The Bull

Jun 18th, 2009

The Bull at Pinehurst Farms golf course review by Dan Perry Spent Memorial Weekend at The American Club in Kohler, and on the last day of our stay, we played the Bull at Pinehurst Farms. I had heard from my boss that it was a great design (only Nicklaus course in Wisconsin). In addition, it was only about 10 minutes from Kohler, and the cost was very reasonable, especially when considered to the cost of playing the Kohler courses. I remember reading somewhere that Nicklaus likes to start his courses with a practice hole, and the first hole could have been just that. Very straight-forward, not too long, and a green that undulated, but nothing serious. Actually, through the first three holes (par 4, 4 and 3 respectively) I thought to myself, “Is this it?” I really wasn’t that impressed. Even as my fourth tee shot landed over a hill and out of sight (but still in the fairway) I wasn’t really impressed. And then I reached the top of said hill, and knew that I was in for something special. The second shot plays downhill to a very tight green. It’s large, but well guarded by bunkers. Then came the fifth. It seems easy enough, for the uninitiated; a slight dogleg left, and just over 400 yards. From the tee, it’s a little difficult to see just how thin the fairway is. It’s all OB left, and a fence line with houses on the right. This is easily one of the toughest driving holes I’ve played. Even if you get a good poke off the tee, the approach is over a chasm of junk, with little room to bail. Nicklaus went from warm-up to world class in 5 holes. The 6th is an all-carry par 3, with bunkers on both sides of the green. The pin was front, making the landing area as tight as possible. This brings us to two details about The Bull; one I liked and one I disliked. Near the ladies tee on this hole, there was a “Personal Tee” marker from U.S. Kids Golf. These are placed on courses for beginner’s to use, and placed in such a position that the person playing may actually make a par. I’ve seen them on par 4’s from about 150 yards out. I LOVE this, and wish more courses would implement it. Now for the dislike. The on-course restrooms are, in my opinion, an embarrassment for this course. The Bull is an impressive Nicklaus design, on par with the neighboring Meadows Valley and River Courses at Blackwolf Run, and easily one of my favorites in the Midwest. The on-course restrooms are porta-potties. For a course this nice, it is borderline unacceptable. The seventh is another wonderfully, tight hole. The tee shot has got to be precise to have any chance of hitting this elevated green. Also, your approach is basically blind. The tenth is relatively easy. I wonder if Nicklaus made this a “practice” hole too, for those playing only 9 holes. In any case, it’s a dogleg right, with some water on the right, but some room to bail on the left. The 12th is a very scenic, long par 3. It’s 236 from the tips, and over 200 yards for all but the shortest set of tees. It’s a struggle to par here, with trouble everywhere. I really liked the 16th hole. It’s one of those holes that doesn’t reward the long hitter (which, ironically is me), but the accurate player (which, sadly is not me.) It’s a dogleg left, but a good tee shot can cut off a lot of the hole, so give it a shot. The green is pretty well guarded by bunkers (no surprise there), but there is room for bailing to the back right. The 18Th hole is probably the toughest finishing hole I’ve ever played. It’s a 485 yard par 4 from the tips, and it’s all into the wind. That’s right; I said a 485 yard par 4. That’s US Open length, AND it’s into the wind. Even the tees I played were 462; a true monster. I played it as a three-shot hole, and hoped to one-putt (which I didn’t). I can imagine that tournaments played here are lost more often than won on this hole. Definitely something to remember.I would be happy to play The Bull again. Once you play a course, you remember some of the nuances, and I think I’d probably have a better finishing score. If you are traveling to Kohler and planning to play some of the course there, I would consider including The Bull at Pinehurst farms in your travel plans. It’s less than 10 minutes away, a Nicklaus design, a shotmaker’s delight, and a fraction of the cost.