By:
Corey Roberson, Director of Golf
Photography courtesy of
Destination Kohler®, Erin Hills and The Club at Lac La Belle
After the pandemic stalled our 2020 Wisconsin Golf Trip plans, we were able to reschedule for this August and the trip booked in record time. It’s no wonder. We will have the opportunity to play six of the Top 100 golf courses, including Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run along the shores of Lake Michigan, Erin Hills with its unique topography and the historic Lac La Belle. Needless to say, this trip is all about great golf. It will be a long week as most of these courses are walking only, but we’ll have caddies to lighten the load. Here’s a look at the itinerary.
On August 1, we fly early into Milwaukee and make the one-hour drive to the Destination Kohler® luxury golf resort, home of the legendary Whistling Straits®. If travel time is in our favor, we are scheduled to warm-up at The Baths of Blackwolf Run®. This 27-acre, 10-hole course with four water features was designed by Chris Lutzke and Herb Kohler. Later in the afternoon, we play The River, also at Blackwolf Run. This challenging yet beautiful course borders the Sheboygan River and offers rolling greens with water features and gorges. After a full day of travel and golf, we will overnight at the Inn on Woodlake on the resort property. This classic inn sits on the banks of the Wood Lake and includes winding trails and its own beach. And it would not be complete without the signature KOHLER® shower experience!
Tuesday morning begins at the Irish of Whistling Straits®. Just inland from Lake Michigan, four meandering streams cross through grassland and dunes to form 18 interesting holes and a truly beautiful course to play. After lunch, we head to The Straits®. This course is the crown jewel of the four as it’s hosted three PGA Championships, one Senior Open Championship and most recently, the Ryder Cup. The Straits course is defined by the open, rugged and windswept terrain, sculpted along two miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline. If you recall watching the Ryder Cup this year, the wind can blow and there is plenty of trouble to be found. This evening includes dinner at the club and a second night at the Inn on Woodlake.
On Wednesday, we drive to Erin Hills, approximately 70 miles from Whistling Straits. Erin Hills is a very unique golf course as it was specifically designed to host the 2017 U.S. Open that Brooks Koepka won in commanding fashion. Architects adopted a minimalist approach in designing Erin Hills, as nature had sculpted the land so well that the holes seemed to emerge from the property. The golf course is routed over the Kettle Moraine areas left by glaciers, surrounded by wetlands and a river, with ground that consists of sand and small rock. After a long day of golf on a championship course, a little night putting will be pretty fun. The Drumlin, Erin Hill’s most recent addition, is a 63,000-square-foot horseshoe-shaped putting course. The 18-hole putting layout is bisected by a central ridge that gives it a feel of front and back nines. On this night, we will dine and stay locally.
For our final day, we play the historic course at Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc. Founded in 1896, one of the oldest courses in Wisconsin, Lac La Belle recently reopened after a significant renovation that cleared parts of the landscape while respecting the original layout.
After playing six of the top courses in the U.S., we head home. Through The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch Signature Vacations, we have curated a trip with the same level of accommodations and attention that our members expect while living on the Ranch or traveling with us on a variety of exclusive and well-appointed trips. Our vacation packages are scheduled year-round and designed to appeal to the many interests of Club members. Stay tuned for more experiences through the Clubs.
Corey Roberson is the Director of Golf at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. He can be reached at croberson@cordilleraranch.com and 830.336.4653.
