The Straits Course at Whistling Straits, which opened for play in 1998, has received the same type of acclaim as its Kohler golf counterparts since its opening day. Pete Dye himself, architect of all four courses at Kohler, has said "there is no course like it in the United States." Littered with sand dunes and constructed in the style of the legendary seaside links of the British Isles, perhaps Dye wasn't exaggerating; no modern American course is an homage to the game's traditions as the Straits Course is.

Built along the shores of Lake Michigan, the Straits Course will, in just its sixth season, be entrenched in the minds of golfers worldwide, as it has already been given the nod to play host to the 2004 PGA Championship. Recently voted as the fourth-best public course in the United States by GOLF Magazine, eight of its holes, and all of its par threes, play directly along the shores of Lake Michigan. True to its roots, the spectacular natural setting of the 'seaside' holes and those slightly inland is meant to be experienced purely. An extensive caddie program is in place, and carts are available only for those disabled golfers who are unable to walk the course on their own. Perhaps the highlight of the Kohler golf experience, the Straits Course is an unrivalled destination in the Midwest.

After a benign opening hole aptly named 'Outward Bound,' golfers find themselves seemingly at an end of the earth when standing on the second tee. Following the banks of Lake Michigan, the 571-yard second hole plays down a generous fairway, but the prevailing lake-effect winds tend to narrow the landing area on both the drive and the lay-up. The short third is to a thin but receptive green.

The third, at 183 yards, continues the front side trend of holes that tip-toe along the lake's edge. The smart play is a well-played punch shot at the right side of the green, as any high shot will be at the mercy of the wind. Miss to the left, and your second will be played from either a deep greenside trap, a grassy bank, or for the most unfortunate, from the beach far below.

Four, the #1 handicap hole at Whistling Straits, is the penultimate test in a four-hole stretch of extremely challenging golf. Two well-played shots up the right-hand side should yield a par here, as once again anything missed to the left will likely result in double bogey or worse.

'Snake' sees the course turn once again inland, but the 584 yards that weave between two water hazards makes the fifth an equally rigorous test. The tee shot must split a fairway flanked by two long ponds, and the safe lay-up is well to the right, taking the water left out of play and opening up the green for the approach. A five at the fifth should be cherished.

'Shipwreck' looks very much like a mirror image of the third. To the right is nothing but sand; to the left, a series of tall mounds and sand dunes. A well-struck shot at the left side of the green is your best bet, as even the slightest miss will put the pressure on a deft short game.

The back nine begins to bear its teeth at the 585-yard 11th, where a delicate lay-up is required to avoid an enormous fairway bunker banked by Dye's trademark railroad ties. Once this hazard is avoided, the third remains; a short approach to a tiny green that falls off at every side into closely-cut swales.

Perhaps the best chance for birdie at Whistling Straits comes at the 16th, a 535-yard par five that moves slightly uphill. Two long shots up the right-hand side should leave just a short pitch into a broad, flat green that yields relatively flat, straight putts. Pad your score here, as the finishing pair will try and retract any ground gained.

The green at 17 is very deep, and accommodating to the 223-yard shot required. This, however, is hardly solace. Miss the green left, and you'll have to fish your ball out of Lake Michigan. Large bunkers and mounds on the right will leave a very difficult pitch back at the narrow green, with the cliffside looming just beyond. Enjoy your last views of the lake here, as the course turns inland for a challenging finish.

'Dyeabolical' indeed; this 470-yard finishing hole is probably the hardest par on the course. A great drive to the plateau fairway, cut alongside a deep waste bunker left, will leave a long approach into a green that is fronted by water and heavily-bunkered. The stately clubhouse is a fitting backdrop to a great finishing hole, and a great golf experience.