Destination Kohler: A Fabulous Resort for Golf & Enjoying Life!

The Pinnacle of the 7-week, 17-state, 6,000-mile 2015 East Coast Golf Journey was witnessing the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. The Peak of the Pinnacle was being invited back to stay at The American Club and play the Straits Course only four days after Jason Day’s first Major triumph over the best golfers in the world.

Destination Kohler: Four challenging golf courses—The Straits and The Irish on the shores of Lake Michigan at Whistling Straits and The River and the The Meadow Valleys at Blackwolf Run; The American Club—recipient of both AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Stars Awards and of course, the Kohler Water Spa.

Diamonds and Stars, Birdies and Pars and Bogeys and more… I did go left on that dramatic 249-yard par-3 17th hole on the Straits! Until you are down there on the shores of Lake Michigan you really don’t realize how much elevation is a hazard in the game of golf. Or confronted with the subtle challenges of the short 346-yard par-4 14th hole on The River. Intimidating, strategically challenging, yet beautiful, is all the golf at Destination Kohler.

This is Dye Country, all four scorecards have the picture of Pete Dye with a quote about the course. For The Straits, Pete has said “I should say with some degree of modesty. In my lifetime I’ve never seen anything like this. Any place. Period.” They are all excellent tests of golf. This time I played The River and The Straits, next time, hopefully, The Meadows Valleys and The Irish.

CLICK here for a Video Interview with Dirk Willis, Director of Golf at Destination Kohler

If you want to know about the golf, the golf history and Herb Kohler, the ‘artistic genius’ behind this golfing destination for amateur and professional golfers alike, the person to speak with is Director of Golf Dirk Willis. I had so many questions and he had so much to say that I edited it all down to three videos—the above one I refer to as Dirk & Herb and two others about championship golf at Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits, both with dramatic insight on the impact of both the women and men’s professional game.

For Dirk, golf at Kohler has been an adult lifelong journey, first coming here during his collegiate golf days and returning to work there in the mid 1990s just as the professional championships were appearing on the horizon—1998 US Women’s Open (Se Ri Pak)—1995-1997 Anderson World Golf Championships (Mark McCumber, Greg Norman & Ernie Els)—2004 PGA Champiosnhip (Vijay Singh)—2010 PGA Championship (Martin Kaymer)—2012 US Women’s Open (Na Yeon Choi)—2015 PGA Championship (Jason Day).

CLICK here for a Video Interview with Dirk Willis, Championship Moments at Whistling Straits

His recollections and connections such as the class act of Nancy Lopez and the inspirational link between Se Ri Pak and Na Yeon Choi come out in these video interviews. I was surprised when Dirk said that The River Course is the hardest of the four golf courses at Destination Kohler. Plus when your boss is Herb Kohler there is more to share form the first moment you met him to his ongoing relationship with the man that is as much an artist as he is a business man. And don’t forget about the upcoming 2020 Ryder Cup on The Straits at Destination Kohler.

CLICK here for a Video Interview with Dirk Willis, Championship Moments at Blackwolf Run

While the golf courses, the playing of golf and the golf championships are all superb at Destination Kohler that only begins to tell the story of my “stay & play” experience! The accommodations, service, cuisine and friendships made are Diamonds, Stars and all Aces as far as my experience was concerned. I did make it over to The Horse & The Plow, a casual historic tavern in the basement of The American Club during tournament week for a beer and some cheese curls. It was fitting that was where I ended up with my last toast to Herb Kohler and all the Champions of Kohler after playing The Straits and The River and enjoying the hospitality that is unequaled anywhere else.

Destination Kohler is an American success story and a visit there will undoubtedly be a lifetime experience for you as it was for me. I never took so many baths and showers and so will you. The Spa Tub and Shower are all the latest Kohler technology. It was quite an experience to shower and bathe like never before. While my performance on the golf course was somewhat spotty, the comfort of staying at The American Club is a continuous highlight!

There is inspiration to be easily found at Destination Kohler. The immigrant story of John Michael Kohler who first came to America in 1854 at age 10. Purchasing a Sheboygan foundry he expanded into plumbing products. After John Michael died, the business was sold to his sons and reorganized in 1901. Herbert V. Kohler Sr. was with the company for 54 years and was president and ran it for 25 years. His son, Herbert V. Kohler Jr., Herb Kohler to us, ran the private company, which now has 32,000 employees, since 1972  until turning over the reins to his son David. Many, many other family members, executives and workers have contributed to the success of Kohler since it began in 1873.

Perhaps the inspiration of Destination Kohler in its entirety can be found in the inscription on the fireplace mantle in the Lincoln Room at The American Club—”Let us have the faith that right makes might and in that faith, let us to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”—Abraham Lincoln. The quote and his speech in New York City was the turning point in his successful presidential campaign of 1860.

The end for Destination Kohler, Herb Kohler and Kohler-hosted golf championships is no where in sight—there is the 2020 Ryder  Cup and beyond,—and it is all waiting there for you to visit.

Destination Kohler: A Fabulous Resort for Golf & Enjoying Life!

 

 

 

 

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