Blackwolf Run The River Course Holes 16-18

Hole 16
Unter Der Linden
Par 5
620 | 560 | 540 | 511 | 483 yards

In what might be the coolest name for a golf hole (and also a 13th century poem by Walther von der Vogelweide),  the par 5 16th hole is the final three shotter of the round.  A double dogleg, this hole will test you again from tee to green, just like the last par 5 11th hole.

From the tees you must find the fairway.  If you thought the bunker on 15 was big, behold the chasm that is the landing bunker down the left side of this hole.  I think that this bunker may be over 150 yards long and contains more sand than may entire courses I have played.  A drive hit down there requires a extra shot to recover and get back on track.

The best play off the tee is a tee shot down the left side, but of course this brings into play the giant beach.  A shot played up the right is fine but brings the trees into play on your next shot.  These trees jut into play about 250 yards out and can require you to play your second shot too far left, which means your third shot is then in peril.  Brilliant design work here.

Your third shot into the green is dictated by two things, The now too familiar Sheboygan River, plodding down the left side of the hole and cozying right up against the green, and the Linden tree which acts to essentially block easy access to the green for anything but shots on the far right edge of the hole.

The green itself is sandwiched between the river and a deep bunker that hugs the right edge of most of the green.  Once again a true 3 shot tester for all but the most adept golfers.  A par here would be a wonderful thing.

Paul playing the part of bird dog- trying to scare out a pheasant from the fescue behind 16. 

Hole 17
Snapping Turtle
Par 3
181 | 175 | 168 | 153 | 131 yards

Finishing up the par 3s is this maniacal little hole.  For the record I never even sniffed a par on the par 3s all day.  I ended with 2 doubles and 2 bogeys.

On this hole a force carry over the water is required the entire length to the green.  There is room to miss right, but no room to miss left.  A very deep green makes club selection even more important.  Around the green there is only a single bunker situated behind the green.  To the right is a grassy hollow but most of the trouble here is offered up by the water that must be negotiated.

Hole 18
Dyehard
Par 4
510 | 47 | 440 | 415 | 351 yards

A fabulously difficult long par 4 finishes up a very memorable round on The River.  Off the tee the hole is dominated by the largest bunker in the world (well maybe not, but it has to be close)!  This bunker literally runs 460 yards, from nearly tee to green.  I was told that the course can flood this bunker if the groundskeeper is having a really bad day to add just one more place you can donate a couple of shiny new Pro Vs.

If you can avoid the rip in the earth down the left, there is one more bunker to worry about down the right side that is in play off the tee.  Further right offers up long grass to steal your ball.

Me hitting a shot out of the sand on the 18th. I advanced it onto the green from here so I was very happy about that.  

Should you find the short grass and avoid the acres of sand here, you must negotiate the hole as it doglegs left, mimicking the curve of the Sheboygan as it makes one last pass in your round.  The second shot will require a long iron to reach the green, which luckily is unguarded other than that sand monstrosity that follows you the entirety of this hole.

Take a moment to admire the clubhouse perched above the 18th green.  The clubhouse, which houses a golf shop, locker rooms and lounges, underground cart storage, a bar, restaurant, screened porch, and multiple meeting rooms is over 39,000 square feet!

The green itself is no slouch either.  It is a combination green for The River and The Meadow Valleys #18 holes and totals 23,000 square feet.

Final Thoughts

First of all a big thanks to Paul Seifert.  Being able to finally play a round together after several years communicating online was great.  While neither of us could say we played anywhere near our best, the memories of the round will certainly not be hampered by my poor play.

I could not have imagined a more perfect time to be golfing in Wisconsin.  I can not stress enough how absolutely beautiful the course was.  With the Fall foliage, the impeccable conditioning of the course, and the gobsmackingly great weather it was about as perfect a day for golf as you could ever hope to have.  I always tell people that Fall golf is my favorite time to golf, and this round may be the ultimate representation of why that is the case.

The River Course at Blackwolf Run is not an easy round of golf.  You will be tested from the first hole to the last.  But the tests are largely fair.  The opportunities abound to take on the course.  Successful risk taking is rewarded, but failure is also heavily penalized.  Only one hole (the 13th, grrrrrr) is one that I would be happy to never to play again.  With 17 other gems, and a couple of true masterpieces it is easy to see why The River Course has such a storied tradition of accolades heaped upon it annually.

The fees to play here are not cheap by any means ($275 + cart or caddie), but if you are in the Milwaukee area and want to test yourself on a truly WORLD CLASS golf course, The River is not a bad choice.  I will highly recommend this track to anyone who asks!

Next summer a bunch of my friends are planning a trip back out here to play The Straits, Erin Hills, and Blackwolf.  After this experience I will definitely be making that trip with them.  I cannot wait for another chance to get back here.

Blackwolf Run
855 444 2838
1111 W. Riverside Dr.
Kohler, WI 53044



Blackwolf Run The River Course Introduction
Blackwolf Run The River Course Holes 1-3
Blackwolf Run The River Course Holes 4-6
Blackwolf Run The River Course Holes 7-9
Blackwolf Run The River Course Holes 10-12
Blackwolf Run The River Course Holes 13-15