Erin Hills Golf Review – Erin, Wisconsin

Erin Hills is a relatively new golf course in Erin Wisconsin that’s been getting a lot of press, most notably for its length (the Back Black tees measure in at 8,266 yards… for real.) In addition, it won “Best New Course of the Year” in 2007 from Golf Magazine, and has been awarded the 2011 US Amateur. Considering it was only a couple hours from our house, it was a definite must-play.

On a side note, we stayed at the Delafield Hotel in Delafield, WI the night before, and ate there at Andrew’s Restaurant. We loved the hotel and the restaurant, and are happy to suggest them to anyone visiting the area. I’ve posted pictures of the (huge) room, Andrew’s Restaurant, and the meals.

When we played, the course had yet to fully grow in so you may see patches of grass/straw on some of the bunker borders, and along the rough. The tees, fairway and greens were in great shape, especially the greens, which may have been a 12 or so on the Stimpmeter; very, very fast. We received a discount of about 40% because of this, which was more than generous in my opinion.

I played the Green Tees, which measure 6,838 yards which is plenty long. Believe it or not, even at that length the longest of the four par 3’s only measured 172. Because of that the Blues were an option for me (7,258), but the Greens may have been a stretch for the other two gentleman we played with, so Greens for sure. (Plus, I didn’t want to hit hybrid and 4-5 iron approach shots all day either.)

The opening hole is a 575 yard par 5, which bends to the left. It’s OB up the left side the entire length of the hole, so center and right center is a safe tee shot. The bunker on the right is reachable, but not to difficult to avoid.

The second is a very short par 4 (314 yards) which is a definite birdie hole, if you know how to play it. Aim to have your tee shot land left of the mound of bunkers; there’s more room than you think on this blind tee shot. It is uphill, so don’t be scared of the driver.

Your approach should look something like this, and you should have a wedge in your hand so go for it!

There are a couple permanent on-course restrooms, and they are well-placed and clean. This one is just off the third tee.

The third is a straight-forward par 4 from an elevated tee. I pulled it just a little, but still cleared the bunkers on the left (from the Greens), so if the big stick is working, go for it. Your approach could be relatively short making this another potential birdie hole. Take advantage of it now!

The tee shot on four is crucial; there’s a lot of sand waiting to eat any wavering drive. The best landing area is right of the bunker that’s in the middle of the fairway.

You’ll notice some very interestingly-shaped bunkers at Erin Hills. One of my favorites is in front of the fourth green. Here’s a shot from the green looking back.

The seventh is the second par-5 on the front, measuring 568 yards. From the tee there’s a lot of room to play so rip it.

I love the location of the greenside bunkers on this hole, if you have the chops to go for it in two. This picture is best viewed large, but you can still see some very deep bunkers on the left and a couple smaller ones directly in the center of the fairway near the green.

The eighth is a tough hole, period. It’s the #1 handicap hole for a reason. It’s worth your time (if you’re keeping pace) to drive your cart to the top of the hill, and see where the green is. The best choice for a tee shot should hug (or go over) the bush on the left. With an uphill tee shot, I’d choose hug.

If well-struck you should roll down a hill leaving you with a very steep, uphill approach.

I turned this into a par-5, and hit fairway wood/iron/wedge to the green. It’s not a bad play, trust me.

Nine is a very well-bunkered, downhill par 3, with the halfway house to the right.

The tenth is a 597 yard par 5; bam! It’s also uphill with a blind tee shot. Time to dig in folks. There is a white pole that you can see from the tee box. I hit my ball a bit left of it and was in the fairway.

As is the pattern at Erin Hills, bunkers abound. In front of the green there are plenty, with some interesting shapes and depth. The approach should be a bit right to avoid these.

Finally, the 10th green may be the longest green I’ve ever seen in my life. I should have walked it off, but I have no doubt that it’s 40 yards long, and maybe 50+. Pin position could dramatically change the length of this already difficult par 5.

The eleventh is a breather hole and a possible birdie, measuring only 310 from the Green tees. A good drive will guarantee an approach of 100 yards or less, but keep in mind that the approach is uphill. There’s room behind the green if you’re a bit long too.

The twelfth hole is like the second in the sense that there’s an uphill, blind tee shot and a downhill approach. It differs in the sense that the twelfth is 388 yards long, compared to 314 for the second. I would suggest staying a bit right on the tee shot, giving you a chance to see your approach (which may possibly be blind as well, if you pull it like I did.) Here’s what it looks like from the top of the hill:

The thirteenth is a 170 yard par 3, and the easiest hole on the course. What I remember is that it gave me what I consider one of the best images of the entire golf course. Note the turtle sunning itself in the image below.

Holes fourteen through sixteen may be the best three hole stretch in Wisconsin (and yes, I’ve played all four courses at Kohler.) The fourteenth is a short par 5 (469), but what it lacks in length it gains in difficulty. Again, the bunkering (especially directly in front of the green) is amazing.

In addition, this is one of the toughest greens on the course. I ended up short/right, and hit what I thought was a great chip. Unfortunately I just missed getting the ball to the correct level, and it ended right where it started.

Standing on the fifteenth tee you can see a large percentage of Erin Hills, so I decided to break out the video camera and take a quick video. It begins looking down at the fourteenth green, then seeing the fifteenth hole, and circling around again.

Fifteen is only 338, but the approach is straight uphill so the hole plays longer. Here’s a shot from the tee; note the elevation of the green on the left.

Also, as expected, there are plenty of bunkers on the hole including this beauty that’s waiting to swallow your approach if you hit it a bit long and right (spoken from experience.)

The final hole in this wonderful three-hole stretch is the 163 yard par-3 sixteenth. I like the lone tree on the right, and the superb bunkering surrounding the green. It’s not the length that causes mental errors here; it’s the bunkers.

The final hole is a 620-yard, uphill par 5. What a finish! There are well-placed bunkers for your tee shot and second, but the real trouble starts around the green. First, let me share a picture I took from the top of the right rough which shows the 18th flag, clubhouse, cart barn, and in the distance, the spires of the Basilica of Holy Hill. What a view. The Basilica really adds to the experience; you’ll see.

Back to the approach. In front of the green there’s a collection of significant bunkers (common theme.) Consider yourself warned; better up the right than left.

We thoroughly enjoyed our round at Erin Hills. Although out of the way for sure, it is definitely worth the drive. I suggest staying the night before at the Delafield if you can.

This course is going to get a lot of press in the coming years, so make sure you make an effort to play it. You won’t be sorry.

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