Wisconsin golf courses: tee times & green fees 2027
A Wisconsin golf trip usually runs on two hubs about two and a half hours apart. On the Lake Michigan side, Kohler holds four Pete Dye courses: the Straits and the Irish at Whistling Straits, on the bluffs north of Sheboygan, and the River and Meadow Valleys at Blackwolf Run, roughly 20 minutes inland beside the village. Destination Kohler runs both venues, takes public tee times without a room booking and prices each slot in its booking engine rather than on a rate card. In the middle of the state, Sand Valley is a walking-only resort on old glacial-lake sand with four 18-hole courses, and one of them, The Lido, is held back for resort guests. Each hub has its own airport. This page compares how you book, what caddies and carts cost, how to get between the two and when the season opens.
- Venues compared3
- Twilight savingUp to 45% (Kohler)
- Fly intoMKE, GRB or CWA
- SeasonLate Apr–Oct
- Kohler to Sand ValleyAbout 2½ hrs
Compare Wisconsin courses
Tap a pin for photos, prices and a booking link.
| Course | Green fee from | What’s included | Getting there | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 1Whistling StraitsTwo championship courses | Rates on request · how to book | Bookpackage via GolfbreaksRead the guide | ||
 2Blackwolf Run (River Course)Two Pete Dye courses & a par-3 course | Rates on request · how to book | Bookpackage via GolfbreaksRead the guide | ||
 3Sand ValleyMulti-course resort | Rates on request · how to book | BookRead the guide |
Prices are the lowest published or listed visitor rates we found, with their source and date on each guide. Partner links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. How we work
Which Wisconsin course should you book?
Whistling Straits
The Straits Course, where the United States won the 2021 Ryder Cup 19–9 after three PGA Championships. Eight holes run directly beside the lake, there are no carts, and a light stand bag under 24 pounds spares you the change-out bag.
Green fees & bookingBlackwolf Run (River Course)
Blackwolf Run’s River Course, 7,404 yards from the back tees with a slope of 151 and ranked 29th by GOLF among courses you can play. It takes GPS carts, and the Sheboygan River lines the whole left side of the opening par five.
Green fees & bookingSand Valley
Sand Valley, where all six courses are walked. Stay on site to get on The Lido, the recreation of C.B. Macdonald’s 1914 Long Island course open to resort guests Sunday to Thursday. The USGA picked it for four championships, starting with the 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur.
Green fees & bookingAll Wisconsin golf packages on Golfbreaks
What a round really costs.
- Green fee (priced by date)+
- Caddie or forecaddie+
- Cart (Kohler only)+
- Tax & tips
Kohler prices each tee time in its booking engine, and Sand Valley’s 2026 rate table shifts with season, guest status and holes played, so search your dates first. The extras are fixed. At Kohler, rounds from four and a half hours before sunset are 30% off, from two and a half hours they are 45% off, and a same-day replay is 45% off. A Straits caddie costs US$90 plus a suggested US$70 tip; the Irish and Blackwolf Run charge US$50 for a cart and US$60 for a forecaddie. Sand Valley caddies are US$100 per bag. Kohler adds sales tax and gratuity; Sand Valley adds tax.
Getting around.
Fly to whichever hub gets most of your rounds. Milwaukee (MKE) and Green Bay (GRB) are each about an hour from Kohler, and Chicago O’Hare (ORD), with more international routes, is about two and a half hours’ drive. For Sand Valley, Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA) is about 65 minutes away and Madison (MSN) about 1 hour 40 minutes. The cross-state drive between the hubs takes about two and a half hours, with Erin Hills as a possible stop. Around Kohler you need a car, because Whistling Straits is on a rural road outside Haven. At Sand Valley a 24-hour shuttle collects you from your door.
When to play.
All three venues close for the Wisconsin winter and reopen in late April. A slow spring in 2026 pushed Kohler’s openings to the end of that month, with Blackwolf Run projected for 25 April. Sand Valley plays until about late October. July and August are the warmest months, though the lake keeps the Whistling Straits shoreline cooler than ground further inland. September and October bring colour to the Sheboygan River hardwoods and quieter Kohler tee sheets, while May and October at Sand Valley are cool but calm. In any month, reserve Sand Valley caddies a week or more ahead.
Questions golfers ask.
Can you play Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run without staying in Kohler?
Yes. Both are public and booked through Destination Kohler, online or by phone (920-565-6062 for Whistling Straits, 855-444-2838 for central reservations). Packages bundle rooms if you want them: Breakaway to Blackwolf is two nights and three rounds, and To Dye Four is three nights and five rounds with cart and caddie fees included.
Which Wisconsin courses are walking only?
The Straits Course at Whistling Straits, which has no carts at all, and every course at Sand Valley, where push carts cost US$10 a day and ADA carts are available on request. The Irish and both Blackwolf Run 18s take GPS carts, while The Baths short course is walked.
Can I play The Lido at Sand Valley?
Only as a resort guest, Sunday to Thursday, and availability is limited. A golf-only booking still gets you onto the other courses, but cancelling it within 30 days of arrival costs the full deposit.
How much does a caddie cost in Wisconsin?
At the Straits, US$90 per person plus a suggested US$70 per bag tip. Blackwolf Run forecaddies are US$60 per player plus a suggested US$35. Sand Valley charges US$100 per bag, US$70 on Commons, US$60 for a junior caddie and US$40 per player for a forecaddie.
How far is Sand Valley from Whistling Straits?
About two and a half hours by car, heading west across the state. Erin Hills, the 2017 U.S. Open course, sits about an hour south-west of Kohler and a little closer to Sand Valley, so it suits a round on the transfer day.