The 100 Hole Hike raises money for Youth On Course to subsidize green fees for kids. With an annual membership of only $20, kids can play each round of golf for $5 or less. YOC now has nearly 2000 member courses, in all 50 states, and 150,000 youth members. Hikers raised $2 million in 2021, which sustains the steady growth of the program. In 2022, we’re hoping for $3 million.
Visit YouthOnCourse.org to learn more. Check out www.100holehike.org to get involved.
The first Hike of the season took place in Kohler, WI. Eight players completed 100 holes on the 10-hole par-3 Baths course at Blackwolf Run, while three of us finished a one-of-a-kind multi-course routing of full-length championship courses supplemented with par threes.
Monday June 6.
The rain starts at midnight, steadily strengthening as we prepare for a 4:45am tee time at Whistling Straits.
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| Photo courtesy Dylan Bloch. IG @DylanGolfs |
With LED glow-in-the-dark golf balls, we tee off 30 minutes before sunrise. With no prior knowledge of the course, we make our way through the routing by guessing, aiming, hitting, searching, repeating.
We finish 9 holes in 1:01, happy, giddy, and completed drenched. Even with superb rain gear and hat, the wet is unavoidable. To play fast, we carry lightweight bags, use only 5 clubs, take no practice swings, give ourselves plenty of putts, hit simultaneously, and play from the forward tees.
We raise our pace the last few holes to finish the loop in 1:59. Usually Straits takes over 5 hours, so it’s special to zip through so quickly.
We change socks at the car, probably pointless, and turn for lap two at the adjacent Irish course. By 7am, the regular golfers are lining up to start. As the rain freshens, their mood is dour, but we laugh as we march past. The starter asks if we’re headed out to play.
Yes.
“Do you need a caddie?”
No.
“Do you need a scorecard?”
No.
“Do you know where you’re going?”
No!
We never break stride, holding our 2-hr pace straight through the gate. Perplexed, he obviously doesn’t know what we’re doing or how much fun we’re having. We howl in laughter as we tee it up for round two, 7:01am, right on time.
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| Jeremy, Adam, Devin |
The rain ebbs and flows, but the wind stays low. We navigate the beautiful Irish routing, in awe as each hole reveals itself to us.
The bunkers churn to thick cement and the fairways are soggy as slush. Venturing into the tall fescue grass is like dangling your legs in a lake, only wetter.
Squish squish swish swish, I wring my gloves before each shot, hoping for a little grip.
The back nine is magically fun, even as the puddles deepen and the rain remains. We crest the 18th approach and complete the loop in 2:01.
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| Photo courtesy Adam Schafer |
Back to the car for a 20 minute drive to Blackwolf Run. There’s a guard at the entrance, checking credentials for the high school State Championship. He squints at us, dripping wet, and doesn’t believe we’ve already played. As nice as everyone we meet in Wisconsin, the worst he can say is a smiling, “Aw, you’re full of it!”
We edit our bags for the par-3 Baths course and shuttle over to meet the others. We have just enough time for 2 loops: 20 par-3’s in 1:05.
Again to the car, for full bags this time, we rush to the River course for an 11:40 start time. The holes ahead look clear, maybe the rain has scared them away. We play 3 holes in 30 minutes, our slowest pace yet, before a roadblock at the par-3 4th.
It takes 29 minutes to play a single hole, mind-numbingly slow, as the rain rebuilds and drenches us anew. Luckily, the beer cart saves the day. After 59 holes, and the finish in sight, a round of beers lifts the mood for the holes ahead.
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| Photo courtesy beer |
The River is a tough walk, with long connectors between green and tee. Due to steady rain, it’s cart-path only for those ahead, which only slows the pace as they must walk to and fro’ to find and hit their balls.
By the 7th, with the pace nearly unbearable, the boys want to walk it in, to return to the par-3 for an easier finish, but they forget how stubborn I am. I convince them to at least play 9, then we’ll decide. Ironically, and poetically, the 9th green is nowhere near the clubhouse. It’s actually as far away as you can get. There’s no quitting now. To our great relief, there is a snack shack at 9, with cold beers and bratwursts.
COMPLIMENTARY bratwursts. Even in a day when gimme’s are freely given, nothing in golf is free. We pause, rest, sit, and eat. Free brats boost our mood. It’s a good thing we stay, as holes 9-14 are the best of the loop.
With another chance to walk it in, the guys are ready to sign the cards, but a little coaxing and a friendly wager are just the ticket to stick it out. The wait on 15 is so bad that we visit the proshop to buy a warm layer, without ever missing a turn. Who goes shopping in the middle of a round?
We finish the loop in 4:43, which probably feels normal to the other groups, but is painfully slow for us. Rushing back to the Baths, with 74 holes under our belts, our finish is assured. With a single club and ball each, we pitch and putt for another 1:14 to complete the 100. We play through an 8-some on our 99th hole, beer flowing, speakers pumping, having the best time, and I’m thrilled to stick one tight and lightly blade it in for birdie. There’s no better feeling than playing through and making 2’s.
One more: green, putt, gimme, done.
We’ve walked 24 miles in 13 hours, 100 holes, success.
Our group of 11 players has raised $150,000 today, enough to subsidize over 20,000 rounds of golf for YOC members. Actually, that’s the best feeling.
Thank you!
We are so grateful for your support.
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| Photo courtesy Dylan Bloch |
………….
Part II.
A change in plan affords me the chance to see more of Wisconsin. Adjusting flights, hotels, and rental, scooping up tee times, I make my way west to Minnesota, a whimsical road trip to see the best golf courses en route.
Tuesday June 7.
Whistling Straits, Straits Course. Ranked #3 on Golf Digest’s greatest public courses.
12:20pm tee time. Partly foggy, gentle breeze, paired with new friends. I start well, bogey-free thru 13, before my scoreboard-watching gets the best of me. From seeing red, to a 73. Finished in 5:05.
Straits is stunningly beautiful, but the lasting memory is an unpalatable 2:45 front 9. 5hr+ rounds just shouldn’t exist, regardless of walking-only major-caliber pedigree.
I found the tee shots rather plain, just ripped driver down the middle all day. It’s all about the second shots, which were more complex and interesting. Punishing misses and glorious rewards.
The price point is hard to swallow, but the set of four par-3’s are the best I’ve played.
From memory, the 100 Hike at Whistling Straits, Irish Course. Ranked #47.
Review:
The Irish course exceeds all expectations. With less hype, and no scouting, I fell in love with the green-to-tee walks, each one a revelation of gorgeous shaping and design. It’s all about the tee shots, with a variety of clubs and angles. The approaches were mostly straightforward after finding the fairway.
Blackwolf Run, River Course. Ranked #16.
Review:
The River course has the best tee shots in Destination Kohler. 3 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16, well shit, that’s all of em, each one provides incredible views, angles, or decisions. Real strategy, risk reward, huge carries, cut the corner, lay it back, all right in front of you. It’s a much harder walk than the others, including some obnoxious transitions (4-5, 13-14).
The river holes, particularly 9, 13 (play the 230 tips!!), and 16 are superbly satisfying to the strategist’s soul.
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| Blackwolf Run, River Course, hole 13, par 3, 231 yards. |
Wednesday June 8.
Erin Hills. Ranked #9.
8:15am tee time. Pouring rain. I mean absolutely dumping. The tee sheet empties but I go out anyway.
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| A 2 on hole 9. |
Erin Hills is a behemoth. Big, intimidating, blind, and challenging. There’s nowhere to hide your weaknesses. Seeing it on tv doesn’t prepare you for the tee shot angles nor the uphill approach shots. I felt helpless and overmatched. Granted, it was pouring rain, and I was the only one on course, but the enormity of the track and the difficulty of the conditions made me feel minuscule. However, it seemed ‘fair’ in its challenge, pars were hard but bogeys easy. One miss, out of position, bogey, but not double.
Warmed by the fire, I find another tee time nearby, as the rain hints of retreat.
The Club at Lac La Belle. Unranked, but after recent renovation it may garner more attention soon.
2:50pm tee time. Soggy, breezy, but the forecast is stable. Only 2 other players on course, I start hot, falter, then stabilize. The rain returns at 9, lasts an hour, then abates for good. Nearing the 18th, I realized I haven’t missed a fairway since hole 3, nor missed a green since 7. A few good swings, a cozy lag, and a tap-in for 69. Pace of play 2:54.
Review:
Lac La Belle feels familiar and welcoming. A great variety of tee shots, some to lay back, some to launch, try a draw, play this fade, and a delightful walk through a beautiful routing, with incredible options to find 4- and 5-hole mini loops from the clubhouse. The green variety also excels with swales, mounds, and ramps, but also some approachable level surfaces too. The 4th green stands out, as does the 16th tee and the approach on 18. While still a robust green fee, it’s a wonderful value compared to the Wisconsin heavyweights.
Thursday June 9.
Hard to believe my luck, but spots open in Sand Valley and I rush west to have a go.
Mammoth Dunes. Ranked #29.
8:15am tee time. Sunny, calm, picture perfect.
A looper points me in the right direction, as the angles for tee and green are not intuitive. A few drives veer toward certain death, only to find the fairway. Forgiving and immense, I miss in the correct spots, carding four birdies through 10. The scale finally gets me, as I shortside the back-9 par-5s, taking a few disheartening 6’s. Another stumble to the finish for a 73. Pace 4:25.
Sand Valley. Ranked #18.
2:40pm tee time. Sunny, gorgeous, with a freshening breeze. My caddie picks my lines and a center cut 12/14 fairways and find 14 greens too. I can’t hit it better, but Sand Valley is less forgiving than Mammoth Dunes. The few times I lose position, it costs me a stroke. Again under par on the back, I drop a couple and finish with a nauseating 6 on the last, for 74. Pace 4:22.
Review:
Sand Valley resort has a vibe that stands apart. If you’ve been to Bandon, it’s the same. There’s a distinctive energy on property, everybody is there for the best day ever. A fraternity of golfers drawn to the same purpose. We’re not hunting history, replicating heroic shots, playing the tips to get our teeth kicked in. We’re there to play Dream Golf, and it’s so damn fun.
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| Don't forget the ice cream sandwich at Sand Valley. Another insider tip: get the tacos. |
Mammoth is all you’ve read about, huge fairways, enormous greens, incredible views and exhilarating shots. Forgiving, yet challenging, misses stay in play but it’s hard to get it close. Sand Valley has sharper teeth, but the fairways are generous and the greens playable. Definitely a few strokes harder, requiring more thought from tee to green, but it’s not designed to beat you up. Adjusting to bouncy fairways and sandy greens takes time, but judging the roll-out is spectacularly integral to the Dream Golf style of play.
Friday June 10.
The Sandbox, 17-hole par-3 course.
7:30am tee time, first out with another single. Maintenance sweeps the dew just ahead of us, on a light and dainty morning. Most players use the Sandbox at the end of the day, for beers with buddies. I love a par-3 warm-up instead. Playing casually fast, I throw darts and make putts, six 2’s in one loop. We finish in 1:30.
Bandon Preserve > Sand Valley Sandbox > Baths at Kohler > Hay at Pebble Beach.
Come @ me bro.
Three hour drive west.
Troy Burne Golf Club. Unranked and underrated.
2:20pm tee time. Sunny, warm, and Minnesota humid. Somehow every hole feels downhill, and the humid air carries the ball a club longer than expected. For a few holes, I hit pin-seeking missiles that fly the green, find water and bunkers. I adjust for the second 9, pair up with some locals, make a few birdies and finish with another 74. Pace 3:54.
Troy Burne is a banger. I’ve lost track of the value/$ after all this golf, but this is a course I’d play everyday. It’s a delightful mix of up and down, left and right, bomb or lay-up, be safe or play aggressive. Incredibly it seems there’s 14 downhill holes and only a few uphill, but it may be an illusion in my memory. I love playing this semi-private track, pairing up w 4 members for a back-9 5-ball. I played through, then it slowed down, so they waited on me, I offered a round of beers and they bought mine instead! Did we just become best friends? Minnesota Nice (and WI too) is a real thing, dontcha know.
A family day.
Sunday June 12.
White Bear Yacht Club. Private.
10am. Partly cloudy, serene, sublime. Score hardly matters at this blissful venue. I stripe some drives, scare some pins, give myself a few putts and quietly post a 71. Pace 3:32.
Review:
White Bear Yacht Club sets a different tone. No tee times, just show up. Let that sink in. It’s Sunday morning and we stroll to the tee at our leisure, unannounced. A juxtaposition of casual yet clean, old yet vibrant, difficult yet inviting, exclusive yet welcoming. The rolling hills make for beautiful lines, uneven lies and amazing depth. Subtle doglegs and corner-cutting tee shots, blind fairways and hidden greens, each hole is a friend you’ve missed for ages. Almost unrecognizable at first, yet immediately familiar, a layer of mystery gently dissolves. Usually I only crave to replay a hole after making a mess, but WBYC has holes I need to replay because I played them perfectly and still wish I did more. Cresting a blind, to discover a new strategy, I can’t help but look back and want another try.
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| The 9th at White Bear |
Overview:
Reflecting from home, it’s natural to question which course is my favorite. I dare not rank them in rigid order the way Golf Digest does. More experiential in evaluation, I judge the courses on enjoyment, pace, and flavor, along with routing, beauty, and architecture.
Whistling Straits and Erin Hills are true bucket list once-a-lifetime tracks for me, amazing to be sure, but I feel no need to return. 5hr+ rounds are distasteful. The Irish and River courses are wonderful, but similarly not worth another trip. Of those 4, the Irish course would be my replay, as it’s the walk I most enjoyed. If Lac La Belle or Troy Burne were my local tracks, I’d play them all the time. Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes are absolutely the ones I need to play again. I’d go there every year, and when the resort adds the new courses, I will! But if I had to pick one for the rest of my life, White Bear feels the place to be. Maybe that’s just recency bias, and the Minnesota winter certainly gives me pause, but this place is truly special.
You’ll find me on the patio with a Fescue Rescue (whiskey, ginger, lemon), overlooking the 9th green, dreaming of what shot to hit tomorrow.
Totals:
10 rounds of 18, plus 63 par-3’s.
73 miles walked, in 36:30 total playing time.
Three 2’s on the big courses, and 12 more on the par-3’s.
693 miles in the rental car.
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| Photo courtesy Dylan Bloch |
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