Erin Hills

Set within an enormous property that extends to over 600 acres, the golf course at Erin Hills only opened in 2006 but it has already hosted the US Amateur Championship in 2011 (won by Kelly Kraft) and the US Open in 2017, which Brooks Koepka won, equalling the US Open’s lowest winning score of 16 under par.

Robert Lang was the man behind Erin Hills and it was he who purchased enough land beside the small town of Erin, near Milwaukee, primarily to guarantee golfers solitude from the outside world but also to allow enough off-course space for any major USGA tournaments that might come his way. In October 2009, CEO and co-founder of Artisan Partners, Andrew Ziegler, purchased the Erin Hills property.

On a rugged landscape formed by glacial action thousands of years ago, little earth was moved when forming the course, resulting in one of the most natural layouts to be found anywhere in the United States. Make no mistake, though, Erin Hills is golf on an epic scale, a big course in a vast landscape, where the overall length can vary from a modest 5,434 yards to a whopping 7,845 yards.

On the advice of the USGA, several changes, mainly on the front nine, have been made to the course since it opened, with a ridge cut down on the opening fairway, the green on the second hole increased in size and the tough par four 8th extended to nearly 500 yards from the tips.

Around 20 bunkers were also incorporated around the layout but the most significant enhancement was the elimination of the quirky, blind par three 7th hole - built in homage to “Dell,” the famous 5th hole at Lahinch - which was the second of back-to-back par threes.

The old holes 8 and 9 now play as 7 and 8 with the once-optional, par three “Bye” hole now completing the front nine. - Perhaps the designers always knew the routing would have to be altered so they kept a spare hole up their sleeves for such an eventuality?

Erin Hills is not for the faint hearted as it presents a stern golfing challenge but for those who want their golf game examined, this is as good a test as there is. Thirty-seven bedrooms are available on property (including ten guest rooms above a very homely clubhouse) for visitors who wish to savour the full Wisconsin golf experience.