Whistling Straits: A Study in Excess

Whistling Straits appears to be a wonderful, scenic venue.  It is, like Chambers Bay, a links-like golf course.  It looks like a links course, but definitely doesn't play like one.

It sports a thousand bunkers.  This is not a typo: there are a thousand bunkers.  As one of my least favourite talking heads just said, "Most golf courses have about sixty bunkers."

Who, in their right mind, designs a course with a thousand bunkers; bunkers that must then be maintained, let alone played from?  Is it just me, or is that just a tad excessive?

Kohler golf is like Trump golf.  It's go big or go home golf.  It's excessive.  It's brash.  And, for the average Joe, it's not playable, not only as a golf course, but from a cost perspective.  If I want to play the Straits, it will cost me $385.00.  That doesn't include a caddie.  The caddie, which is required if you're not playing twilight golf, is another $65.00.  Throw in the tip, and it would cost my son and I about a thousand bucks to play one round at Whistling Straits.  A thousand bunkers for two for a thousand bucks; is that not just a bit much?

I played the Old Course in St Andrews a few years ago for 54 pounds--about a hundred bucks.  But then, the Old Course doesn't have a thousand bunkers.  Thank goodness.