Kohler Cup

I'm pooped...

It all started last Wednesday night when Sazi, my epileptic border collie decided it would be a good idea to start having clustered seizures every 2 hours. That lasted on through Thursday afternoon when we took her to the vet where she got IV fluids and finally a shot of phenobarbital when it started again. We got very little sleep both nights. I stayed home Friday and made sure she was ok. She did seize in the morning at about 8:00 and then again at about 5pm. That was the end of it but she did more damage to her system and is struggling to walk even more than before. Her weight is part of the problem too as she's gone up to 65 lbs. She should be in the low 40's. The drugs she has to take make her lethargic and despite our long walks she continues to put on weight.

To make things a little harder on Cdubya this was my weekend to play in the Kohler Cup with Dr. Mike. It's a golf tournament up in Kohler, WI where we played Blackwolf Run - Meadow Valleys on Saturday and Whistling Straits - Irish Course. The 2004 PGA Championship was held on the Straits course there. We left early Saturday morning and got back around 6:30 last night. We spent Saturday night at the Horse and Plow, which is a pub at the American Club, having many different beers and a couple steaks. After that we grabbed a shuttle over to the Olive & Ash, a cigar bar not too far away. We relaxed on the leather sofa's smoking our stogies with a couple of Guinness watching the Paintball team championships on ESPN2.

Now, the golf... We started on Blackwolf Run. Not a bad course, but nothing that exciting. The last 5 holes are decent. I started out pretty good, parring the first 2 holes but then got in some thick crap on the par 3 and took a 6 then lost a ball on the next hole and it was pretty much over as we started drinking. Then I had my first cigar of the year at the turn and got pretty woozy. We staggered in in 57th place out of 67 with a net 77 (+5). Mike did have a birdie on the number 1 handicap hole and got 2 strokes so he had a net 1 on a par 4. We gave it right back with triple bogies on the next 2 holes of course. The weather was beautiful (70), couldn't have been any nicer. I got a nice sun burn on my arms and neck. I could have shot 200 and wouldn't have cared less.

Then Sunday morning arrived and with it a slight change in the weather as it was in the mid 40's, very overcast and 15 mph winds. By the time we teed off there was a threat of rain in the air and it was about 48 with the wind up to about 20. Later on it rained just a little bit for one hole and the sun actually came out later but the wind also increased to a steady 25 mph. It was nasty.

The Irish course at Whistling Straits must be played to be appreciated. It totally kicked our asses and we both had our worst rounds ever but I never lost the smile off my face. It is worth every penny to play this course. Don't even keep score, just enjoy the magic. I was giggling like a little school girl most of the time, it was just awesome. I don't know or care what position we finished in, it was a blast.

Here are some pictures.
First, this is the approach to number 18 at Blackwolf Run with the clubhouse in the background. You can tell it's nice weather, look at the guys wearing shorts on April 15th. Crazy...

This next shot is the 14th hole at Blackwolf Run. It is the "signature" hole. Couple things to note. The bridge on the river is actually a train car, pretty cool. The green is just past it. The other thing is the 2 fly fishermen in the river... Mike almost hit them with his tee shot. I had to laugh. Are you supposed to yell FORE to fishermen?

This is the from the 10th tee at the Irish Course. Isn't it just amazing? We started on the 9th hole in a shotgun start so this was our 2nd hole. I took about an eleventy thousand on 9 and was facing this tee shot on the next hole. I hooked it over the pond on the left and ran through the sand trap stopping in the shit about 3" past the sand. I chunked it about 20 yards into more shit then whacked one sideways about 4' before finally extracating myself from there and getting back to the fairway. Whew, nice 9.

This part of Wisconsin is completely flat. They actually had to import all this sand and dirt to build this. Pete Dye is a mean mother....

This is looking out over the Straits course towards Lake Michigan.


This par 3 is called Blindman's Bluff because you can't see the green. It's staight ahead but about 100' down in a hole surrounded by 1 bazillion sand traps. Here's Mike and another guy trying to see the green as the rain starts to fall. None of us were even close. I thought I hit a perfect shot and was 10 yards short in the sand.

Oh, there's the green...

My 2nd shot ended up in one of the bunkers past the green. You can see it to the right and above the guy on the green. Took me 2 more shots to get on the green.

Back on the front nine, this is number 1. Not enough to have 1,000 bunkers, they're also now adding sand castles to hit over...


Our last hole, number 8, a wicked par 5 dogleg right, having to carry 200 yards to carry a river on your 2nd shot. Mike and I both hit great drives. He then dunked 2 in the river while I missed the fairway left on the side of a hill just above a bunker. The wind at this point was so strong your ball would move on the green. I hit a full pitching wedge (my 115 club) into the wind 62 yards onto the green. Yes, it knocked off 50 yards from my shot. My only birdie putt of the day. Of course I three putted for bogey after Mike bet me a Guinness I'd still double bogey the hole. In his face!

I'd play this course again in a heartbeat. What a day. It was a hell of a walk too. We took our push carts and getting up those hills was pretty hard. I wish I had gotten another picture. Mike some how hit a shot that stopped at the very top of a dome shaped hill, he was way above everything looking like a billy goat. Pretty funny.

Here's the clubhouse.

Here's the pub upstairs.

Last one is looking out the pub window towards the Straits course.