be his motto, and he gives golfers every which way possible to get the ball on the green and have a shot at it. 

(The 405 yard second has a fairway over one hundred yards wide. The big central tree in pic is the deciding point...

...hit it left and have an approach over sand...

...or hit it right and have a good look at the pin. Note how open green is.  Even if one’s view is blocked (like pic 2) plenty of space beyond.)

Mammoth Dunes has incredible landforms and DMK uses them beautifully. His super wide fairways and big greens allow each player to attack any way they want. The greens have tiers, ridges, bowls, and slopes that allow for some excellent pin locations. DMK wants golfers to make pars. His new philosophy is meant to make birdies difficult. All this equals up to a lot of fun! 

(The boomerang green at the driveable sixth hole 338/308. This is view from far left side of fairway....

....this view shows how green wraps around prominent grass mound. Attacking straight on means carrying this feature otherwise the ball will bang off the slope and run through the green. As previous pic shows, playing wide and attacking leaves best angles. Discipline vs strength.) 

Mammoth Dunes is a continuous eighteen holes, so no return trip to clubhouse after nine. There are several long par fours, but after each one is a birdieable hole to get a lost stroke back, including two driveable par fours. The much talked about boomerang green sixth came from an unlikely source. Kidd got the idea after a visit to Alister Mackenzie’s course Crystal Downs. 

(The 318/297 yard fourteenth plays downhill with a deep trap directly in line with the green...

...a drive hit far enough will take the slope and run down towards the green.)

The course takes advantage of a V shaped sand ridge, and the holes play up n down, over, and across every part of it. 

(The 191/175 yard eighth looks like an island green the further right the tees are placed. Looking down, one realizes how special Mammoth Dunes is.) 

(My favorite hole is the spectacular 128 yard par three thirteenth.  It plays over a giant sand pit with a tree studded ridge back dropping the green...

...several great pin placements exist including this beauty where an overly aggressive shot will roll into the sand.)

(The 173 yard sixteenth is another beautiful hole. The pin is in a bowl behind the bunker. Yes my friend topped his ball into the trap.)

One of the more unusual features at Mammoth Dunes is it’s a par 73. 

(The 558/524 yard seventh plays up over a diagonal ridge that slaloms downhill to the landing area. This bunker stretches into the fairway where a good layup would be placed. Note the dark spot short of the green...

...the “basement bunker” should be avoided at all costs. The sign in front says it all!)

Mammoth Dunes is a great addition to Sand Valley Resort and easily eclipses the Coore-Crenshaw course. I suspect it’ll make an impressive debut when the new GD list comes out next year. I give it an 8 (excellent)(worth spending a weekend). 

(The 553/511 yard eighteenth is backdropped by the western bordertown clubhouse at Mammoth Dunes. It’s reachable in two but a large bunker extends down the left and fronts the green.)

http://www.sandvalleygolfresort.com/mammoth-dunes/

Other DMK course review

http://golfingwithshawn.blogspot.com/2017/09/bandon-dunes-bandon-or.html?m=1

Send any comments to:

golfingwithshawn64@yahoo.com