Wisconsin, I love you....

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By Speedy

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  • 14 Replies
  1. Speedy

    Speedy
    Newmarket, NH

    First, I hope all the Team Titleist members that were able to attend the invitational last week had a great time. I was following on social media and looks like a great time was had by all. Hope to see some pics and hear some stories…

    Last week I was lucky enough to join 3 other golf nuts (Higs, Tiger and Hotsauce) to play some golf in Wisconsin. And before I begin to tell you about my trip let me just say this would NOT have been possible if it wasn’t for the Team Titleist community. The 3 guys I played with are all from this wonderful community and met 2 of the 3 last year at Pinehurst. From there it’s been a great friendship so we decided to put together a bucket list golf trip. And a HUGE thanks to Tyler Higley for setting this up….

    Agenda: Packers/Bears game Thursday night, Friday tee it up at Erin Hills and Saturday, tee it up at Whistling Straits.

    Packers/Bears game. If you EVER get a chance to attend a Packers game at Lambeau field, YOU HAVE TO GO. Being from New England area and attended a few Pats game, the Packers experience BLOWS it away. Why? The pre-game, NEVER seen anything like it. There are no big parking lots like you see at Gillette. Lambeau is literally surrounded by house, little houses w/ some yard… Drove through the hood and find a house to park at. Pricing is 10-30 dollars, that’s it.. AND you get to tailgate right on their yard, no question asks. AMAZING. Fans are super friendly and just a really cool atmosphere to be a part of. And yeah, Lambeau field is pretty sweet. A great time!

    I’m not very good with giving course reviews so kept it short. I’ll save that for Hotsauce when he has a chance to write something up. He’s money with that stuff..

    Erin Hills and Whistling Straits exceeded my expectations and well worth the money to play them at least once. Both beautiful and amazing courses, I really enjoyed them a lot. I LOVED the layouts and I would have to pick the Whistling course as the most scenic just b/c of the lake. Every hole you play, you have an amazing view of the Lake, it was awesome. Conditions were top notched at both courses, but you would expect that with the price you paid. A caddie is a must at both courses. Some blind shots and reading the greens were not that easy so having that caddie helped big time. Erin Hills was VERY firm the day we played, not like the US Open where it was soft. Everything was running and the greens were so small.. And the pin placements were tough I thought.. Whistling Straits… One word; BUNKERS and A LOT of them.. Everywhere you looked there was a bunker. Some were not considered bunkers if they didn’t have a rake in them so we were allowed to ground the clubs but man bunkers EVERYWHERE. But man it was hard not to look around you and admire the beauty of Whistling Straits. Just amazing… Never seen anything like it….

    Weather was AMAZING the whole week mid to low 60s w/ some winds of course, just perfect golf weather.

    As for the company, Tyler, Tim and Josh are just down to earth guys. Just a great golf trip w/ some great people and can’t wait to do it again with them. If you ever get a chance to tee it up with them, do it. You’ll enjoy their company and some.

    Here are a few pics of the trip. If the images upload correctly, first 4 are Erin and last 4 are Straits.. Enjoy!

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  2. Rich T

    Rich T
    Shrewsbury, MA

    What a trip!! Nothing like a bucket list trip with a great group of friends.
  3. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    You didn't mention any of the great cheese options. You can do better coming back next when Sand Valley has 2 courses. ....Won't that make a great TT invitational location next September?
  4. Bomber3

    Bomber3
    Lake St Louis, MO

    Military
    Speedy,
    Glad you had a great time and the weather was perfect. Pics are great, but I guess a couple may not have loaded correctly.

    Barry
  5. Tim Tiger

    Tim Tiger
    Tucson, AZ

    Speedy,
    It truly was an Epic trip. Great friends and great courses.
    Erin Hills and Whistling Straits will not disappoint. Make sure and layer up and wear some comfortable FooyJoy shoes. The caddies we had were pretty good and had some great course knowledge.
    Thanks to Higs for showing us around the great state of Wisconsin.


    TT

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  6. Tim Tiger

    Tim Tiger
    Tucson, AZ

    Speedy, It was truly a pleasure to join you on the Wiscy adventure.
    Such beautiful courses that can test any level.
    Till the next time we all get together.

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  7. Tyler H

    Tyler H
    Appleton, WI

    It was great having you guys here the memories will last a lifetime. We should have looked into getting the event sponsored by New Glarus. Looking forward to figuring out where our next adventure will take us.

    Tyler
  8. greg p

    greg p
    Chicago 'burbs, IL

    Looks like a great time. Thanks for sharing.
    TT, that shot of you guys crossing the stone bridge is a poster shot. Awesome.
  9. Marc S

    Marc S
    El Paso, TX

    Military
    4 of the most popular and visible TT members out there. I followed both events with envy throughout the weekend. One of these days we need to have a Ryder Cup of some sort. West Coast VS. East Coast. Cheers boys. Thanks for sharing.
  10. As a Wisconsinite that has played both Whistling Straits (once) and Erin Hills (twice), I am glad to hear that you guys enjoyed them. They both are magnificent courses! If you guys ever return to Wisconsin or as a guide to anyone else, we have lots of other great public options. Sand Valley is on my list for the next year, but based on rumors, that will not disappoint either. Courses that I have played and HIGHLY recommend as well are University Ridge in Madison, The Bog in Saukville, and Sentryworld in Stevens Point. Sentryworld is the best Parkland style course I have ever played! On Wisconsin!
  11. Rick D

    Rick D
    Weston, WI

    I'm glad you enjoyed your time in our beautiful state. You timed the weather perfectly. Fall can be unpredictable here and it can be pretty nasty on the lakeshore. My first Lambeau experience was in 1968 and it never gets old. A cousin still has the family tickets for those seats and the third generation is going to some games.
  12. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    Wisconsin... what's in Wisconsin?


    This was the response all of my coworkers gave me when I told them where I was headed on PTO. Little do they know Wisconsin is a great place to eat, drink, hang out with the boys and obviously- golf. If you've never been to Wisconsin- GO!

    We hacked up Ridgeway first (Professor's track) before the game on Thursday. Ridgeway is a fun track in good shape with tricky greens and firm fairways. I enjoyed it thoroughly even though Higley cut my birdie on 18 with an epic eagle, and he and Tiger rolled us for a victory.

    Everything Speedy said about Lambeau is true. The tailgating, atmosphere, fan attitude-especially in the beer line- everything is unreal- a 10 out of 10. Lambeau felt more like a SEC or Big 10 game than the NFL (and that's a good thing). Higley's seats are amazing, and the tailgate set up was 1st class all the way.

    Erin Hills, in my humble opinion has the best logo in golf. I found it hard no to drop a paycheck in the pro shop. From the moment you turn onto the property you know you're in for something special. It's hard to describe the landscape. It's wide open, but it feels tight. There's a lot of blind shots and a lot of trust between player and caddy. It doesn't really look like Wisconsin, but it also doesn't feel artificial in any way. Bottom line- it just seems like an amazing golf course was meant to be there. The layout is challenging at every turn, and a little course knowledge goes a long way. I love that there was a good mix of long, short, straight, and doglegged holes. No two holes were the same, there isn’t a “right way” to play any hole and I distinctly remember all of them. Our caddy Ryan was the man, and I wish we could have brought him everywhere. He gave us some really great reads, including an unconventional read that Higley and I will remember for life. We finished our round with a round and some fried cheese curds by the fire pit. There's not many better 19th holes nationwide.

    The Straights course was no joke. I knew there was a lot of bunkers, but man... there's more than you think. Many of them come into play, but a lot of them are purely ornamental. I'm pretty sure there was a bunker in the parking lot and one in the bathroom too. I enjoyed the play at Erin Hills more, but the scenery is ridiculous at the Whistle. I think everyone took pictures of nearly every hole on the track. The lake, sunset, foliage, and yes- bunkers- really made for great photos. Again, a little course knowledge would have gone a long way. There wasn't a bunch of water and railroad ties, but the tricky greens and awkward looks were quintessentially Pete Dye. If you hit it in the wrong spot, there's inevitably something that will snare your ball and crush your score. We all found bunkers, and many of us found the tiny little outcroppings within those bunkers that gave the pros fits. Tiger hit the shot of the day here getting it up and down from a bunker on the "Deamon's Ear" that was no less than 12 feet deep. The Caddy said he'd never seen anyone make it out to the back right pin in the 3 seasons he was there. I think we said “wow this is a cool hole, where do we hit it?” about 18 times that round. The clubhouse is crazy, and makes you feel like you’re in the Irish countryside. There’s a beer made just for them, and everything is customized throughout the course and clubhouse. To top it all off, we had a bald eagle sighting on the 10th and 18th hole.

    We stopped at a brewery on the ride back from Kohler. I can’t remember the name, but I do remember my massive burger with bacon and a fired egg on a pretzel bun. Man… I wish I had another one right now! Other than the company, my favorite part about these courses is that they’re walking only. There’s no cart paths, no lines in the fairway, it’s just golf as it was meant to be. I really enjoyed my time in Wincy, and would love to make a return trip.

    To echo Speedy, a huge shout out has to go to the Professor. Mr. Higley could have a second career as a vacation planner. He did a phenomenal job of chauffeuring us around Cheese Head nation, figuring out the logistics, making sure Speedy had enough beef jerky, and ensuring Tiger and I had enough moon man/spotted cow for the day. Kudo's to you sir!

    I know most people don’t think of Wisconsin when they think golf destination, but they definitely should.
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  13. Tyler H

    Tyler H
    Appleton, WI

    Josh G said:

    Wisconsin... what's in Wisconsin?


    This was the response all of my coworkers gave me when I told them where I was headed on PTO. Little do they know Wisconsin is a great place to eat, drink, hang out with the boys and obviously- golf. If you've never been to Wisconsin- GO!

    We hacked up Ridgeway first (Professor's track) before the game on Thursday. Ridgeway is a fun track in good shape with tricky greens and firm fairways. I enjoyed it thoroughly even though Higley cut my birdie on 18 with an epic eagle, and he and Tiger rolled us for a victory.

    Everything Speedy said about Lambeau is true. The tailgating, atmosphere, fan attitude-especially in the beer line- everything is unreal- a 10 out of 10. Lambeau felt more like a SEC or Big 10 game than the NFL (and that's a good thing). Higley's seats are amazing, and the tailgate set up was 1st class all the way.

    Erin Hills, in my humble opinion has the best logo in golf. I found it hard no to drop a paycheck in the pro shop. From the moment you turn onto the property you know you're in for something special. It's hard to describe the landscape. It's wide open, but it feels tight. There's a lot of blind shots and a lot of trust between player and caddy. It doesn't really look like Wisconsin, but it also doesn't feel artificial in any way. Bottom line- it just seems like an amazing golf course was meant to be there. The layout is challenging at every turn, and a little course knowledge goes a long way. I love that there was a good mix of long, short, straight, and doglegged holes. No two holes were the same, there isn’t a “right way” to play any hole and I distinctly remember all of them. Our caddy Ryan was the man, and I wish we could have brought him everywhere. He gave us some really great reads, including an unconventional read that Higley and I will remember for life. We finished our round with a round and some fried cheese curds by the fire pit. There's not many better 19th holes nationwide.

    The Straights course was no joke. I knew there was a lot of bunkers, but man... there's more than you think. Many of them come into play, but a lot of them are purely ornamental. I'm pretty sure there was a bunker in the parking lot and one in the bathroom too. I enjoyed the play at Erin Hills more, but the scenery is ridiculous at the Whistle. I think everyone took pictures of nearly every hole on the track. The lake, sunset, foliage, and yes- bunkers- really made for great photos. Again, a little course knowledge would have gone a long way. There wasn't a bunch of water and railroad ties, but the tricky greens and awkward looks were quintessentially Pete Dye. If you hit it in the wrong spot, there's inevitably something that will snare your ball and crush your score. We all found bunkers, and many of us found the tiny little outcroppings within those bunkers that gave the pros fits. Tiger hit the shot of the day here getting it up and down from a bunker on the "Deamon's Ear" that was no less than 12 feet deep. The Caddy said he'd never seen anyone make it out to the back right pin in the 3 seasons he was there. I think we said “wow this is a cool hole, where do we hit it?” about 18 times that round. The clubhouse is crazy, and makes you feel like you’re in the Irish countryside. There’s a beer made just for them, and everything is customized throughout the course and clubhouse. To top it all off, we had a bald eagle sighting on the 10th and 18th hole.

    We stopped at a brewery on the ride back from Kohler. I can’t remember the name, but I do remember my massive burger with bacon and a fired egg on a pretzel bun. Man… I wish I had another one right now! Other than the company, my favorite part about these courses is that they’re walking only. There’s no cart paths, no lines in the fairway, it’s just golf as it was meant to be. I really enjoyed my time in Wincy, and would love to make a return trip.

    To echo Speedy, a huge shout out has to go to the Professor. Mr. Higley could have a second career as a vacation planner. He did a phenomenal job of chauffeuring us around Cheese Head nation, figuring out the logistics, making sure Speedy had enough beef jerky, and ensuring Tiger and I had enough moon man/spotted cow for the day. Kudo's to you sir!

    I know most people don’t think of Wisconsin when they think golf destination, but they definitely should.
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    Thanks for the kind words Josh. The pleasure was all mine. You are correct, that read Ryan gave us at Erin Hill's was crazy and I would never considered hitting it there. Looking forward to seeing where our next adventure takes us. I need to coordinate the shipment of Moon Man - thinking a pallet should probably be enough.

    TH

    TH
  14. Rich T

    Rich T
    Shrewsbury, MA

    Josh G said:

    Wisconsin... what's in Wisconsin?


    This was the response all of my coworkers gave me when I told them where I was headed on PTO. Little do they know Wisconsin is a great place to eat, drink, hang out with the boys and obviously- golf. If you've never been to Wisconsin- GO!

    We hacked up Ridgeway first (Professor's track) before the game on Thursday. Ridgeway is a fun track in good shape with tricky greens and firm fairways. I enjoyed it thoroughly even though Higley cut my birdie on 18 with an epic eagle, and he and Tiger rolled us for a victory.

    Everything Speedy said about Lambeau is true. The tailgating, atmosphere, fan attitude-especially in the beer line- everything is unreal- a 10 out of 10. Lambeau felt more like a SEC or Big 10 game than the NFL (and that's a good thing). Higley's seats are amazing, and the tailgate set up was 1st class all the way.

    Erin Hills, in my humble opinion has the best logo in golf. I found it hard no to drop a paycheck in the pro shop. From the moment you turn onto the property you know you're in for something special. It's hard to describe the landscape. It's wide open, but it feels tight. There's a lot of blind shots and a lot of trust between player and caddy. It doesn't really look like Wisconsin, but it also doesn't feel artificial in any way. Bottom line- it just seems like an amazing golf course was meant to be there. The layout is challenging at every turn, and a little course knowledge goes a long way. I love that there was a good mix of long, short, straight, and doglegged holes. No two holes were the same, there isn’t a “right way” to play any hole and I distinctly remember all of them. Our caddy Ryan was the man, and I wish we could have brought him everywhere. He gave us some really great reads, including an unconventional read that Higley and I will remember for life. We finished our round with a round and some fried cheese curds by the fire pit. There's not many better 19th holes nationwide.

    The Straights course was no joke. I knew there was a lot of bunkers, but man... there's more than you think. Many of them come into play, but a lot of them are purely ornamental. I'm pretty sure there was a bunker in the parking lot and one in the bathroom too. I enjoyed the play at Erin Hills more, but the scenery is ridiculous at the Whistle. I think everyone took pictures of nearly every hole on the track. The lake, sunset, foliage, and yes- bunkers- really made for great photos. Again, a little course knowledge would have gone a long way. There wasn't a bunch of water and railroad ties, but the tricky greens and awkward looks were quintessentially Pete Dye. If you hit it in the wrong spot, there's inevitably something that will snare your ball and crush your score. We all found bunkers, and many of us found the tiny little outcroppings within those bunkers that gave the pros fits. Tiger hit the shot of the day here getting it up and down from a bunker on the "Deamon's Ear" that was no less than 12 feet deep. The Caddy said he'd never seen anyone make it out to the back right pin in the 3 seasons he was there. I think we said “wow this is a cool hole, where do we hit it?” about 18 times that round. The clubhouse is crazy, and makes you feel like you’re in the Irish countryside. There’s a beer made just for them, and everything is customized throughout the course and clubhouse. To top it all off, we had a bald eagle sighting on the 10th and 18th hole.

    We stopped at a brewery on the ride back from Kohler. I can’t remember the name, but I do remember my massive burger with bacon and a fired egg on a pretzel bun. Man… I wish I had another one right now! Other than the company, my favorite part about these courses is that they’re walking only. There’s no cart paths, no lines in the fairway, it’s just golf as it was meant to be. I really enjoyed my time in Wincy, and would love to make a return trip.

    To echo Speedy, a huge shout out has to go to the Professor. Mr. Higley could have a second career as a vacation planner. He did a phenomenal job of chauffeuring us around Cheese Head nation, figuring out the logistics, making sure Speedy had enough beef jerky, and ensuring Tiger and I had enough moon man/spotted cow for the day. Kudo's to you sir!

    I know most people don’t think of Wisconsin when they think golf destination, but they definitely should.
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    Excellent recap, Hotsauce! These courses were already on my bucket list...and now more than ever.
  15. Speedy

    Speedy
    Newmarket, NH

    Higs, send some Moon Man my way since I was too busy stuffing my face with Beef Jerky :) Thanks again Higs and Hotsauce I knew you come through with the write up, nicely done sir.... You should be working with the Dapper Drive man...

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