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The Quest to Play the Top 100 Public Golf Courses in the United States
Golfest 2012 - Whistling Straits is underway with golfers from four different states headed to Wisconsin on Sunday, May 20th to play at the famed Kohler Resort. Stay tuned right here for daily updates and photos. You can also check us out on Facebook & Twitter.
(Updated 5/14/12) ... One of the interesting dynamics of going on a Golfest trip is that we play some of the toughest courses in the nation. Most achieved their Top 100 rating status not only for their outstanding beauty, but also for the overall challenge and toughness that it dishes up to the average and/or professional golfer. Golfest 2012-Whistling Straits will be no exception. This trip is unique in the fact that we are only playing 54-holes on three courses -- far below our usual 126-hole (plus) golf blitzes. Of those three courses, two of them, the Straits Course, where they play the PGA Championship, and Blackwolf Run, where they are playing this years U.S. Womens Open, are among the hardest courses in the country. The Straits rates as the 6th toughest and Blackwolf comes in a stout 32nd according to Golf Digest. So while the Golfest premise is to have a fun golf vacation, it also has the ability to humble even the best golfers!
For those of you at home taking notes, here are some other interesting facts about Whistling Straits and the 
Kohler Resort in Wisconsin.
FACT #1: Not that records are kept in this department, but the Straits Course has 967 bunkers littered throughout the 18-hole Pete Dye designed layout. That's right 967, or an average of 54 bunkers per hole. Man, that is almost too hard to comprehend, until you look at some of the photographs. Mr. Dye's attempt to duplicate the roughness of links golf in the United Kingdom and Ireland apparently accomplished its goal according to most golf puriest! The 8th hole has the most at 102 bunkers. And just in case you steered clear of the sand on the 17th previous holes, there are only 96 to negotiate around on the way to the clubhouse on number 18.
FACT #2: Despite having almost 1000 bunkers, the grounds crews only typically rake about 100 of them on any given day. They let the wind and mother nature do the rest. For those of you with a measuring tape, the bunkers range in size from a Kohler bathtub to a 300-yard monstrosity on the fifth hole. Depending on your perspective on the course, these hazards create the big three of golf death -- doubt, uncertainy, and fear. If it is any consolation, while many of the bunkers appear intimidating from the tee box, many just provide a back drop for each hole. What in the heck does that mean? It means if you hit 'em straight, you can avoid many of them. (note to self ... hit ball straight!)
FACT #3: You can take a breather on the 12th and 14th holes. There are ONLY 18 bunkers on each of those holes.
FACT #4: The Kohler Resort & the American Club is rated as the third best golf resort in the United States behind Bandon Dunes (Golfest 2005), and Pebble Beach (Golfest 2003, 2004, and 2009 fly-by). The Resort is the prized joy of Herb Kohler, the plumbing giant and has won many five-star awards. There are a lot of things to do in the area!
FACT #5: The Irish course was built in 2000 and is deemed the tougher of the two Whistling Straits courses (REALLY ... based on what you just read ... is that even possible?) If you were playing the back tees at 7201 yards, it has a downright scary 75.6/146 slope rating. We will take a picture of those tees from our white tees! No matter where you play from, golfers have to avoid trouble best described as forced carries, gnarly rough, ponds, streams, ravines and waste bunkers.
FACT #6: If you thought the 75.6/146 slope rating at the Irish course was severe, the Blackwolf Run course pretty much knocks that one out of the park. Try on a 74.9 course rating with a slope rating of 151. Ouch!
FACT #7: One of the attractions at the Village of Kohler is the Kohler Design Center. Apparently about 150,000 people a year invade the city of Haven, Wisconsin to tour what amounts to be a gigantic 36,000 square foot bathroom, tub and toilet museum. And admission is FREE! Or ... you can also go GIlligan on us with a three-hour tour of the Kohler factory. If you were ever curious to know how they manufactured that porcelein device you sit on everyday, this is the place you want to visit!
FACT #8: The only way to play the Straits course is walking with a caddy. We will be doing the same and it should be a blast. Speaking of "blasts," I need to go practice some bunker shots!
NOTE: Daily updates on Golfest 2012-Whistling Straits, which takes place on May 20-24th, will be posted on this site, Facebook (Golfest) and on our Twitter Feed. Stay tuned!
(Updated 5/3/12 - 9:16 p.m.) ... Our famous annual golf adventure best known as "Golfest" will be taking our traveling group of golf aficionados to the state of Wisconsin in 2012. Excuse me sir ..., but I could have sworn you said ... uh ... Wisconsin? Yes, in fact, we did! To those bandwagon jumping weekend Tiger Woods fans that don't know much about their premier golf destinations, Wisconsin might seem a little out of the ordinary. However, up near the shores of Lake Michigan, just outside of Sheybogen is the Kohler Resort, and it's home of three of the top golf courses in the nation. If the Kohler name sounds familiar, chances are you sit on or wash your hands in one of their products every day. Besides their plumbing fixtures, the Kohler Resort area features the best answer to Pebble's on-site three course trifecta with the Whistling Straits Course, the Whistling Straits Irish Course, and Blackwolf Run Golf Course. According to our official GolfestOnline.com rankings, they are the 5th, 36th & 11th ranked golf courses in the United States, and all are within 10-miles of each other. And yes, once again, they are located in Wisconsin, about a 60-mile drive from Milwaukee.
Among the Golfestians making this trip are Indiana's Jim Dee; Bob Potts of Utah; Nevada residents Craig Decker and Willie McClinton, and Golden Staters Jim Allen, Jeffrey Adkins, Todd Baltzley, Mike Barbone, Pat Calahan, John Lundgren, and Mike Rittner. Each golfer will be receiving three Pro Celebrity golf shirts, and two windshirts courtesy of our sponsors Future ... (MORE Mulligans & Gimme's) ...
TEAM CALIFORNIA CLAIMS 2012 GOLFEST CUP
Defeats TEAM USA by a 15-9 Margin
For the full story ... CLICK HERE!
Dude ... I'm so depressed!!!. After seven-years of what I thought was a blissful marriage, I think my wife is having an affair. Worse yet, I think she is fooling around with the Club Pro, because she is spending way too much time at the course taking lessons, some that last well into the evening. Heck, my golf course doesn't even have a lighted driving range.
I needed to find out if it was true, so the other day when she departed for her alleged lessons, I performed a little Navy Seal reconnaissance. I dug out my old 140X military binoculars, camoflagued up, and hid in the shrubbery scross from the practice range. After laying low for about a half hour, my binoc's zoomed in on my wife Layla bouncing out of the pro shop wearing her super short golf shorts and a halter top - and get this -- holding hands with Matthew, our club's Golf Professional. They set up on the range and judging from Layla's body language, something bad was happening. By the way she was flipping her hair around and being all touchy-feely and flirtatious, my biggest fear was coming true - she had to be cheating on me. My head was pounding. My chest was tightening up. I was crushed!
It got even worse when she lined up a shot. Matthew stood directly behind her, pressing his body up against hers as she bent her knees, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He might call this a golf lesson, but Layla treatd it as foreplay. I was shocked! I was getting ready to drop my binoculars and go kick some golf pro ass when I caught a glimpse of Matt's new white TaylorMade SuperFast 2.0 9.0 degree TP Driver leaning against his bag. WOW! Sleek lines, high performance 65-gram Matrix Ozik HD 6 shaft, toe-weighted for a neutral fade-bias. Man, that baby is SAHWEEEEET! My question to you is ... is it true that I can get an extra 10-yards off the tee box with this new technology? Signed TaylorMade Fan!
Dear TMF Dude,
I think you should go ask Matt for some professional club advice - maybe over dinner with him and your wife. Then head down to a psychologist about your ADD issue. ... MM ...
Mulligan Man,
My smoking hot girlfriend Tiffany and I took advantage of some slow play last Saturday at the Eagle Glen Golf Course and had sex while waiting to hit our approach shots on the eighth hole. When we finally made it to the green, Tiffany slid the flag off the flagstick and stuck it in her golf bag. When I asked what she was doing, she said it's a golf tradition that if you have sex on the golf course, you earn the right to keep the flag on the hole played. Is that true? Signed ... Golf Purist!
Dear GP,
Although you will not find it in the Official Rules of Golf, that tradition is absolutely true. However, you might want to be concerned by the fact that your hottie knew all about it in the first place. My second concern is ... you had sex in the time you were waiting to play your approach shot??? Are you kidding me? Either play was really slow, or your play was extremely fast! ... MM ... ... (MORE) ...
