SHEBOYGAN COUNTY — Though the 43rd Ryder Cup is one month in the rear view mirror, the impact of the event on the area is ongoing. Whistling Straits is hosting golfers from all over the country who are living out the promise of the economic windfall the event was expected to bring.
“We flew in Sunday,” said Matt Kaplan, just before teeing off on Whistling Straits.
Kaplan was with a group of friends from Long Island, New York, who were spending nearly a week in Wisconsin. “We played Whistling. Then we played the Irish. Then we played Blackwolf Run. We played 36. We played Erin Hills. Playing one round now. Finishing up.”
Erin Hills in Washington County was the site of the 2017 U.S. Open golf tournament. It’s about an hour drive from the Kohler Golf properties, and a popular spot for out of state golfers as well.
Dan Steinberg, also from New York, said his group was anxious to come. “We saw the Ryder Cup, knew it was going to be here this year and we wanted to try to get here sometime before or after,” Steinberg said.
The folks at Kohler couldn’t be happier not only with how Ryder Cup week went, but with the buzz that continues.
“Wisconsin has become a world wide destination for golf,” explained Mike O’Reilly, PGA Director of Golf Operations for Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits. “One of the best in the world, here in Wisconsin. I think the Ryder Cup just put a nice bow on that, and we presented it to the world. I think people are going to keep coming.”
O’Reilly said they’re booking golf already into 2023. For more information on booking a round or a whole golf vacation, click here.
