mark hagenbach

As Whistling Straits prepares to host its third PGA Championship in eleven years, the story behind the story has come to light about the beginnings of Kohler golf with the introduction of Blackwolf Run, Golf Digest's Best New Public Course of the Year for 1988.
In 1985 the Kohler Company announced the concept for their first golf course to complement its portfolio of noted hospitality businesses. Pete Dye was hired to build the championship layout. This is the story of of the billionaire owner, Herb Kohler, the noted golf course designer of the era's most identifiable course, TPC Sawgrass, and a young PGA Professional intent on setting up an exceptional golf operation. Factual, informative, amusing and packed with references of a unique group of individuals who came together to take the first steps in establishing Kohler golf as one of today's leading resort golf destinations in the world. The book also includes the original design specifications, ratings and details of how Blackwolf Run garnered national recognition. Today that layout can no longer be played. With the addition of 18 more holes, the original River and Valleys nines at Blackwolf Run. had to be split up.
Mark Hagenbach's precise representation of the process involved to bring Blackwolf Run to the public allows one to peek behind the scenes of a plumbing company's efforts to "tee it up." A portion of the proceeds bebefit the Wisconsin PGA Jr Foundation. Thank you for your support.