Becoming Blackwolf Run

By 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Hagenbach
• Release date: Jun 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310619878

Mark Hagenbach

Mark Hagenbach is a husband, father of two and a Life Member of the PGA of America. Having played golf for 54 years he is passionate about the game and the opportunities it presents. Those opportunities have led him to writing and sharing his experiences. He enjoys coaching and teaching the game to all levels especially young players.In 1987 Mr. Hagenbach was hired as the first head professional for Kohler's first entrant to the golf world, Blackwolf Run. His efforts led to the initial success that propelled the resort to garnering national recognition as one of the finest in the world. As the author states, without Blackwolf Run there would be no Whistling Straits.Residing in Green Bay, Wisconsin he spends the cold months writing and eagerly awaits the arrival of spring. A Chicago Bear fan, he enjoys the good-natured ribbing from Packer Nation 365 days a year.

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Becoming Blackwolf Run

By Mark Hagenbach, PurePlayGolf, LLC

Copyright 2015 By Mark Hagenbach, PurePlayGolf, LLC

Researched and written by Mark Hagenbach, PurePlayGolf, LLC

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights of the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior written permission.

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Printed in USA

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Table Of Contents

Introduction

Prelude

Chapter 1 -- Kohler, Wisconsin

Chapter 2 -- In The Beginning

Chapter 3 -- Kohler Hospitality Group

Chapter 4 -- HVK

Chapter 5 -- Pete Dye

Chapter 6 -- The Professional

Chapter 7 -- Course Walk

Chapter 8 -- Course Play

Chapter 9 -- River 8

Chapter 10 -- Construction and Maintenance

Chapter 11 -- Setting the Stage

Chapter 12 -- Put In The Flags

Chapter 13 -- Press Day / WI PGA -- IL PGA

Chapter 14 -- Opening Day

Chapter 15 -- Ratings and Rankings

Chapter 16 -- Oak Tree

Chapter 17 -- The Third Nine

Chapter 18 -- Going to Four

Chapter 19 -- Herb's Follies

Chapter 20 -- Holing Out

Postlude

About Mark Hagenbach

Connect with Mark Hagenbach

Introduction

To understand how a book finds it way to its final configuration it helps to capture a bit of the author's background. I'll touch on a few experiences that have brought me to this point.

More than fifty years ago I became fascinated with a game involving a club, a ball and too small of a hole. Little did I know then golf would propel my efforts on an array of vectors shaping my beliefs, my family, my profession as well as my close friendships. In a word golf has shaped my life. A day doesn't go by where I am not engaged with some aspect of the game.

Kida are great imitators. I was no different growing up in a golfing family. At the age of four I just did what my parents and siblings were doing. My equipment came from a dime store, Ben Franklin or Woolworth. I smashed my share of wiffle balls around our yard until one afternoon my mom garnered the courage to take me to the golf course. From that day forward I couldn't get enough.

Three PGA Professionals helped me develop my game. Leading the way was Frank Lovrine, at the time the head professional at the South Side Country Club (SSCC) in Decatur, Illinois. Steve Cheaney replaced Frank a few years later and was ultimately followed by Jim Arendt. Jim later hired me as an assistant professional after my graduation from Furman University in 1979, starting me on my career path.

All three professionals contributed markedly to my love of the game. Frank taught me how to act on and off the course. Steve was a golf club technician helping me comprehend the fitting aspects of equipment. Jim encouraged and supported spirited junior play and the benefits of playing away from home.

During my youth I met my closest friends at SSCC often playing five days a week during the summer chasing the sun out of the sky. Our days usually consisted of at least 27 holes followed by a dip in the pool and maybe an emergency nine at day's end. After dark when we couldn't see the hole while putting we'd light packs of matches and toss them in the cup. Retrieving a holed putt was tricky. Those were great days to be a kid. Today we make it a point to gather at least once a year, get it airborne and share a few stories.

College afforded me the opportunity to meet players from all parts of the country, two of whom were inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Once my professional career commenced in Chicago I came in contact with influential business leaders, respected golf professionals, fellow staff members, celebrities, politicians, and so many others. I've met major champions, instructed club champions, mentored high school champions, and taught junior champions. I worked for World Golf Hall of Fame member Ken Venturi having the chance to play with him on occasion. As the years went by I met more and more folks through the game. It is a special world and I've always said the lure of golf attracts everyone from hobos to CEO's. The connections made through the game are life changing. I've benefitted from more than a few.

By no means am I a world traveler but the few times I've ventured out of the United States have been the result of a golf excursion. I'm not enthralled by taking in aging architecture or world history. I've capitalized on opportunities to visit Scotland and Ireland. Playing courses that have existed for hundreds of years provides my history lessons. Every course, the conditions from the turf to the weather, each hole tells its own story and often allows the player to add their own chapters.

Looking back I am defined by those whom I have met through the game since I've been playing it for fifty-four years. Many of these chaps have nicknames. It's more fun telling a story using a bunch of nicknames. In a crowded setting it may serve to protect the innocent or invites eavesdroppers to ask, Who are these characters!?!

There are letter initials such as RB, PE, JWA, JD, TW, AP, and PC (or Patio). First names, for instance Jimmie, Jack, Russ (aka Locka), Arnie, Robert, Charlie, Bob, Ritchie and Frankie count too. Embellished first or last names like Dougliano, Arnell, Tater, Edge, Bookie, Kunks, and Jonesy. You're sure to like the creative tags -- Paulie Lama, Draino, Rook, Mitchy, Smooth, Major, Sack Daddy, Moose, Downtown Jackie Brown, The Judge, The Big Man, Fraz, Fast Eddie, The Wizard, Fisch, Floatboat, Pumpkinhead, Champ, Scribbles, Grandpa, Hippie, Batman, Rocket, Dr Z, Lance-a-lot, Chum, Fred-Fred, Luscious Lars, and even my label, Haigs. Plenty of Hall-of-Famers in this bunch.

Here are a few additional quick insights. Today I play a few rounds every week. Golf is an occasion and I approach each opportunity with a fondness of being able to still participate at an acceptable level. Other times I can be found on the practice tee or course helping players with their games. Why more players don't take playing lessons is a mystery to me. I'm not averse to sitting down and having a beer.... as long as you're buying. I'm old school -- it takes me awhile to move up the tech curve with regards to equipment and apparel. Over the years I'm not sure the game has gotten better. The ball goes too far and is harder to maneuver. I miss metal spikes, persimmon woods, blades, Bulls-Eye putters, and golf balls you could cut in two with a poor swing. You'll find a rule book in my golf bag. If my slacks aren't ironed or my shoes relatively clean then you are likely playing with someone else. At times I have an ability to make some of the most amazing pars you've ever seen. With my game as long as I have a swing, I have a shot. It's the same in life -- just give yourself a swing. Lastly, I want to set the record straight. I coined the phrase doublecross describing a pull hook resulting from a fade set up. It just flew out of my mouth in a moment of frustration during a high school match. Don't give credit to those TV announcers. They stole it from me!

While I've told numerous stories, listened to many more and written quite a few, I arrived at this point wanting to share one of my most significant exploits in print. Becoming Blackwolf Run tells an accurate story of the daunting task to introduce one of the finest new golf courses in the state, the one that changed the direction of Wisconsin golf. It didn't come about without a few head scratching moments but in the end it came together. Today Destination Kohler offers the finest resort golf properties available anywhere in the world.

Prelude

Faced with the enticing choice to play an upscale golf resort in 1985, the choices were well established. Hawaii offered sun-splashed islands with plenty of destinations like Kapalua or Mauna Kea. California sported La Costa in Southern California or Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsula. Colorado’s Broadmoor always garnered national acclaim with its scenic Robert Trent Jones layouts tucked into the Rockies. The Greenbrier and The Homestead lured guests to the Appalachian Mountains in the Virginia's while Florida’s Doral gave players a chance to tackle their assortment of four courses including the famed Blue Monster.

During this time if you asked sophisticated golfers whether Kohler, Wisconsin would be rated as one of the world’s top golf destinations in fifteen years, they might have snickered in their snifters. Yet today Kohler is indeed a highly acclaimed golf destination featuring four of the finest Pete Dye layouts at two different locations – Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run. It has quickly climbed the rankings and sits on top of most lists.

This is the account of how a plumbing company went from toilets to tee boxes in establishing one of the world’s premier golf resorts. It is the remarkable story of the men and women who opened the doors to the fairways of Blackwolf Run on June 1, 1988 and set the wheels in motion putting the finishing touches on Herbert V. Kohler’s dream of Destination Kohler.

As Whistling Straits hosts its third PGA Championship this year, this book chronicles how the original eighteen hole course at Blackwolf Run opened the eyes of the golfing world. For without Blackwolf Run or the vision and deep pockets of Herb Kohler, along with the creativity of Pete Dye, Kohler might have remained a sleepy little village with only an fashionable inn. Without the success and first year honors for Blackwolf Run there may have been no impetus to pursue a project along the shores of Lake Michigan that would lead to hosting three PGA Championships and a future Ryder Cup.

Herb Kohler often talks about providing the experience for guests at his hospitality businesses. His facilities are unique, accommodating and of the highest standard. Yet facilities alone only provide a portion of the experience.

Becoming Blackwolf Run tells the story through the eyes of the author about the challenge to bring the facility into an operational mode. It contains facts and figures as well as behind-the-scenes looks at some of the unconventional methods employed to get things done. At times the facts and figures might be a bit dry (grab your favorite beverage) but they are accurate and informative. The book recognizes the people who dug in the dirt, mowed the grass, cleaned the golf carts, reserved tee times, cooked the meals and served the drinks, as well as those who offered a friendly hello each day to our guests. Here are the initial steps — some funny, some tragic, some eccentric, while others featured a battle of egos all leading to the success of Blackwolf Run. The beginning of this journey to where Kohler Golf has arrived today was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

*****

In order to follow the storylines of this book it is necessary that one familiarizes himself with the original routing of Blackwolf Run. You need to be a type of golf nerd to navigate your way through the story. My intent in writing this story was to be as factual as possible. Perhaps I overdid things a bit but this is how things took shape back in the day.

Today the facility comprises two eighteen hole courses, the River and the Meadow/Valleys. Both include holes from the primary layout that was introduced to the golf world in 1988. A new "link hole, number ten on the Meadow/Valleys (the 37th hole), appeared when the decision came along to build the fourth nine at Blackwolf Run.

In typical Herb Kohler fashion, rather than call the original eighteen hole course Blackwolf Run, each of the two nines were named. The outward nine was designated as the River, the inward nine the Valleys. Holes were labeled as River 3, Valleys 5, instead of one through eighteen. At the same time these two nines opened construction began winding up on the Meadow, a nine hole layout directly west of the Valleys sitting on a nondescript piece of ground. Eventually all three nines would be incorporated into the play rotation at Blackwolf Run during the second season.

I will refer to the holes in the way they were designated in 1988. It may cause some initial confusion but I wish to tell the story as accurately as possible according to the way it was referenced in 1987-1989. For those lucky enough to play the original River and Valleys nines the first two years you can reminisce about your personal experiences as you read along. At the outset players were greeted by a smaller clubhouse, gas carts ferried them to the holes, the rough grasses were a bit more penal and a player could enjoy a round and a few beers for under $100.00. I hope this book inspires wonderful memories from the beginnings of a special place that has added frustration and exhilaration to those who were fortunate to play this scenic layout during its inception.

Introduction of the Players:

Mark Hagenbach -- The Professional

Herbert V. Kohler Jr. – CEO, Kohler Company

Pete Dye – Course Builder, Blackwolf Run

Susan Green – President, Kohler Hospitality Division

Alice Hubbard – Manager, Blackwolf Run

Marc Davison – Golf Course Superintendent, Blackwolf Run

Scott Pool – Course Construction Supervisor for Pete Dye

John Green – Head of Kohler Landscape Design (husband of Susan Green)

Mary Hert – Food and Beverage Manager, Blackwolf Run

Bob Phillips – Associate Golf Professional, Blackwolf Run

Jim Adair – Assistant Golf Professional, Blackwolf Run

Tim Klauk – Assistant Golf Professional, Blackwolf Run

Chapter 1

Kohler, Wisconsin

Thirty years ago if you mentioned the name Kohler it usually meant one thing – toilets. Affixed to the backs of commodes, the tops of urinals or under faucet spouts on lavatories, the name greeted folks attending to their daily bodily functions. When you bring up the name today it is likely golf rolls off the tongue when someone mentions Kohler. Although the company makes its bread and butter from their plumbing division, the fact is Kohler and golf are now synonymous. No other property has made such a significant impact on the sport in such a short period of time. As Whistling Straits readies to host the 2015 PGA Championship for the third time in its brief history, the world of golf is well aware of what Kohler now stands for.

Like most, the first time I experienced Kohler involved emptying my bladder. Whether it was as a young student at St. James grade school in Decatur, Illinois, at a restaurant in the Midwest during a summer vacation, or perhaps at a friend’s home (we had American Standard fixtures), the Kohler name always attracted my attention as I took care of business. I really didn’t care about the name plastered across the porcelain. The only thing I knew was that Kohler manufactured plumbing fixtures and I had used several of them. I had no idea a small village in Wisconsin also shared the name. Surely I never expected Kohler and the sport of golf would one day be interrelated. Never could I have imagined I would be hired in 1987 to set up their initial golf operation.

I first heard of the village of Kohler during my senior year of high school in 1975. Attending a residential Jesuit Preparatory school in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin I met a cocky, long-haired basketball player named Dave. He transferred to Campion High School as a junior. On the hardwood he possessed a smooth basketball style while off the court his arrogance lent itself to partying with friends as well as gracing a classroom with his presence on occasion.

I liked Dave. He walked a fine line between decency and deviance. His competitive nature and self-assuredness was always a challenge during an insult session. Eventually I learned Dave hailed from Kohler located on the eastern side of the state. I asked Dave if the toilets had any connection to his hometown. Yep, he’d reply. The world craps on us every day.

Over the course of the next few years I’d hear of Kohler while watching North Carolina basketball. Attending Furman University in South Carolina during the late 1970’s I saw my share of ACC basketball. A close friend of mine, John Johns (honestly, that is his name), was a rabid fan of the Tar Heels -- he knew everything from Dean Smith’s shirt size to the seating capacity of Carmichael Auditorium. Jeff Wolf, a point guard for UNC hailed from Kohler. Both of us thought it was interesting a player on the national stage for a perennial powerhouse grew up playing basketball in Kohler, Wisconsin. A few years later younger brother Joe made his way to Chapel Hill and parlayed his collegiate years into a solid NBA career.

Fate has a funny way of availing itself. It subtly formulates its predetermined plan while we are occupied with our everyday world. Then, before realizing what has happened, it sits directly in front of you saying I told you so. Back in the 1970’s I never thought I’d be working in Kohler, Wisconsin. No, the South would be where I’d lay down my roots, enjoying hot summers and mild winters while seizing the chance to play golf