Michigan Golf Journal September 2019

Wisconsin Road Trip By Tom Lang Wisconsin Road Trip A visit to the eastern region Erin Hills 12 th hole A recent trip to Wisconsin showed the variety of options golfers could try if they decided to head west for a spell. From PGA Tour sites, to beautiful landscapes resembling northern Michigan, four courses I tried gave me a nice first impression of the Badger State. Erin Hills: Scenic. Stunning. Serene. Erin Hills – just west of Milwaukee – is all that and more. The home of the 2017 U.S. Open was the first stop on my brief Wisconsin tour this summer. Not too smart to begin a golfing expedition on the hardest course of four stops, but despite earning a bad score, everyone had a great time – and I think most golfers will too. How can one not be thrilled golfing on the rolling plains of mid- Wisconsin, in an area the initial Irish settlers felt was just like home – and which looks more like an artist’s painting when the setting sun makes the golden heather glint? Developed on land once used for cattle grazing – the landscape has too many hills and valleys for farming – Erin Hills was pure delight; despite the fact it is a challenging track to handle – as attested by five USGA Championships scheduled between 2008 and 2025 (the latter the U.S. Women’s Open). Besides the sometimes- aggressive rolling topography, the other main feature of Erin Hills is its bunkering. While it’s clear the bunkers were cut and shaped by man, many look more like natural erosion was the designer. Case in point, as TV pundits pointed out before the U.S. Open two years ago, many ‘dribble down’ points in some bunkers could leave a ball confined Continues on next page >>