Destination Kohler adding new par-3 course, The Baths of Blackwolf Run, in Wisconsin
Count Destination Kohler in Wisconsin as the latest top resort with plans to add what promises to be a fun par-3 course.
The resort – host of this year’s Ryder Cup in September at Whistling Straits – plans to build The Baths of Blackwolf Run, a 10-hole course near the resort’s Meadow Valleys layout. The Baths also will include a 2-acre putting course, food and beverage service, and special event capability. The Baths course is scheduled to open in June in Kohler.
It’s all part of a trend in which golf resorts add fun amenities aside from their traditional 18-hole layouts.
The par-3 layout is being constructed on 27 acres between the first and 11th holes of Meadow Valleys and will feature holes between 60 and 160 yards long across the glacier-carved terrain of Blackwolf Run.
A rendering of the par-3 course at The Baths of Blackwolf Run at Destination Kohler in Wisconsin, host resort of the 2021 Ryder Cup (Courtesy of Destination Kohler)
The new course is named The Baths because of four water features, but players won’t face a forced carry unless they want to. The course can also be played as a three-hole, six-hole or 12-hole experience, the resort said.
Chris Lutzke, a Pete Dye protégé, is designing The Baths course. Lutzke has spent two years preparing the resort’s Whistling Straits course, built by Dye and opened in 1988, to host the Ryder Cup.
A map of the par-3 course at The Baths of Blackwolf Run at Destination Kohler in Wisconsin, host resort of the 2021 Ryder Cup (Courtesy of Destination Kohler)
“As a global leader in golf and prominent member of the Wisconsin golf community, it is our responsibility to support the growth of the game,” Dirk Willis, vice president of golf for Kohler Co., said in a media release announcing the new amenities. “The Baths of Blackwolf Run is focused on fun. The par-3 course, putting course and stone food and beverage terrace with firepit overlooking the north Bath are designed for playing, learning, hanging out and refreshing in The Baths after a game.”
Herb Kohler, executive chairman of Kohler Co. and founder of the resort, served as co-designer of The Baths, the resort said.
A rendering of the par-3 course at The Baths of Blackwolf Run at Destination Kohler in Wisconsin, host resort of the 2021 Ryder Cup (Courtesy of Destination Kohler)
“The par-3 and putting courses will provide a dynamic experience for our international guests and local community,” Kohler said in the media release. “It is important for these courses to aid in our continuing efforts to grow the game by creating opportunities for players of all skill levels. The Baths will do it with the Kohler touch to create a unique experience.”
Destination Kohler is home to four highly ranked 18-hole layouts. There are two courses at Blackwolf Run, the River and Meadow Valleys, not far from the resort’s campus and main hotel, the American Club. The Whistling Straits and Irish courses are several miles away on the shores of Lake Michigan. Each of the four courses is ranked in the top 10 on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access layouts in Wisconsin.
List
Golfweek's Best 2020: Best Courses You Can Play, state by state
