Whistling Straits

Whistling Straits is a golf course in Mosel, Wisconsin, that stretches over two miles along the Lake Michigan coastline, with 18 holes in links style and more than a thousand bunkers. The facility consists of several courses, with the Straits Course located directly on the water and featuring elevation changes up to 80 feet (about 24 meters).

The site served as a military airfield called Camp Haven starting in 1959 and was prepared in the 1970s for construction of a nuclear power plant that never materialized. The Kohler Company later acquired the land and transformed it into a golf facility that opened in 1998.

The grounds feature Irish landscape elements, including Scottish Blackface sheep that roam freely across the fairways, and traditional stone bridges spanning the terrain. These sheep graze between the playing holes and reinforce the impression of a rugged coastal setting while keeping the grass trimmed naturally.

Players walk the entire round on foot, as golf carts are not permitted, and must account for strong winds off the lake that affect ball flight. The rolling terrain and open layout require stamina and an adjusted shot strategy throughout the round.

Hiroshi Iwata played a round of 63 strokes during the second round of the 2015 PGA Championship, setting the course record. This performance remains notable because it was achieved during a major tournament under difficult conditions.