But it is more than just the layout that makes the move such a no-brainer. It is the entire golf nirvana that industrialist Herb Kohler has built in that area over the past 15 years or so. He started with an 18-hole track along the Sheboygan River and has since added two other layouts, including Whistling Straits, with another set to open in August. And in doing that, Kohler has made the company town that carries his family name as famous for its golf as it has long been for the bathtubs and toilet bowls that are produced there. It's country in Kohler, and locals talk about leaving keys in cars overnight and never locking house doors, even when they go away for a while.
People smile easily and have no trouble striking up conversations.
There is an earnestness and depth to the folks you meet, as well as a real sense of authenticity, and you get the feeling that these denizens truly are glad to meet you when they stick out their hand and would do anything to make your visit enjoyable. Originally, this tasteful brick structure, which also has gardens, libraries, conference rooms and labyrinth-like nooks and halls, was a dormitory for foreign workers who toiled at the Kohler plant just across the street. Now, it is the perfect spot to prepare for, and then unwind from, a day of golf. Good as all that is, however, golf is really the best reason to come to Kohler, and I would go back in a second, even if I had to sleep in the back of a rental car and play in the driving rain. And there is more, about 20 minutes away, at the Blackwolf Run complex.