Pete Dye is one of the faces behind another design trend, and that is golf architecture.
The Whistling Straits is the current home of the PGA championships this year, which measures 7,790 yards and plays to a 152 slope and course rating of 77.2, according to an article on golf.com. The luxury golf resort was opened in 1998 and is operated by The American Club. It is already commissioned to host the Ryder Cup in 2020, aside from being the 3-time official venue of the PGA Championship. It is currently the host golf course for this year's premiere sporting event.
Another article on ibtimes.com featured the golf resort as something that just sprung out of Pete Dye's imagination and being laid across Wisconsin land. Its main aesthetic quality was being situated along the shores of the Lake Michigan. Herb Kohler, owner of Whistling Straits, directed to Dye on creating an Ireland-inspired course out of an old airfield.
Still in the same article, the coveted golf course has over 1,012 bunkers, fescue rough and numerous sheer cliffs alongside Lake Michigan - it's also visually stunning, with undulating greenery along the edge of its shoreline as well as its share of rolling fairways. Dye incredibly turned an old, abandoned stretch of grass land into a popular golf course holding the #22 spot in America.
Dye's strong perception that "golf is never fair" holds true as he breathes life into his designs with the utmost complexity in mind. Take it from Denison student named Taylor, who revels in the beauty and exuberance of the said course, yet admires the challenges presented with the design of the golf course. He is also a mentor to aspiring golf design architects like Greg Norman and few others. Read more about Pete Dye's thoughts on the Whistling Straits during a featured interview by clicking here.
