Planning your Wisconsin golf trip
Golf trip planning can be a year-round expedition. At Erin Hills, we call these intrepid planners “trip captains” — those that research, plan, lead and book their group’s golf experience each year. (And sometimes two or three times a year.) As planning progresses, golf trip text chains typically come alive. Perhaps you’ve even narrowed (or booked) your spot. But as you select your 2024 golf stay & play destination, know that Erin Hills will offer a number of Stay & Play specials, including our most popular package — a reduced (and sometimes complimentary) second round for those paying for a round and staying at Erin Hills. Take advantage of May, June, July or October packages that include a partial or fully-comped second round when you play one round and pay to spend the night at Erin Hills.
Can an Amenity Be a Rarity?
Amenities can take a golf trip from ho-hum to oh-wow. To get to that oh-wow moment, however, takes imagination, and that’s something Erin Hills has proven to have in surplus. In fact, it’s fair to say there are amenities here that are rarities in the world of golf, starting with a new putting course set to open this summer.
Putting Purely for Fun
While the two practice putting greens at Erin Hills are for perfecting strokes and getting a feel for the speed of the greens before the round, Drumlin Putting Course that opened August 1, 2019, is a different animal entirely, purely for fun with an after-dusk element to it. Competitions director John Morrissett said this type of course is a rarity, even among championship courses.
“Players will face some putts they’ve never faced before. It will be a challenge, and we’re really going out of our way to make sure the holes are varied,” said Morrissett. “It’s safe to say there will be two holes long and difficult enough to be labeled Par 3.”
The Drumlin will have understated lighting, allowing golfers to enjoy this new putting course after dinner and before turning in for the night. “One of the nice things about Erin Hills is that it is so quiet and dark, making for an intimate atmosphere in the evening,” noted Morrissett.
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Getting Serious About Practice
Golfers looking for serious practice can head to the Short Game Area where they’ll find two full-size greens separated by 130 yards of fairway with bunkers at varying distances. Each green has three differently colored flags, allowing the winner of each challenge to pick the next shot to be played.
Practice & Warm-Up FacilityKettle Loop
There’s also the Kettle Loop, offering a different take on five holes on the course thanks to two new and three seldom-used tees. Guests arriving late often head out to the Kettle Loop to whet their appetite for the day ahead. It’s also a nice add-on for those coming off 18 holes craving more, even as the late afternoon sun paints the course in golden hues.
Kettle LoopCrash the Caddie Barn
Finally, there’s one amenity that’s experienced not on the course but rather in a generations-old historic structure on the property. It’s the Caddie Barn, which serves as bag drop by day and a place for overnight guests to “crash” by night. Golfers can play the games their trusted caddies play, including ping pong, pool, darts, shuffleboard and a new Golden Tee video game that four can play at once. There are five big screen TVs and drink service for golfers too, all adding to the laid-back party atmosphere.
Golf CaddiesAprès-Golf Recreation
While Erin Hills has been the site of many storied championships, including the 2017 U.S. Open, the tradition, as a public walking-only course, is to be welcoming to all who love the game. Dawn to dusk, golfers are only a short stroll away from a host of golf-centric amenities — from the Drumlin putting course where levity is the name of the game to the Kettle Loop (offering a second look at five holes from new tees) for late afternoon arrivals or those who aren’t ready to pull themselves off the course after 18. The idea of heading to the practice area takes on a whole new meaning with the addition of Toptracer Range technology where your driving game is assessed in a thoroughly modern way.