CONTACT:
Beth Keough
920-457-4441 ext. 72052
beth.keough@kohler.com
KOHLER, Wis. – Every two years Golf Digest awards the coveted 5-star Best Places to Play. In May 2004, Golf Digest released the results of the latest rankings. Only 16 courses of the 3,500 courses in North America achieved 5-stars, and three of the 16 courses reside in Kohler, Wis.
The River and Meadow Valleys courses at Blackwolf Run, and the Straits course at Whistling Straits each received 5-stars from the readers of Golf Digest. No other golf destinations had more than one course on the 5-star list.
“We’re really pleased with these awards,” said Steve Friedlander, general manager and director of golf for Kohler Co. “To have three of our courses included on this year’s Golf Digest ratings is a testament to our determination to design and maintain world-class golf courses in Kohler, and to provide our guests with an unrivaled golf experience.”
Readers of Golf Digest participate in the Best Places to Play biennial ratings, which allows them to submit surveys to choose the best public-access courses in America based on course condition, pace of play, service, value for the money, and overall golf experience. Roughly 20,000 readers sent in ratings for this year’s survey via mail and online.
Through follow-up questions with survey respondents, the research also found that golfers want an escape from the hectic pace of everyday life, something offered in different forms and venues. One Wisconsin survey participant described the experience at Whistling Straits as, “No homes, no golf carts, no city noises. It’s a purely golf-based day.”
The four Pete Dye-designed golf courses at Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits are public, daily fee courses. Blackwolf Run hosted the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open and Whistling Straits is the host of the 2004 PGA Championship. Courses open April-October; green fees differ by course and time of season. For more information, visit www.destinationkohler.com.
