Whistling Straits - Irish Course

Getting To Know: Irish course at Whistling Straits

An Insightful Interview With Michael Aschenbach

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Michael Aschenbach who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Just inland from the great lake and interspersed by four meandering streams, the grassland-and-dunes aspect of the Irish is a deceivingly tranquil landscape. Both traditional and memorable, the Irish is full of unique challenges.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
They should play the Irish course to experience what Kohler golf has to offer. The Irish course is designed by Mr. Pete Dye and is ranked in the top couple public courses in the state of Wisconsin.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
To score well on the Irish course you will have to hit fairways with your tee ball and hit greens in regulation. If you happen to hit an errant tee shot, your #1 option should be to get your golf ball back in the fairway as soon as possible. If you attempt to overpower the course, it will tend to catch up with you and your score will suffer.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
Irish course at Whistling Straits was ranked # 35 in Golf Digest's ranking of America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses for 2011/2012.

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
Hole #13 is the most talked about. It's a par 3 that plays anywhere from 111 yards to 183 yards. The name of the hole is "Blind man's bluff". The over 14,000 square foot green sits 30 feet below the tee box and your shot to the green is completely blind.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
My favorite hole is the 474 yard par 4 16th called "Deep dye". I love long par 4's that require quality ball striking or a clever short game to make par.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
Jigger Ale, Kohler's own ale small batched brewed at Destination Scotland and imported strictly to the Kohler properties is a must have beer. It is a creamy and light refresher that is complimented well with a bowl of our homemade beer cheese soup.

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
Mike Frechette, 67, in the 2007 WAGPA Stroke Play event.

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72
Yardage: 7201
Slope: 146
Rating: 75.6

More Information
Irish course at Whistling Straits
N. 8501 County Road LS
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, 53083
920-565-6050
http://www.americanclubresort.com/index.html

Revised: 10/08/2012 - Article Viewed 35,435 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the Publisher of GolfTrips.com, a network of golf travel and directory sites including GolfWisconsin.com, GolfMichigan.com, ArizonaGolfer.com, GolfAlabama.com, etc. Professionally, Brian is a 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). In 2016, Brian won The Shaheen Cup, an award given to a golf travel writer by his peers.

All of his life, Brian has been around the game of golf. As a youngster, Brian competed at all levels in junior and high school golf. Brian had a zero chance for a college golf scholarship, so he worked on the grounds crew at West Bend Country Club to pay for his University of Wisconsin education. In his adult years, his passion for the game collided with his entrepreneurial spirit and in 2004 launched GolfWisconsin.com. In 2007, the idea for a network of local golf directory sites formed and GolfTrips.com was born. Today, the network consists of a site in all 50 states supported by national sites like GolfTrips.com, GolfGuide.com and GolfPackages.com. It is an understatement to say, Brian is passionate about promoting golf and golf travel on a local, regional, national and international level.

On the golf course, Brian is known as a fierce weekend warrior that fluctuates between a 5-9 handicap. With a soft fade, known as "The Weis Slice", and booming 300+ drives, he can blast it out of bounds with the best of them.