Whistling Straits or Erin Hills? Only have time to play one or the other...

[CallawayLefty]

In Chicago next week with one free day to play and a free rental car and gas.

 

Here are my thoughts:

 

Whistling - pros: rated in top 25 in world, looks great in pictures, future PGA site/cons: hella expensive, worried about administrating a drive through Chicago and Milwaukee to get there

 

Erin - pros: future US Open site, looked awesome for the amateur last year, cheaper than Whistling, easier to get to than Whistling/cons: not rated as high as Whistling and looks less "sexy"

 

I'm leaning toward Erin at the moment. I don't live overly far from the area by the way, so a return trip to one or either is likely at some point in the future.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

Whistling Straits (Straits Course) without a hesitation of a doubt. I have played both (WS many times) I have always said, if I had one round of golf left of all the courses I have played, it would be on The Straits course.

I could write 3 paragraphs telling you why, but unless you want all the reasons, trust me on it. Sure enough someone will come right behind me and say Erin Hills. But if I only had one, for me it's The Straits Course.

[CallawayLefty]

[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' timestamp='1344521610' post='5436496']
Whistling Straits (Straits Course) without a hesitation of a doubt. I have played both (WS many times) I have always said, if I had one round of golf left of all the courses I have played, it would be on The Straits course.

I could write 3 paragraphs telling you why, but unless you want all the reasons, trust me on it. Sure enough someone will come right behind me and say Erin Hills. But if I only had one, for me it's The Straits Course.
[/quote]

Man, pretty strong opinion. Duly noted. Any thoughts on the drive from Chicago by chance?

[dozer996]

[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1344522001' post='5436530']
[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' timestamp='1344521610' post='5436496']
Whistling Straits (Straits Course) without a hesitation of a doubt. I have played both (WS many times) I have always said, if I had one round of golf left of all the courses I have played, it would be on The Straits course.

I could write 3 paragraphs telling you why, but unless you want all the reasons, trust me on it. Sure enough someone will come right behind me and say Erin Hills. But if I only had one, for me it's The Straits Course.
[/quote]

Man, pretty strong opinion. Duly noted. Any thoughts on the drive from Chicago by chance?
[/quote]

Get up early and make the drive brotha. You won't be disappointed.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1344522001' post='5436530']
[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' timestamp='1344521610' post='5436496']
Whistling Straits (Straits Course) without a hesitation of a doubt. I have played both (WS many times) I have always said, if I had one round of golf left of all the courses I have played, it would be on The Straits course.

I could write 3 paragraphs telling you why, but unless you want all the reasons, trust me on it. Sure enough someone will come right behind me and say Erin Hills. But if I only had one, for me it's The Straits Course.
[/quote]

Man, pretty strong opinion. Duly noted. Any thoughts on the drive from Chicago by chance?
[/quote]
Well I can only tell you this. When I go I stay in downtown Milwaukee (business) I drove to Chicago one night to get a Gino's Pizza (it was about 1:45 minute drive if I remember correctly). From Downtown Milwaukee to Kohler was just over an hour.

So I'm guessing 3 hours from Chicago, give or take a few minutes either way. So if that fits into your schedule, then I'd certainly go for it. Erin Hills would probably be an hour less or so. It's about 30 minutes west/northwest of downtown Milwaukee.

Whistling Straits has great faciliteis, range, putting green, clubhouse, bar, restaurant. I always try and make sure I have a couple hours either side of my tee time to enjoy it fully.

[CallawayLefty]

[quote name='dozer996' timestamp='1344522263' post='5436566']
[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1344522001' post='5436530']
[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' timestamp='1344521610' post='5436496']
Whistling Straits (Straits Course) without a hesitation of a doubt. I have played both (WS many times) I have always said, if I had one round of golf left of all the courses I have played, it would be on The Straits course.

I could write 3 paragraphs telling you why, but unless you want all the reasons, trust me on it. Sure enough someone will come right behind me and say Erin Hills. But if I only had one, for me it's The Straits Course.
[/quote]

Man, pretty strong opinion. Duly noted. Any thoughts on the drive from Chicago by chance?
[/quote]

Get up early and make the drive brotha. You won't be disappointed.
[/quote]

Fair enough. Checking availability right now. What tees did you play by the way - looks like we're in the same handicap range. My gut says move up at least one box, but my heart says take it all the way to the back so that I can see what it's like to play it like the pros...My guess is under 85 would be a really good score.

[CallawayLefty]

[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' timestamp='1344522461' post='5436584']
Well I can only tell you this. When I go I stay in downtown Milwaukee (business) I drove to Chicago one night to get a Gino's Pizza (it was about 1:45 minute drive if I remember correctly). From Downtown Milwaukee to Kohler was just over an hour.

So I'm guessing 3 hours from Chicago, give or take a few minutes either way. So if that fits into your schedule, then I'd certainly go for it. Erin Hills would probably be an hour less or so. It's about 30 minutes west/northwest of downtown Milwaukee.

Whistling Straits has great faciliteis, range, putting green, clubhouse, bar, restaurant. I always try and make sure I have a couple hours either side of my tee time to enjoy it fully.
[/quote]

Ha - how was the Gino's by the way? That's also on the list for this trip!

[tnord]

i've seen you play out of bunkers - go to Erin Hills.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

I've played the Green and the White, depending on who I was with. I'm about a 18 HC now. The first time I went the caddie was with me on the range while I warmed up. He suggested the Whites and I played it fairly easily from there (I'm thinking it's about 6350 or something from there) The last couple times, I've played the Greens and did OK. My game is such that I'm going to shoot 95 to 102 regardless if I play the reds or blacks...really.

I'll leave it to you and your caddie to determine what's best for you, depending on your HC. The back back tees, which I think played at 7500 or something for the PGA are just ridicoulus. I think it's hole 8, you can't even see the fairway from the Tips (I know this becuase our caddy took us back there just to see) it's like 125 yards or something from the green tees.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1344522628' post='5436608']
[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' timestamp='1344522461' post='5436584']
Well I can only tell you this. When I go I stay in downtown Milwaukee (business) I drove to Chicago one night to get a Gino's Pizza (it was about 1:45 minute drive if I remember correctly). From Downtown Milwaukee to Kohler was just over an hour.

So I'm guessing 3 hours from Chicago, give or take a few minutes either way. So if that fits into your schedule, then I'd certainly go for it. Erin Hills would probably be an hour less or so. It's about 30 minutes west/northwest of downtown Milwaukee.

Whistling Straits has great faciliteis, range, putting green, clubhouse, bar, restaurant. I always try and make sure I have a couple hours either side of my tee time to enjoy it fully.
[/quote]

Ha - how was the Gino's by the way? That's also on the list for this trip!
[/quote]
LOL!! It was Awesome!! That's great it should be on your list. Make sure you go to Gino's East (the orignal) not the newer one. I hadn't been there in proably 20 years and was with someone who thinks Pappa Johns is good pizza!! I had to show him what real pizza is!

[dgrelecki]

100% Straits Course. It's unlike anything you can play anywhere in the midwest. (Maybe Arcadia from vistas standpoint)

Get up early, make the drive, enjoy the facilities, and have fun!

[CallawayLefty]

[quote name='tnord' timestamp='1344522849' post='5436630']
i've seen you play out of bunkers - go to Erin Hills.
[/quote]

BS - I'm deadly with the Utley technique and you know it!!!!

[CallawayLefty]

[quote name='dgrelecki' timestamp='1344523188' post='5436680']
100% Straits Course. It's unlike anything you can play anywhere in the midwest. (Maybe Arcadia from vistas standpoint)

Get up early, make the drive, enjoy the facilities, and have fun!
[/quote]

Pretty overwhelming vote here.

[CallawayLefty]

Booked. 9:30 on Tuesday. Guess I'm leaving Chicago at 4:30. But, hell, I get up for work at 5:00, so I sure as heck can get up for golf at 4:30!

[Carolina Golfer 2]

[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1344524059' post='5436778']
Booked. 9:30 on Tuesday. Guess I'm leaving Chicago at 4:30. But, hell, I get up for work at 5:00, so I sure as heck can get up for golf at 4:30!
[/quote]
That's awesome make sure and let us know how it goes. There are a couple small hotels on the outskirts of Kohler, I think a Comfort Inn or such. Depending on their rate it might be worth the $$$ to stay there the night before, just to avoid the drive and get a good night sleep. I know you'll have a room in Chicago, but you might be able to priceline something there for a really low rate. Just an option.

For the record, there is one day a year I get up at 3;30 am for a tee time of 6:00 am in a 54 hole tournament. My fiance thinks it's insane to get up that early for golf. So getting up at 4:00 for Whistling Straits...no brainer!!

[tnord]

[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1344523441' post='5436698']
[quote name='tnord' timestamp='1344522849' post='5436630']
i've seen you play out of bunkers - go to Erin Hills.
[/quote]

BS - I'm deadly with the Utley technique and you know it!!!!
[/quote]

yeah yeah.....i have to give you a hard time since you're a full stroke and a half better than me now.

[CallawayLefty]

[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' timestamp='1344524673' post='5436856']
[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1344524059' post='5436778']
Booked. 9:30 on Tuesday. Guess I'm leaving Chicago at 4:30. But, hell, I get up for work at 5:00, so I sure as heck can get up for golf at 4:30!
[/quote]
That's awesome make sure and let us know how it goes. There are a couple small hotels on the outskirts of Kohler, I think a Comfort Inn or such. Depending on their rate it might be worth the $$$ to stay there the night before, just to avoid the drive and get a good night sleep. I know you'll have a room in Chicago, but you might be able to priceline something there for a really low rate. Just an option.

For the record, there is one day a year I get up at 3;30 am for a tee time of 6:00 am in a 54 hole tournament. My fiance thinks it's insane to get up that early for golf. So getting up at 4:00 for Whistling Straits...no brainer!!
[/quote]

Thanks man. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to be a road warrior that day. Leaving out first thing in the a.m. and have to be back to Chicago before rush hour really gets going. Probably eat pizza then, and then hit the road later that night to head back south a couple hours. Hey, it beats sitting at my desk!!!!!!

Really excited...do you know if you get personal caddies there, or do they double up? Don't really care, just curious.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1344526090' post='5437044']
[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' timestamp='1344524673' post='5436856']
[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1344524059' post='5436778']
Booked. 9:30 on Tuesday. Guess I'm leaving Chicago at 4:30. But, hell, I get up for work at 5:00, so I sure as heck can get up for golf at 4:30!
[/quote]
That's awesome make sure and let us know how it goes. There are a couple small hotels on the outskirts of Kohler, I think a Comfort Inn or such. Depending on their rate it might be worth the $$$ to stay there the night before, just to avoid the drive and get a good night sleep. I know you'll have a room in Chicago, but you might be able to priceline something there for a really low rate. Just an option.

For the record, there is one day a year I get up at 3;30 am for a tee time of 6:00 am in a 54 hole tournament. My fiance thinks it's insane to get up that early for golf. So getting up at 4:00 for Whistling Straits...no brainer!!
[/quote]

Thanks man. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to be a road warrior that day. Leaving out first thing in the a.m. and have to be back to Chicago before rush hour really gets going. Probably eat pizza then, and then hit the road later that night to head back south a couple hours. Hey, it beats sitting at my desk!!!!!!

Really excited...do you know if you get personal caddies there, or do they double up? Don't really care, just curious.
[/quote]
The normal caddie fee is for a shared caddie. However, I have had a single caddie most of my trips. Mostly due to my host is a member and prefers it that way and he pays. The times I've been by myself, I was the 3rd member of a twosome, so by default I got a solo caddie.

having a single caddie is obviously the preferred way, but if both players are keeping the ball in play, the caddies are excellent at you really not noticiing your sharing.

[Colby327]

A little late to this thread, but you made the right choice going with Whistling. I've played both (Erin Hills just last month), and Whistling is a far better all around experience.

Yeah its costs more, but IMO the round will be more memorable. The views of lake Michigan can't be beat. Plus its really not much further of a drive.

Have fun!

[mflores]

Great Choice - I recently played both courses (Erin and Straits + River) on back to back weekends and while Erin is a great course the Straits is bucket list.

Call ahead and ask for Donald Ross as your caddy. He's a pro caddy (works Sawgrass in the winters) and is the best caddy I've had. Tell him Marco and D Clinton recommended him.

The drive ain't bad - took 2:15 from western burbs on a Friday morning during rush hour. Milwaukee was the slow down.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

[quote name='mflores' timestamp='1344539168' post='5438460']
Great Choice - I recently played both courses (Erin and Straits + River) on back to back weekends and while Erin is a great course the Straits is bucket list.

Call ahead and ask for Donald Ross as your caddy. He's a pro caddy (works Sawgrass in the winters) and is the best caddy I've had. Tell him Marco and D Clinton recommended him.

The drive ain't bad - took 2:15 from western burbs on a Friday morning during rush hour. Milwaukee was the slow down.
[/quote]
Thanks for clarifying the drive time. My 1:45 or so from Milwaukee to Chicago was hitting Chicago around rush hour and being unsure of where I was headed.

I don't think Lefty will have too much traffic leaving Chicago at 4:30 AM

[jdhallissey]

No it will take him about 2 hours to get to Whistling if he is driving like most of us do. If you have room for one more let me know I might be able to swing it. Also I live 1 min of the tollway on the way up lol. Erin hills is a dog track compared to whistling FYI.

[bcc69]

I played the Straits course last week. The views are absolutely stunning. After consulting with the caddie and the starter, I decided to play the green tees. I am currently a 3 index and the green tees were plenty challenging while enjoyable. I had Mike as my caddie, and he was awesome. He really help me shoot my 76 that day. Have a great time!!

[CallawayLefty]

Thanks guys for all the input. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm leaving at 5:00 on Tuesday morning. Tee time is at 9:30. Hopefully gives me plenty of time to get there and mess around for a while. I think I'm going to play the blues. We'll see how it goes.

JD - I think I joined a 3 some or otherwise I'd be down to be joined by another wrx'er.

[jdhallissey]

No worries!!! Take pictures and take your time. The caddies make the round personally. They are a blast!

[pquarta1]

Man, people are hating on Erin Hills here. I just don't get it. For the cost differential (260 versus 400+), I'd take Erin Hills. I love it there, and it's in perfect condition. Whisting Straits is amazing, no doubt. I just think Erin Hills is a better golf course. If you are an 18 HCP, don't go back beyong the green tees. In fact, the caddies won't let you, and you'll thank them about 4 holes in.

Anyhow, you will love it. If you have all day, walk on the Irish course for a replay rate (about 100, I think). The Irish course is a GREAT track, especially the back 9.

The amenities are fantastic up at Whistling. Have fun!

[SPY ZINGER]

Hey lefty post some pics and relate your experience...I'm making the trip next summer.

[CallawayLefty]

Well, here goes nothing...

First, sorry all, no pics to be shared. My cell phone was on the fritz today.

Now on to the meat of this deal. Played the blues - approximately 7,200 yards of badness. Posted a gentleman's 89. Although to be fair, I had probably my worst putting day of the entire summer, which is really saying something given the extremely hot and cold (think glacier cold) streaks I have had this summer. I'm thinking I was up around 40. Honestly, I'm too tired and peeved off about it to even count. It was atrocious. 5 lip outs on the front 9 (43) and ~5 more on the back (46). 4 three putts I believe. Best was #11 playing 615 yards. Hit driver/3 wood into the rough pin high. Chip catches the fringe and sticks. Lip out from 18 feet to 3.5 feet by, then lip out the comeback putt. Always nice to cover 615 yards in 2 strokes and take 4 to get it in the cup from 15 yards. But I digress. I actually hit the ball okay, and I liked playing the tees I did. It allowed me to hit a lot of drivers, as opposed to the greens, which clearly would have been a 4-iron fest off of the tee. Things just get too snug when you move up.

Now on to the course...What can you say? The course is really something. It's probably the most severe and over the top place I have ever played. There are hundreds of bunkers. The hills are very severe. It leads to you feeling claustrophobic and nervous even when there is no need to be. It takes you couple of holes to figure that out though. Several holes also play tricks on your eyes. Gremlin's Ear (#6 I think has two big mounds on the left and right of the fairway, respectively. I thought the one on the right was about 290 (it was) and that the one on the left was probably 350. I am usually a damn eagle eye on the course. I can tell you how far everything is without even thinking about it. So trusting that, I hit a nice driver toward the left side to avoid the right side mound/bunker. My ball gracefully sailed over the left mounds into all kinds of trouble. I could not for the life of me understand how it happened - I mean, those things are 350, right? Wrong - they were a good 40 yards short of the mound on the left! About 100 yards off the tee it became very apparent how visually tricky that hole was. And that's just one example - lots of visual trickery in addition to the intimidation factor of all those bunkers/weeds/water/cliffs/etc. Having now played both Harbour Town and Whistling, I can say that Pete Dye is clearly a master of putting bad stuff exactly where balls go. Every fairway bends at exactly the right point where you have to be very strategic, and usually aggressive, if you want a good result.

Conditions: It was 80* and sunny today, and the views were amazing. The wind was very calm, other than when I really needed it to be (17 comes to mind - 225 with a 1.5 club wind into the face and the pin 20 feet from a cliff). It was in pretty good shape, and it was definitely a memorable round.

Highlights: hit approach on 1 to 10 feet, hit a few really good tee shots, hit some really nice recovery wedges after having to hack out of crap, putting it pin high on 11, hit a gorgeous hybrid on 17 to 20 feet (again playing 240 with not much landing area to look at).

Lowlights - lip out on 1, double lip out on 11, lip out on 17. 6 other lip outs. Lots of 3 putts. And you know what really makes me mad? The greens were only rolling about 10, and they are relatively flat as compared to many other courses I have played. There was no reason other than brain-deadness for putting that bad.

I would have been thrilled with an 80, and I certainly hit it well enough to do it. Hate that the flatstick let me down. By the way, I know sometimes it's fun to go play the tips at big name courses, but I would not suggest it here. I was comfortable from the blues, but it was definitely a long course and they squeeze it out of you at all the right (wrong) times. The blacks were routinely 30+ yards behind the blues. The guys I played with played the whites, and there were a good handful of times where the blues were 100 yards back from the whites and I would look back and see the blacks 40 yards behind the blues. Just plain dirty - I suspect as a 3 cap I would have been lucky even with a normal putting day to keep it under 90 from back there. As noted above, I just barely accomplished that feet from 500 or 600 less yards.

Enjoy guys! This one is definitely a must play in my opinion.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

Well hell...if we knew from the start you were Bubba Long...we wouldn't have bothered saying..."consider the greens or whites, it's a tough course" LOL!! 615 yards in two...Man that's sick. I know that hole two, with those huge craters short and left it's all carry to that green...My hats off to you.

The thing that comes to mind reading your post...no matter our skill level scratch, 3 or 18 HC. A bad putting day is really frustrating. For me a bad putting day causes me to shoot 100, a great putting day and I'm most likely going to break 90...unless my tee ball has been off the planet.

The oher thing that came to mind is a buddy of mine actually met Pete Dye once at one of his courses and got to talk to him. Pete told him "I desribe my courses as VD..".Visually Disturbing" That's right on the mark.

Glad you had enjoyed the scenes, did your caddie give you any grief initially about going back to the Blues or had he seen enough on the range to know you could handle it?

[CallawayLefty]

[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' timestamp='1345146217' post='5484182']
Well hell...if we knew from the start you were Bubba Long...we wouldn't have bothered saying..."consider the greens or whites, it's a tough course" LOL!! 615 yards in two...Man that's sick. I know that hole two, with those huge craters short and left it's all carry to that green...My hats off to you.

The thing that comes to mind reading your post...no matter our skill level scratch, 3 or 18 HC. A bad putting day is really frustrating. For me a bad putting day causes me to shoot 100, a great putting day and I'm most likely going to break 90...unless my tee ball has been off the planet.

The oher thing that came to mind is a buddy of mine actually met Pete Dye once at one of his courses and got to talk to him. Pete told him "I desribe my courses as VD..".Visually Disturbing" That's right on the mark.

Glad you had enjoyed the scenes, did your caddie give you any grief initially about going back to the Blues or had he seen enough on the range to know you could handle it?
[/quote]

Yeah, I'm still ticked off about the putting. I was practicing putting in my hotel room today thinking about how to get the ship righted before a tournament on Monday. "Visually disturbing" is more than accurate. Every hole out there is a panic attack in a bottle. My caddie gave me absolutely zero grief about the blues. He actually hadn't been with me at the range, but I think I'm young enough that they took me at my word. Plus the guys I was playing with were playing the whites, so for all they cared I could have played the blacks if I wasn't going to be with them. I don't know what the stated yardage of the greens is, but the whites seemed really short. If you're in doubt, I'd tend toward the greens. I usually walk off of courses like that and say "I could have gone one more set of tees back and it wouldn't have affected me." Not the case here. Those black tees are nightmare inducing. I would like to play them sometime just to see what it's like to play a course that long.

Anyway, I just finished telling my dad all about it, so it's fresh in my head. Again, this one is a must play for everyone who wants to play the world's greatest.