Over the past 25 years, Kohler, Wisconsin has steadily built a reputation as a must-visit golf resort, largely due to its four distinctive Pete Dye-designed courses. As Dirk Willis, Kohler’s VP of golf, likes to point out, the combination of Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits “put Wisconsin on the map as a global golf destination.”

Beyond their architectural pedigree, Kohler’s courses have hosted six major championships, as well as the 43rd Ryder Cup in 2021. When the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open was played on a composite layout at Blackwolf Run—one which incorporated holes from both the River and Meadows Valley courses—the rest of the world learned what savvy golf travelers had already known for the better part of a decade: that Kohler’s contribution to golf was truly championship caliber.

Across those seven prestigious events, a slew of memorable shots have also been hit, including remarkable recoveries and unbelievable tee shots that led to trophy-lifting celebrations. During the aforementioned U.S. Women’s Open, for example, Se Ri Pak found herself standing shin-dip in water, pitching her ball from a gnarly lie on a steep embankment and back onto flat ground. Incredibly, she had to hit the shot near the end of an 18-hole playoff, and the recovery allowed her to extend the match with Jenny Chausiriporn. Pak ultimately went on to win the championship on the second, sudden-death playoff hole.

“This event launched women’s golf into another level of popularity,” says Mike O’Reilly, Kohler’s general manager for golf. “It shaped the future of the game as many Asian girls aspired to be like Se Ri Pak.”

Six years later, Vijay Singh was also thrust into a three-hole playoff during the PGA Championship, and on that first hole, the 380-yard, par-four 10th, the Fijian pro (then the number-three-ranked player in the world) piped a drive that landed on the firm fairway and bounded up the slope, almost reaching the green. “Not everyone hit it 300-plus yards back in 2004, so this was truly a remarkable shot,” O’Reilly acknowledges. “He took a risky line and it paid off. If he didn’t carry it as far as he did—or if he pulled it a little left—he’d be stuck in a bunker or in the fescue. Struggling for par from there is a real possibility, so pulling off that shot and setting up a birdie was incredible.”

More recently, during the 43rd Ryder Cup in 2021, Bryson DeChambeau hit an equally eye-popping drive on the 603-yard, par-5 fifth hole during the Friday afternoon fourball matches. Taking aim at least 30 degrees right of the opening stretch of fairway, DeChambeau unleashed a mammoth tee shot to cut the corner of the dogleg. The result? A 417-yard drive (as the crow flies) that left him a knockdown wedge to the green. “He turned a challenging par 5 into an easy par 4,” O’Reilly remarks, “and he made a 3!”

During the foursome matches the day before, Jordan Spieth hit one of the most remarkable recovery shots you’ll ever see. On the par-3 17th, standing precariously on the steep embankment that runs away from the green and toward Lake Michigan, Spieth took a mighty lash with a wedge, hacking out of gnarly fescue grass and hitting a sky-high flop shot that might have traveled 100 feet up in the air but no more than 10 yards forward. In the most unlikely of scenarios, he gave his partner, Justin Thomas, a chance to make a 6-foot putt to halve the hole. “This is not a shot that many people can hit or that many courses can provide,” O’Reilly says.

For avid amateur players, the courses at Kohler provide more than just those occasional unique shots; they let golf enthusiasts trace the steps of the champion golfers who have come before them—hopefully avoiding situations like the one Spieth found himself in during the Ryder Cup. Better still, the resort offers a multitude of golf packages, which allow travelers to experience the best of Kohler’s golf amenities, no matter how limited their time.

The pinnacle of those offerings is the Experience Kohler Package. Aptly described by the resort as “the ultimate golf trip,” this five-night stay centers on four rounds of golf—one on each of the resort’s 18-hole courses—but also includes (among other experiences) a 30-minute lesson at the Kohler Golf Academy; unlimited use of the resort’s practice facilities; complimentary replay rounds on the Meadow Valleys, Irish, and The Baths courses; and daily access to the resort’s 500-acre wilderness preserve.

By contrast, To Dye Four, a three-night package, includes four rounds of golf, complimentary replay rounds, a 30-minute lesson, and unlimited use of the practice facilities. It just doesn’t factor in access to River Wildlife and lacks other lifestyle services, such as an 80-minute treatment at Kohler Waters Spa, which is a part of the larger Experience Kohler package.

For those who are limited on time, there’s even a two-night package, Champions Trail, which includes rounds of golf on the Straits and the River courses, a loop on the Baths—the resort’s superb short course—plus a third round on either the Meadow Valleys or Irish course. A 30-minute lesson is also included, as are complimentary same-day replay rounds on the Irish, Meadow Valleys and Baths courses (pending availability).

In other words, much like your shot options on any one of Kohler’s four Pete Dye creations, when it comes to planning your visit to this golf mecca on the shores of Lake Michigan, you have choices. Whether you’re seeking an immersive, all-encompassing stay or a quick taste of what the resort has to offer, Kohler, Wisconsin has a golf package with your name on it.