
When you see this sign at the entrance, you know it's going to be a special day
After an amazing day at Erin Hills, we couldn't wait for the next morning and our ride up the road
to Kohler,Wisconsin and the famed Pete Dye Straits course. Only one problem, I woke up early (5
a.m) and realized that my c5/c6 herniation in my neck (from an auto accident a few years ago) had
pinched the nerve in my neck while sleeping on the couch at our home base (the Kennicott
compound). My Chiropractor Dr.Andrew Wasserman and his guru masseuse Deni were 2k miles
away, not good.I let Baker know that I might end up being a just a writer/photographer for the day
(it was too late to cancel the tee time and why should I ruin his day). I've tried a few times to play
with this condition, and when you can't rotate the coconut to the left, you have no shot at making a
golf swing, forget actually trying to play a shot at or to a specific target.It wasn't like we were goin
to a 9 hole pitch n putt, we were going to one of the toughest layouts on the planet.The first thing I
tried was a prescription medicated patch that I had brought just in case of this situation, then we
baked some kind of pillsbury pop n fresh french bread because I was about to take some
anti-inflammatory drugs and knew my stomach was gonna take a hit.After all that, still no relief or
neck rotation.As we started our trek north up hwy 36, I took a few anti-inflammatory pills of
another brand and started somekind of spastic stretching of the upper and lower spine in an effort
to take the pressure off my neck . . . the fine folks of greater Wisconsin probably thought I was
having a seizure.
After about an hour of this insanity, I found a stretch that freed up some rotation in the neck, or
was it all the drugs I had just taken ? Either way, I atleast felt like it was possible to try to make a
swing.We arrived at Whistling Straits about 2 hrs before our tee time, and we did all of the oohs
and aahs first, and then headed to the range to see if my neck would allow me to be a participant,
rather then a spectator.Hitting nothing but half wedges for the first 10 minutes, it seemed likely that
I could actually play, but once I hit the longer clubs and had to torque my upper body we would
know for sure. A few twinges when I tried to step on a 3 wd or Driver, but other then that it was
manageable. The five anti-inflammatory pills were in full effect now, so all systems were go.
Baker and I spent about 40 minutes or so chipping out of the rough and long fescue to acquaint
ourselves with Mr.Dye's gnarly turf that lines each hole.Definitely not like bermuda rough (fescue
and bluegrass is like hitting out of spaghetti as opposed to our bermuda back home, which is like
some fluffy cotton candy).
After rolling a few, we met our caddies . . . John McDaniel was our guy, and Malakai was the
looper of our playing partners Jim and Gregg Lynes. We figured out in a New York minute that
Johnny Mac was a quick study and absolutely hysterical.It was a gorgeous Autumn day off the
shores of Lake Michigan, (61 degrees) but the wind was rippin out of the southeast at 25 mph.
Starter Mick Mikkelson got us off the tee at 1:30 pm, and J Mac promised me we'd finish, but I had
my doubts since the sun was setting up here in dairy country around 6:15.
We were playing one tee up from the tips (around 7,000 yds), and since the wind was "Whistling"
(Johnny Mac said it has that name for a reason, and you boys are experiencing it first hand), and
the neck issue . . . I figured it was all the challenge we could handle on this day.Jim and Gregg
were playing up a tee, maybe they were the smart ones.Gregg had driven over from Iowa to tee it
up with his brother on an all golf weekend. We piped our opening tee shots into a serious hook
wind, and when we arrived at our golf balls, we had some short shots to the front pin. Baker hit his
shot, and the wind dragged it left some 30 yds from where it started and into the cabbage.I had
131 to the pin and had to hit 8 iron, the wind did the same to mine, and left me a flop shot from
the gnarly stuff to the elevated green. Scott and Jim eventually ended up in the same nasty pot
bunker, Pete Dye must have enjoyed locating it there. An adventurous chip in by Gregg and an up n
down for me was a relief heading to #2. Scotty B and Jim were not as fortunate.
When we made the right hand turn around the dune to head to the par 5 second tee, the wind was
right in our chops. Scotty B hit it high and straight, and I smothered one into the only bunker I was
in all day (out of 1100 or so). After some chopping it around, I made a 30 ft bomb for par, and
Scotty B was starting the way he did yesterday (it would be tough sledding on this day as well).

The sign says it all

Pete Dye gets the par 3's right
The third hole is the first par 3 on the course, it is called "Oh Man", a spectacular one shotter,
downhill and right on the lake (in fact, Dye put all four par 3's on the waters edge, brilliant!). On
this particular hole, the lake is on your left with the spectacular par 3 seventh right behind
you.After a miss hit mid iron short, a solid bump and run netted par, Baker hit a nice tee shot to the
back right portion of the green and had a lightning fast putt down the slope that resulted in a 3 putt
bogey.
The fourth hole is the hardest par 4 on the course and required all the lumber in the bag to even
get close in two.Gregg and Scott both had an adventure on this hole.Jim minimized the damage
and I managed to one putt again to save par.
The par 5 fifth is a long double dog leg . If you ever get to play this hole, don't let your caddy
convince you to carry the hazard and all of the dunes down the right (unless you can fly the ball
300+ in the air).J Mac pumped me up, and I took the bait. . . after what I thought was a good tee
shot, my ball would have needed a Lojack to be found (no luck). However the flatstick saved
another, with a 35 feet downhill bomb for par.

The double dogleg fifth
The par 4 sixth is one of my favorite short par 4 holes anywhere, a left to right hole with a huge
dune on the right side of the fairway that partially blocks your site of the green from the tee.A short
delicate pitch to this heavily sloped back to front green is the tough part about this one.Baker and I
were both off the green up on the high left side trying to figure out a way to stop the chip/putt to
this front hole location.Neither of us did very well, running it well past.I was fortunate that my next
shot, a putt from off the green found the bottom of the cup for par. As we went to seven, I realized
that I had only taken 5 putts for 6 holes, that certainly can't last for much longer.

Not a bad place to spend a Saturday

5 iron tee shot on the seventh
The seventh hole is every bit as beautiful as the hole with the same numerical value at Pebble
Beach, but much tougher. Playing 203 yds with the wind blowing hard left to right towards the
water and slightly downwind, I was between 5 or 6 iron . . . Johnny Mac said he liked the 5, I took
his suggestion into account as well as: my even par score wasn't an indicator of my ball striking, it
was all short game, and because of the neck issue, swinging hard seemed like a bad idea.The ball
was compressed at impact and came off flushed right at the target . . . without a doubt the best
swing I'd made in Wisconsin.The ball carried two yards over the the stick and released some 40
feet away from the hole.In hindsight, 6 was probably the right stick but when you're not on, you
have to be honest with yourself and play for the slight miss. Scotty B struggled on this hole as did
Gregg, but Jim striped his shot and just missed his roll at bird. I narrowly missed my bird and had
my 1st two putt of the day as we walked to the eighth tee.
The eighth is a sweeping left to right par4, with Lake Michigan on your right. It reminds me very
much of the tough ninth at Pebble Beach, as where everything funnels down to towards the water.
One this day the wind was sweeping left to right as it was on the the previous par 3.I bailed left i
nto the rough, and made bogey (Pete Dye has been modifying this green since the PGA ended two
months ago, making it much smaller).This hole collectively killed the group.

Scotty B and Jim looking for their tee shots on the eighth
The ninth at Whistling Straits is as pretty to look at as the ninth at Winged Foot (which is the best
outward finisher I've ever played), but this one is not nearly as tough. After a drive down the
center of the fairway, a 7 iron approach and a green in regulation, my putt for 36 just stayed on the
edge. That might have just been my favorite nine holes I've ever played, I hope the inward side
can keep up.

The ninth on the Straits |