
Scheduled to open in June of 2021, The Baths will feature a 10-hole par 3 course, two-acre putting course, food and beverage service, and special event capability
By Brian Weis
KOHLER, Wis. - Destination Kohler, a leading golf destination and home to four Pete Dye courses now introduces "The Baths of Blackwolf Run".
Scheduled to open in June of 2021, The Baths will feature a 10-hole par 3 course, two-acre putting course, food and beverage service, and special event capability. This addition to the KOHLER Golf portfolio complements the resort's championship courses with an experience designed for guests of all skill levels. The name pays homage to Kohler Co.'s 128-year history of bathing design excellence and is a great way to tone your game.
On 27 acres between the first and 11th holes of the Meadow Valleys course at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisconsin, the par 3 course will feature holes ranging from 60 to 160 yards. The stunning landscape will welcome guests to the glacier-carved terrain of Blackwolf Run. Four strategic water features or "Baths" on the course have no forced carries over water, unless desired. The playability and challenge make The Baths ideal for groups, couples, and corporate events, while still offering a memorable test for skilled golfers. Although it will typically play as a 10-hole course, an imaginative routing will also allow for the creation of three-, six- or 12-hole experiences.
Flexibility is a central component of the putting course as well. Spread across two acres, it can be played as an 18- or 27-hole routing.
Chris Lutzke - a 20-year veteran of golf course design and Pete Dye protégé - is the project's architect. Lutzke spent over 30-years working alongside Dye constructing many of his courses including Whistling Straits where he has spent the past two years preparing the golf course for the 2020 Ryder Cup, now being played in 2021.
Kohler Co. Executive Chairman Herb Kohler, with over 200 design patents, served as co-designer and helped bring the course to life by calling upon his many years playing the game's great courses in the U.S. and Europe. Kohler was recently elected into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame for bringing Wisconsin to the top in world golf.
"The par 3 and putting courses will provide a dynamic experience for our international guests and local community," said Herb Kohler. "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."
"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," said Dirk Willis, Vice President of Golf for Kohler Co. "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. While the primary routing of The Baths will be 10 holes, Chris Lutzke and Herb Kohler have developed a figure-eight routing that gives our team the flexibility to create loops of six, 10 or even 12 holes. The expansion to 12 is possible because there are two additional par-3 holes hidden within the boomerang shape of the putting course. It is a truly innovative design."
KOHLER Golf ushered in a new era for Wisconsin golf when it hosted the 1998 and 2012 U.S. Women's Open at Blackwolf Run, along with the 2004, 2010 and 2015 PGA Championships at Whistling Straits. The Straits Course is now gearing up to host golf's preeminent international competition, the Ryder Cup. In September 2021, Whistling Straits will be the first public venue to host the biennial matches since 1991. It follows Paris and precedes Rome.
Destination Kohler's century-old American Club is the Midwest's only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond resort hotel. The boutique Inn on Woodlake nearby, recently launched new 2-and 4-bedroom suites that are well-appointed for group and buddy travel.
To book, please call 855-444-2838. Groups of 12 or more are invited to ask about Ultimate Buddy Trip options. Favorites include Ryder Cup-inspired tournaments and pairing parties, special happy hours, 19th hole celebrations, team shirts, locker room name plates, and logoed tee gifts.
More Information »
Revised: 07/20/2020 - Article Viewed 14,224 Times
- View Course Profile
About: Brian Weis
Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.
As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.
Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.
In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.
On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.
Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.
Contact Brian Weis:
GolfTrips.com - Publisher and Golf Traveler
262-255-7600