The Best Way to Experience Kohler

First-time visitors to Kohler, Wisconsin, might consider four courses all created by the same designer to be redundant. They’ll likely know to play the Straits course at Whistling Straits—a résumé that includes three PGA Championships, a U.S. Senior Open, and the Ryder Cup makes that decision an easy one—but they might look at the other three courses and think, what’s the point?

To balance their time on the Straits, maybe they’ll pick one of the two layouts at Blackwolf Run just to experience the resort’s other golf destination. Or maybe they’ll simply draw a name from a hat. But the chances that first-time visitors commit to four rounds of golf on courses all designed by the same architect might be slim, especially if they were to assume that the majority of those courses look, feel, and play similarly.

Simply put, that’s a mistake. More directly, you don’t want to be the person who makes it.

Built over the span of a dozen years, the four layouts that Dye created at Kohler—all of them championship-caliber—are boldly defined and wonderfully different from each other. “To have four championship courses designed by Pete Dye is really a feather in the resort’s cap,” says Dirk Willis, Kohler’s VP of golf. “We’re the only resort in the world that can say that. But even more, the courses each have their own character and introduce their own unique challenges. Golfing guests who choose to play all four courses will soon discover that each time they step on the first tee, they’ll not only be presented with a distinct landscape, but with distinct requirements that ask players to execute shots in specific ways.”

To help golfers make the most of their time at the resort and to encourage them to see and experience all that Kohler, Wisconsin can offer, the resort has created the Experience Kohler Package, a five-night stay that is aptly described as “the ultimate golf trip.”  With tee times at each of the resort’s courses—including complimentary replay rounds on the Meadow Valleys, Irish and The Baths courses, the latter of which is a dynamic short course inspired by Golden Age architectural features—the package ensures that avid players and enthusiasts get a taste of each of Dye’s courses.

The Experience Kohler Package also includes a 30-minute golf lesson, which could greatly influence the outcome of at least one of your rounds. You could shore up your sand game, for example, which will put you in good stead out on the Straits where hundreds of bunkers await. If you struggle in the wind, you’ll definitely want to learn how to flight different shots, as the days can get blustery not just along Lake Michigan but on the more exposed stretches of the Meadow Valleys course, too. Or you could make strides on strengthening your ability to shape shots in both directions—a skill that will definitely come in handy on the River course. The point is, the package’s golf lesson and unlimited use of the practice facilities is certain to come in handy.

Away from the course—and the practice facilities—the Experience Kohler Package includes daily access to River Wildlife, the resort’s 500-acre wilderness preserve, as well as an 80-minute treatment at Kohler Waters Spa and discounted rates for additional services. That means that guests who come mostly for Kohler’s manicured turf can also maximize the restorative powers of the resort’s mineral-rich waters. The spa’s hydrotherapy circuit, for example, includes a whirlpool soak, a brief dip in the cold plunge pool, and a longer stay in the steam room or sauna. When repeated a handful of times, the circuit can reduce muscle tension, relieve pain, rehabilitate injured muscles, relieve stress, and boost the immune system. Elsewhere on the spa’s menu, the CBD Massage is the most popular treatment for golfers. “If they’ve been on the golf course all day and have tired muscles or are just feeling fatigued,” says Ashley Kohler, the resort’s director of wellness, “that’s a go-to experience.”