2020 venue Whistling Straits so good it could hold Ryder Cup now, says owner

Published on Wednesday 10 March 2010 22:23

IN TEN years' time, Whistling Straits, one of two courses owned by Herb Kohler in his native Wisconsin, will host the Ryder Cup, the third biggest event on the sporting calendar.

That will follow a second PGA Championship later this year before the same event heads back to the stunning course on the banks of Lake Michigan in 2015.

"It's a good run," admitted Kohler, who, by his own admission, looks a little too close to Santa Claus not to go unnoticed when he's out walking on the streets of St Andrews during visits to Scotland. "I'd like to be around for a little bit of it but, even if I'm underneath (the ground], I'm going to be cheering like hell."

Between now and 2020, Kohler plans to attend every Ryder Cup to see how they operate. However, unlike Celtic Manor, where Sir Terry Matthews has spent a fortune getting the place ready for this year's event, he doesn't envisage having to dig too deep into his pockets to provide a worthy venue.

"We could literally hold it now," insisted Kohler. "Interestingly, the only thing we are doing is that we encouraged the State of Wisconsin to put in an on ramp and an off ramp on the interstate. We are paying half that cost but they are putting it in and it's just for the PGA and the Ryder Cup.

"In the US, there is nothing bigger financially in the world of golf and probably a good thing that Americans won the last match to keep it reasonably balanced. But now I want you guys to come back - I probably have more friends on this side of the Atlantic than over the other side."

In addition to the 2004 PGA Championship, won in a play-off by Vijay Singh, Whistling Straits also staged the US Senior Open in 2007 and Kohler is rightly proud of a course that he says opened the floodgates for a number of similar venues to be built in the States.

"I wouldn't say Whistling Straits will always remain my pride and joy because you are always trying to outdo yourself," he said. "But it is a good benchmark. It sort of started a lot of interest in the United States with people trying to create some links course. Bandon Dunes, for example, was inspired by what we did at Whistling Straits. They did a fabulous job and there are a number of other instances where people started to look at the influences of large bodies of water on the game.

"Before Whistling Straits there was very little of that but now we've got a significant amount due to the quality of what you can do and the experience you can provide."

Kohler is also proud of The Duke's, the heathland course in his portfolio just outside St Andrews. Tom Liddy, a protege of Pete Dye, was hired by Kohler to make changes to Peter Thomson's original design after buying the course and his work has been given the thumbs up by the owner.

"Even if you took away all the views up there, I think the golf course on its own is a significant contribution to golf in the UK," added Kohler. "When you are competing with ten links courses – none of which you are going to sniff at – you're going to have a pretty hard job attracting any kind of membership. But The Duke's is a strong heathland course and something very different for St Andrews."

The old Craigtoun Maternity Hospital next to the course is being renovated into a timeshare property and, while Kohler still describes his plumbing business as the "bread and butter", he's thrilled to be involved with such hotel and leisure projects in Scotland.

"I probably stayed at the Old Course Hotel five or six times before I made a bid without having any idea I'd be in a position to buy somewhere like that," he recalled. "I couldn't help but fall in love with the atmosphere and the feelings of Scotland. It just grows on you."