Kohler, Wis.—The PGA Championship returns to Whistling Straits for the third time since 2004 and the final major of the 2015 golf season showcases the handiwork of legendary architect Pete Dye and the devilish layout he created for owner Herb Kohler on the banks of Lake Michigan—about 7 miles north of Sheboygan.
Whistling Straits is testament to Dye’s incredible talents in shaping a former U.S. Army anti-aircraft training facility called Camp Haven. The camp was present for approximately nine years during the 1950s. Before that it was pancake-flat farmland. The 560-acres was literally brought to life by Dye and consists of two-18-hole courses—The Straits and The Irish. The PGA Championship will once again be played on The Straits, which opened in July 1998 will play to a maximum yardage of 7,514 and to a par of 72.
Dye created a faux links for both layouts, with The Straits having numerous bunkers that defy total count. The layout weaves its way in an out and back circle for both the outward and inward nines. Eight holes of The Straits course hug Lake Michigan with 2 miles of uninterrupted shoreline and views from all 18 holes. In addition to the plethora of bunkers, The Straits includes various man-made dunes varying in size and location. The course has no trees of consequence and winds can easily sweep through the property at varying velocities.
Throughout his long and storied career, Dye is one of the few architects able to get into the heads of world class touring golf professionals. Dye has successfully crafted holes manifesting sheer terror for any player with the slightest of hesitation in execution. The Straits can be set up in any manner by PGA Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh. In years past, Haigh has smartly balanced sheer difficulty in concert with sensible scoring probabilities. Driving the ball for both length and accuracy will be a major point of emphasis.
