Straits Course at Whistling Straits
Pete Dye's Lake Michigan links and a 2021 Ryder Cup stage. 1998, par 72, walking only.
The questions golfers search
Short, sourced, dated blocks. Ratings, slope, par and yardages come from the USGA and the course’s published scorecard. Averages and score comparisons appear once golfers post rounds from the app.
Is Straits Course at Whistling Straits hard?
Yes. From the Black tees the course rating is 77.2 and the slope is 152. A slope of 113 is standard difficulty, so a higher number means the course plays harder for golfers who are not scratch. It is walkable, but it is a full day.
Can anyone play Straits Course at Whistling Straits?
Straits Course at Whistling Straits is a resort course, open to the public with a tee time and, at most, a resort stay. Kohler lists no rack rate for the Straits Course on its public rates page, so check current rates when you book. Published for the 2026 season: $90 per-person caddie fee (caddies recommended, not required), $100 per-person club rental, twilight 30% off rack; rates exclude Wisconsin sales tax and gratuity.
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Playing Straits Course at Whistling Straits
Whistling Straits stretches along two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, and Pete Dye built it in 1998 to look like a windswept Irish links dropped onto Wisconsin. He reshaped flat farmland into towering dunes and rugged, sandy chaos, then let sheep wander the grounds for effect. From the Black tees the Straits Course runs 7,790 yards, par 72, rating 77.2 with a slope of 152, one of the longest championship courses in the country.
The Straits has held three PGA Championships, in 2004, 2010, and 2015, and the 2021 Ryder Cup, where the United States routed Europe 19 to 9. It also hosted the 2007 U.S. Senior Open. The 2010 PGA turned on a bunker, when Dustin Johnson grounded his club in one of the countless sandy areas and took a penalty that cost him a playoff spot, a reminder that the whole property plays as a hazard.
Like Dye's other links, the Straits is walking only, with no carts allowed, and Kohler highly recommends a caddie though it does not require one. That makes 7,790 yards along an exposed shoreline a full day's work, so the wind off the lake is a constant opponent. Kohler's public rates page lists no rack rate for the Straits Course, so check current pricing when you book. It does list a $90 per-person caddie fee for the 2026 season.
Tees, ratings & hole-by-hole
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Black | 493 | 597 | 188 | 494 | 603 | 409 | 221 | 506 | 442 | 3953 | 391 | 645 | 163 | 402 | 396 | 503 | 568 | 249 | 520 | 3837 | 7790 |
| Blue | 405 | 533 | 180 | 451 | 563 | 378 | 205 | 470 | 412 | 3597 | 376 | 563 | 138 | 389 | 360 | 464 | 545 | 223 | 487 | 3545 | 7142 |
| Green | 370 | 521 | 166 | 414 | 543 | 360 | 185 | 429 | 384 | 3372 | 334 | 544 | 118 | 364 | 346 | 429 | 535 | 197 | 424 | 3291 | 6663 |
| White | 361 | 508 | 154 | 404 | 527 | 352 | 172 | 405 | 371 | 3254 | 320 | 519 | 99 | 336 | 332 | 402 | 513 | 165 | 420 | 3106 | 6360 |
| Red | 325 | 447 | 111 | 354 | 459 | 282 | 132 | 355 | 347 | 2812 | 304 | 479 | 89 | 319 | 271 | 367 | 412 | 131 | 380 | 2752 | 5564 |
| Handicap | 15 | 7 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 2 |
Straits Course scorecard. The USGA rates the Black tees 77.2 with a slope of 152 (par 72), and the Blue, Green, White and Red tees at 74.2/145, 71.9/141, 70.4/137 and 66.4/129.
Scorecard and tee ratings from the course’s published card and the USGA course rating database. How we compute these stats →
Contact, rates & amenities
Contact & booking
Course info
Course details change: fees go up, phone numbers move, hours shift with the season. If anything on this page looks wrong, tell us and we will check it.
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Straits Course at Whistling Straits FAQ
Is Whistling Straits walkable?
The Straits Course is walking only, and Kohler says golf carts are not allowed. Caddies are highly recommended but not required. At 7,790 yards from the Black tees along the open Lake Michigan shoreline, it is a long and often windy walk, so pace yourself.
Do you need a caddie at Whistling Straits?
No. Caddies are highly recommended on the Straits Course but not required. The course is walking only and carts are not allowed. The caddie fee is $90 per person, paid in the golf shop, and a $70 per-bag gratuity is suggested. Kohler asks walkers to carry a single-strap bag under 24 pounds.
How much does it cost to play the Straits Course at Whistling Straits?
Kohler doesn't publish a rack rate for the Straits Course on its public rates page, so check current pricing when you book (855-444-2838 or kohlerwisconsin.com). What it does publish for the 2026 season: a $90 per-person caddie fee, a suggested $70 per-bag caddie gratuity, and $100 per person for rental clubs. Twilight rates are 30% off rack starting 4.5 hours before sunset, and super twilight is 45% off starting 2.5 hours before sunset. Rates exclude Wisconsin sales tax and gratuity.
What championships has Whistling Straits hosted?
The Straits Course has held three PGA Championships, won by Vijay Singh in 2004, Martin Kaymer in 2010, and Jason Day in 2015. It also staged the 2007 U.S. Senior Open and the 2021 Ryder Cup, where the United States beat Europe 19 to 9, one of the most lopsided results in the event's modern history. It is one of Pete Dye's most decorated venues.
Who designed Whistling Straits?
Pete Dye designed the Straits Course, which opened in 1998 for Herb Kohler's Destination Kohler resort. Dye transformed flat lakeside farmland into a rolling, dune-covered links in the Irish mold, complete with deep, sandy hazards scattered across the property. The Straits shares its site with the Irish Course, a second Dye layout, and stages Kohler's biggest championships, walking only by design from the day it opened.