Playing Erin Hills next month.

[Wi-Golfer]

Site of the 2011 U.S. Amateur & they will most likely get a future US Open also. Have a 9:12 tee time for July 6th, figure right after the holiday with folks headed home should be a good time. $115 for 18 holes & that includes the cart but not sure I want one. Have been excited to play this course ever since it opened up.

I like this statement from their website "Erin Hills is not for everyone. As a daily member, we will ask you to share in the responsibility for making Erin Hills something unique for the golfing world. If you are looking for a pristine, manicured golf course…a carpeted modern clubhouse…house lined fairways…then Erin Hills is simply not for you. Erin Hills is a natural, challenging, rough and rugged link-style golfing experience.

We share with you a WARNING…and ask you to proceed with caution…Erin Hills is a most challenging golf course…extremely challenging. The key to enjoying Erin Hills is to…”Play the Proper Tees”."

Erin Hills Golf Course – Erin, Wisconsin

 

[SplooGe]

Gotta love that statement, wish more courses would put that forth. Good luck and I'm looking forward to a report, and pictures.

 

[zaphod]

Very very kool----they have redesigned the course You're tee time must be fairly close to the reopening!!!! They have taken out a couple blind tee shots on starting holes and put in a massive devils pit of a sand trap in.

pics will be required!!!!!!!!!

 

[warbirdlover]

For a minute I thought he was talking about Glen Erin but then the light went on...

 

[MustGoFast]

very nice course.... I hope to get out there again sometime.

 

[Wi-Golfer]

Very very kool----they have redesigned the course You're tee time must be fairly close to the reopening!!!! They have taken out a couple blind tee shots on starting holes and put in a massive devils pit of a sand trap in.

pics will be required!!!!!!!!!

It's reopening July 1st & for that 1st week it's $115 otherwise it's $160 to play. Will have lot's of pics.

 

[eclark53520]

For a minute I thought he was talking about Glen Erin but then the light went on...

You can bet i will be getting a few practice rounds in over there!

Should be lots of fun WG! Looking forward to those pictures!

 

[Wi-Golfer]

Come on and play Jerry, you are retired now & getting a decent severance package. Blow a little & let's have some fun on a tough course.

 

[Wi-Golfer]

Well after having to cancel last weeks tee time as a result of being needed at work, I have a 9:30 tee time for this wed. Actually a bit nervous at playing this course which is odd because I haven't gotten nervous over any other courses. Maybe the hype over how tough & long the course plays is psyching me out? maybe I should throw up on the 1st tee box?

 

[MIKE1218]

Well after having to cancel last weeks tee time as a result of being needed at work, I have a 9:30 tee time for this wed. Actually a bit nervous at playing this course which is odd because I haven't gotten nervous over any other courses. Maybe the hype over how tough & long the course plays is psyching me out? maybe I should throw up on the 1st tee box?

Never felt like that, myself. More of the let's play!!! type. Might've though, if I had had to pay for my round at Blackwolf. Compliments of my mother's company.

I might have to play Erin Hills next summer some time. Looking forward to your pics.

 

[ejdahl21]

Hey W-G
Is your tee time for tomorrow? What time. Maybe meet at the 19th hole.

 

[Wi-Golfer]

9:48 tomorrow morning. Don't know if I will be walking or riding though, will wait until I get there to decide. leaning towards walking right now.

 

[ejdahl21]

Greg
check your pm
give me a call
Eric

 

[Wi-Golfer]

Just saw your pm Eric, will give you a call this morning.

 

[Wi-Golfer]

Shit, got so wrapped up in getting ready & then playing I totally spaced out on calling you Eric, i'm sorry.

This course is brutal, there is no water & relatively few tree's but there is a ton of sand, elevation changes, blind approach shots, etc. I have a number of pics I will post up later. It's not a pretty course as most links courses aren't, it's all about the golf here & that's it.

They are still working on the course getting it ready for the 2011 US Amateur so there is still a lot of bare dirt, ground under repair, etc. They made the course even longer than it used to be & supposedly are 1 signature away from getting the 2017 US Open.

5 sets of tee boxes, With the shortest playing at 5631 yds & the longest are super nasty "Back Blacks" which stretch out 8348 yds!!! I played from the greens which used to be something like 6300 yds & I never looked at the card until my rd was over. They currently play at 6838 yds with a slope rating of 72.8/132. This is the longest course I have ever played & it showed as I simply don't have the game for 430-450 yd par 4's. I was just laying up, hitting the greens in 3 & hoping for a 1 putt. Longest hole was the 18th & from my tee's it was 620 yds....I was happy with a bogey on it.

Had a 47 front & a 44 on the back for a 91, not great but considering it was my 1st time there & the longest course I have ever played I am happy. Hit 10 out of 14 fairways but only had 1 GIR...I sucked on the par 3's & didn't hit a single one.

Played the front with a slooooooooowwwwwww threesome, the ranger was watching us & twice pulled the 3 of them aside & told them to speed the hell up as we were already at the 2.5 hr mark on the 8th hole & it's supposed to take 2 hrs 20 min top for 9. The ranger & I spoke for a bit & he told me to go ahead by myself as it was obvious these guys were slowing me down....I was more than happy to do just that & played the back 9 in 75 minutes.

2 things about this course, brutal winds are always there & the greens are fast! I have never played greens this quick before, I was told they were running a 10-11 stimp today but they could make them faster. I can see why the pro's have issues with fast greens now, you could be 20-30' away from the hole & barely tap the ball & it would go zooming past the hole. Chipping from the backside onto a green that ran away from you was scary, only option was try & land it on the apron & let it dribble towards the hole. I enjoyed the hell out of the greens & would choose fast over slow any day of the week.

Now the wind, on the front it wasn't too bad bu on the back it reaaly picked up. 15th tee is elevated & a slight dogleg left. You need just over 200 yds to hit the fairway but the wind is blowing in your face at 25-30 mph & that's no bullshit. I didn't think I could drive the ball into that wind & hit the fairway. barely made it with about 6" to spare.

The bathrooms on the course as well as the building at the turn are all built of stone & similar in appearance to the old courses in Ireland & Scotland. The clubhouse has a similar appearance. They have caddies or forecaddies if you want. The driving range balls are all ProV1's & NXT Tours. Kinda weird having a huge basket of ProV1's right next to you....had to be 300-400 balls in each of those baskets.

Anyhoo this has been a long post but if any of you get the chance to play here, do so. It won't knock your socks off visually but the quality of golf & the entire golfing experience would be hard to be beat anywhere else.