Course: Whistling Straits Golf Club (Straits Course)
Location: Haven, Wisconsin
Architect: Pete Dye
JNSE Adaptation: Jeff Kissel
Begun: June 2004
Completed: August 2004
Released: August 12, 2004

Whistling Straits' Straits course is one of Pete Dye's last course designs, and is considered his
legacy to the game.  It is situated on the shore of Lake Michigan, near a small town called Haven, 
Wisconsin, and is affiliated with The American Club, a five-star resort located several miles inland 
in the town of Kohler, Wisconsin -- home of fellow Top 100 course Blackwolf Run.  Dye designed 
all four courses affiliated with The American Club: Blackwolf Run's River and Meadows Valley 
courses, and the Irish and Straits courses at Whistling Straits.

The Straits course is intended to look like something one doesn't see in the United States.  While the 
Irish course at the same location twists and turns its way about brooks and brushes up against the
man-made sand dunes of the Straits course, you don't get much of a peek of Lake Michigan.  On the
Straits, the lake is right there -- all four of the course's par three holes (#3, #7, #12, & #17) directly 
overlook it, as do several other holes (#4, #8, #13, & #16).  Another distinguishing feature of the 
Straits course is the massive sand dunes the course is built on, which are allegedly completely man-
made.  The result of all this sand is an unbelievable number of bunkers and lots of fescue rough,
which, during the wetter months of the year, can grow long and gnarly.

I played this course back in July 2001, and when it was announced that the 2004 PGA Championship
was to be played here, I immediately began planning to design the course for use on the PwP tour.
I got started a bit later than I'd hoped, but still got the course done for the PGA.  The tournament was
a huge success, and I personally believe that this is the best course I've completed to date.