Erin Hills #18 and Holy Hill in Distance

Getting To Know: Erin Hills

An Insightful Interview With John Morrissett, Competitions Director

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with John Morrissett who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
The course is laid out over undulating terrain left by glaciers thousands of years ago. Very little earth was moved in the construction of the course, as there was no need to do so, given the wonderful and varied terrain. The fine fescue fairways allow the course to play firm and fast, thereby emphasizing the natural contours. The expansive (652 acres) property keeps artificial distractions far from the course. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten designed the course, which opened in 2006.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
Erin Hills is that rare mix of championship golf on a beautifully natural site. In its brief history, Erin Hills quickly established itself as a favorite of the United States Golf Association. It hosted the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship and the 2011 U.S. Amateur. It will also host the 2017 U.S. Open, the first one ever to be played in Wisconsin.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
It helps to take one of our professional caddies, as the best line from each tee and strategy for each hole are not always readily apparent to the first-time visitor. Expect the ball to run on the fescue fairways and the bent greens to putt true.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
The national championships awarded to Erin Hills by the USGA:

* 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship
* 2011 U.S. Amateur
* 2017 U.S. Open

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
There are several candidates, and we'll go with the long 18th. Measuring more than 660 yards from the back tees, the 18th plays directly towards the Lodge and Holy Hill. Despite its length, the hole can be reached in two with a west wind. Without such a wind, though, the player must carefully tack his way from tee to green. The second shot requires much thought to determine the best place to leave a reasonable third. With the second shot it is difficult to play well to the right and not directly towards the visible flagstick. The approach is challenging as the players cannot see the large drop-off behind and left of the green; their eyes are focused on the bunkers in front of the green and not on the unseen dangers beyond.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
The par 5 1st, as the greensite encourages approach shots to be bounced into the green. As the players in the 2011 U.S. Amateur did with their second shots, it is fun to watch a ball land 30 yards short and right of the green and wind up in the middle of the green. Where you want the ball to finish and where you want the ball to land can be two very different places on this hole.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
The Irish Whisky Barbecue Ribs. They fall off the bone!

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
Ben Geyer and Mike Ignasiak - 66 (during the stroke-play portion of the 2011 U.S. Amateur)

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72
Yardage: 7823
Slope: 145
Rating: 77.9

More Information
Erin Hills
7169 County Road O
Erin, WI, 53027
866-772-4769
www.erinhills.com

Revised: 04/30/2012 - Article Viewed 32,249 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.