Public Play · Golf Trips from Chicago
Blackwolf Run — River CourseKohler
Pete Dye's River course at Blackwolf Run, following the Sheboygan River valley in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Par
72
Yardage
7,404
Rating · Slope
76.2 · 151
Holes
18
Green Fee
Contact for pricing
The Course
About Blackwolf Run — River Course
Of the two 18-hole Pete Dye courses at Blackwolf Run, part of the Kohler resort, the River is the one that follows the Sheboygan River from the first tee to the last green. It is open to the public and a trip from Chicago (the resort puts O'Hare 134 miles away), so plan on an overnight or a long day. From the Black tees it plays 7,404 yards with a 151 slope. Carts have fairway access when weather allows, and forecaddies are optional.
History
Blackwolf Run — River Course — History
Herb Kohler developed Blackwolf Run with Pete Dye. Its first 18 holes opened in 1988, and when more holes followed over the next two summers the originals were split. The River keeps nine of them, Nos. 1-4 and 14-18, plus nine built in 1990, per Planet Golf. Those nine originals, with the Meadow Valleys back nine, formed the composite course for the 1998 and 2012 U.S. Women's Opens, won by Se Ri Pak and Na Yeon Choi.
Design
Blackwolf Run — River Course — Design
Dye liked to say the River course was found rather than built, and Kohler describes terrain carved by glacial runoff, following five miles of valley and bluff. Planet Golf notes spacious fairways but tight, treacherously contoured greens, several pressed against the riverbank, with water, trees and mounding complicating approaches. GOLF.com points to angled greens set on plateaus and risk-reward par 5s with water close by.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Blackwolf Run — River Course
Nine of its holes formed part of the composite course for two U.S. Women's Opens, and the river shapes play from the opening par 5 to the 18th, which shares its green with the Meadow Valleys finishing hole.
The Round
The Journey at Blackwolf Run — River Course
I.
The Opening
The Sheboygan River runs the entire left side of the 610-yard 1st, whose deep green complicates club selection. Severe mounds right and dense foliage left frame the 377-yard 2nd, and the 468-yard 3rd, the No. 1 handicap, bends past a big bunker to an undulating green. A lake runs the length of the 219-yard 4th. The 427-yard 5th opens with a wide view from the tee, and the 388-yard 6th doglegs along a bluff that falls 80 feet to the river.
II.
The Middle
A deep ravine must be carried at the 426-yard 7th, which ends at one of the smallest greens. At the 532-yard 8th the drive crosses the river valley to a fairway about 50 feet below, then the hole turns sharply right onto a split-level fairway. The 361-yard 9th offers a safe line left or a risky one to a lower fairway by the river. Water and sand nearly ring the 227-yard 10th, the river runs right of the 621-yard 11th, and the 486-yard 12th, No. 2 handicap, carries a lagoon.
III.
The Finish
The 231-yard 13th plays to a long, deep green behind heavy bunkering, with the river right and a large tree left; GOLF.com and Planet Golf both single it out as a hard shot for players who fade or slice. The 346-yard 14th returns to Swan Lake, the 374-yard 15th has three big bunkers and a downhill approach, and the 620-yard 16th winds downhill past a towering linden. Water fronts the 181-yard 17th, and the 510-yard 18th, the longest par 4, bends around a fairway bunker toward the river.
How to Play It
Blackwolf Run — River Course — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
At 76.2/151 from the Black tees, this is a course to play from a forward set. Treat the 1st, 11th and 16th as three-shot par 5s and keep the river on the far side of every miss. On the 6th, follow Kohler's advice and steer left, away from the bluff. A forecaddie helps with the forced carries at the 7th and 8th.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
Dye's fairways are roomy but the greens are tight and contoured, so play to the fat part of the green rather than the flag. At the 9th, the conservative line left is the percentage play. On the 12th, decide how much of the lagoon to carry before teeing off, and on the 16th stay left off the tee, as the club suggests, for a clearer look past the linden.
Advanced / Low Handicap
The 9th rewards a bold line toward the lower fairway, and Planet Golf notes a short cut through tall trees across an elbow of the river. The 13th demands a draw over the stream or a high shot over the trees, so a fade bias needs a plan there. On the 18th, the more of the left side you cut off, the more the long fairway bunker comes into play.
Signature Holes
Blackwolf Run — River Course — Signature Holes
The Card
Blackwolf Run — River Course Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 37 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 72 |
| Yards | 610 | 377 | 468 | 219 | 427 | 388 | 426 | 532 | 361 | 3,808 | 227 | 621 | 486 | 231 | 346 | 374 | 620 | 181 | 510 | 3,596 | 7,404 |
| Handicap | 5 | 13 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 11 | — | 14 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 4 | — | — |
Good to Know
Blackwolf Run — River Course — questions answered
- How do I book a tee time at Blackwolf Run — River Course?
- Blackwolf Run — River Course takes tee-time bookings directly on its own website. Golf in CHI links the course's booking page on this listing.
- Who designed Blackwolf Run — River Course?
- Blackwolf Run — River Course was designed by Pete Dye.
- What is the par and yardage at Blackwolf Run — River Course?
- Blackwolf Run — River Course plays to a par of 72 over 7,404 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 76.2 and a slope of 151.
- Is Blackwolf Run — River Course public or private?
- Blackwolf Run — River Course is open to public play. Tee times can be reserved in advance.
- Where is Blackwolf Run — River Course located?
- Blackwolf Run — River Course is located at 1111 W. Riverside Drive, Kohler, WI 53044, in the Golf Trips from Chicago area of Chicagoland.
More in Golf Trips from Chicago
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Pete Dye's public Meadow Valleys course at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, finishing across the Sheboygan River.
Pete Dye · Kohler
Whistling Straits — The Straits
Pete Dye's walking-only links on two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline near Kohler, Wisconsin.
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Whistling Straits — The Irish
Pete Dye's second course at Whistling Straits, crossing Seven Mile Creek and skirting the coastal dunes.
How to Play It
Book a Tee Time at Blackwolf Run — River Course.
Blackwolf Run — River Course takes its tee sheet directly — book your round on the club's own site.
Golf in CHI is an independent guide — we don’t sell tee times or mark them up. We map the exact way on.