The Re-Tee Review | Erin, Wisconsin
There are certain golf courses that make an impression before you ever hit your first tee shot, and Erin Hills is definitely one of them. Walking up toward the pro shop and looking out over the property is one of my favorite experiences in golf. The landscape seems to stretch forever, with massive rolling hills, tall fescue, and almost no trees in sight. You can see just how enormous the property is, and you know you’re about to spend the next several hours playing a golf course that’s going to challenge every part of your game.
I’ve been fortunate enough to play Erin Hills twice, first in 2020 and again in 2024, and both experiences reinforced just how much I love this golf course. There’s something about the property that almost makes you forget you’re in Wisconsin. With the rolling terrain, treeless landscape, and greens tucked into the dunes, it feels like you’ve been transported to somewhere in Ireland or Scotland. It’s a spectacular place to play golf, and the walk is one of the things that makes it so special.
The Golf
Erin Hills is a true championship-caliber golf course, and that’s one of the things I enjoy most about it. It’s difficult, there’s no question about that, but I also think it’s incredibly fair. If you keep the ball where you’re supposed to and make good decisions, you can play some really good golf. Get out of position, though, and the course can make things difficult pretty quickly. I love that combination because you feel like you’re being tested throughout the entire round without feeling like the course is unfairly punishing you.
The opening par 5 is a perfect example of how Erin Hills challenges you. Standing on the tee, it looks like you have all the room in the world, and to some extent, you do. But as you work your way toward the green, the landing areas become much more demanding. The approach can be narrow, the green is difficult to hold, and there’s plenty of runoff waiting if you miss your target. It’s a relatively friendly opening hole, but it gives you an early introduction to the decisions you’ll be making all day.
Then you get to the second hole, and Erin Hills really starts to show its personality. You’re immediately dealing with blind tee shots, dunes, and landing areas that aren’t always obvious from where you’re standing. This is one of the reasons I strongly recommend taking a caddie, especially if it’s your first time playing. There are lines off the tee that you simply wouldn’t know to take without someone familiar with the course. Even having a forecaddie would make a big difference in understanding where to hit the ball and how to approach certain holes.
As you work your way through the third and fourth holes, you start to appreciate how creative the design really is. For such a massive property, Erin Hills has some surprisingly small landing areas and greens that seem almost impossible to find among all those hills. You can be standing on a tee looking at an enormous landscape, yet the shot you’re being asked to hit requires quite a bit of precision. It’s a really enjoyable contrast and one of the things that makes the golf so interesting.
The ninth hole is another one that stands out to me. It’s a par 3 played from an elevated tee, with bunkers protecting the green and the wind often becoming a major factor. Standing up there, you’re exposed to the conditions, and club selection can be much more challenging than the yardage suggests. It’s a great example of how Erin Hills uses the natural terrain and wind to make a relatively straightforward-looking shot much more demanding.
The back nine might be my favorite part of the golf course. The tenth gets things started with another fun, partially blind tee shot up a hill, and then you eventually reach what I consider the best hole on the property, the par-4 12th.
The Hole I’d Replay: No. 12
If I could pick one hole at Erin Hills to play over and over again, it would be the 12th. I think about this hole all the time, and it’s one of my favorite golf holes I’ve played anywhere.
The tee shot gives you a great risk-reward decision. You can play farther left and take your ball toward the top of the hill, or, if you have the distance and the wind is helping, you can take a more aggressive line to the right and try to shorten the hole. It’s a really interesting decision because both options can work, but they set up very different approaches.
What makes the hole so memorable, though, is what happens when you reach the top of the hill. The green is tucked down into the dunes, almost like it’s sitting inside a cavern, and the reveal is spectacular. You’re suddenly looking down at this beautiful approach shot into a green surrounded by the natural landscape. It’s one of those moments in golf where you just stop and appreciate where you are. The hole is fun strategically, but that view is what makes it unforgettable.
There are several other holes on the back nine that I really enjoy. The par-5 14th is excellent, and when you get behind that green near the 15th tee, make sure you turn around and look back across the property. It’s one of the most stunning views I’ve experienced on a golf course that doesn’t have an ocean next to it. You get a real appreciation for the scale of Erin Hills and just how beautifully the holes fit into the landscape.
The 15th is another fantastic short par 4 that can play very differently depending on the tees. The bunkering makes the tee shot strategic, and even when you find a good position, you’re left with an approach up to an elevated green with short-grass runoffs protecting the front. It’s a beautiful hole tucked into the back corner of the property, where you feel a long way from everything else.
The par-3 16th is another great example of something Erin Hills does exceptionally well. So many of its greens feel carved directly into the dunes, surrounded by tall fescue and natural contours. When you’re standing on some of these greens, you feel completely isolated from the rest of the course. It’s an incredible feeling, especially considering how large and busy the property actually is.
Two Visits, Two Great Rounds
One thing that certainly adds to my appreciation for Erin Hills is that I’ve played some really good golf both times I’ve been there. My first round was in 2020, when I went with three friends after finding a good deal during the pandemic. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I ended up shooting a 78 from the blue tees, which play 7,357 yards, in winds that were blowing around 25 miles per hour.
I was incredibly happy with that round. Erin Hills is a challenging golf course under normal conditions, and when you add that kind of wind, it becomes a completely different test. You really have to control your ball, choose the right lines, and commit to your shots. Shooting 78 in those conditions made the experience even more memorable.
I returned in 2024 with my best friend Riley, and somehow I was playing even better. This time, I decided to move up to the green tees because I wasn’t feeling quite as confident about my game. I was one under par when rain ended our round on the 17th hole. That was definitely disappointing because I was in the middle of one of the best rounds of my life, and I would have loved the opportunity to finish it.
One thing I would strongly recommend to anyone playing Erin Hills is to make sure you choose the right tees for your game. It’s a long, demanding golf course, and there’s nothing worse than spending that kind of money on a round only to make it unnecessarily difficult by playing too far back. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with moving up a tee box and giving yourself a better opportunity to enjoy the golf course. My game was sharp when I played the blues in 2020, but I didn’t feel the same way going into my second round. Moving up to the greens didn’t take anything away from the experience. If anything, I enjoyed the course even more because I could appreciate the design and challenge without feeling like I needed to hit my absolute best shots on every hole.
The biggest takeaway from that second visit wasn’t the score. It was that I enjoyed Erin Hills even more the second time around. Sometimes you return to a golf course you remember loving and find that it doesn’t quite live up to your expectations. Erin Hills was the opposite. I appreciated the design, the challenge, and the property even more after getting another opportunity to experience it.
The Experience
Erin Hills is a very different experience from some of the smaller golf clubs I’ve visited. It’s a major golf destination, and there’s no question that the operation is designed to accommodate a lot of golfers throughout the day. It’s a well-oiled machine, but I don’t mean that negatively. Everything about the experience feels professional, organized, and built around giving golfers a fantastic day.
The clubhouse is beautiful, the pro shop is extremely well stocked, and the staff has been excellent during both of my visits. I’ve enjoyed lunch at The Clubhouse, and the food and atmosphere have been wonderful. The Fescue Rescue drinks are another fun part of the experience, and the entire property has that premium feel you’d expect from a golf course of this caliber.
I’ve also had wonderful caddies both times I’ve played, and I think they’re an important part of the Erin Hills experience. Beyond helping with yardages and reading greens, they make navigating the course much more enjoyable. With the blind shots, elevation changes, and strategic options available throughout the round, having someone who knows the property is a real advantage. If you’re making your first visit, I would absolutely recommend budgeting for a caddie.
But even with how busy and polished the overall operation is, the golf course itself never really feels crowded. Once you’re out walking through those enormous hills, you can find yourself standing on a green surrounded by fescue with very little indication of what’s happening anywhere else on the property. That sense of isolation is one of my favorite parts of the experience.
And the walk really is wonderful. Erin Hills has an incredible flow to it, and the rolling landscape makes moving from hole to hole part of the enjoyment. It’s a substantial walk across a massive piece of property, but it’s one of those places where you genuinely want to experience the course on foot. The views change constantly, and there are moments throughout the round where you just want to stop and look around.
Both of my trips have been simple day trips with friends, driving up, enjoying the golf, and heading home afterward. There’s no elaborate story behind either visit, but sometimes that’s exactly what makes golf great. You get to spend the day with good friends on an incredible golf course, and those are the kinds of experiences that stick with you.
The Re-Tee Verdict: Run It Back
Erin Hills is easily one of my five favorite golf courses I’ve ever played, and after two visits, I can confidently say that I want to play it again. It’s a course that challenges you, makes you think, and rewards good golf. The collection of holes is fantastic, the property is spectacular, and the walk is one of the best I’ve experienced.
What I appreciate most is that Erin Hills manages to feel like a championship test without losing the fun of playing golf. There are difficult shots, blind approaches, demanding greens, and plenty of opportunities to get yourself into trouble. But there are also strategic choices, opportunities to score, and some genuinely unforgettable golf holes. That’s the kind of course I could keep returning to because I know every round would present a different challenge.
I’ve already had two fantastic experiences there, including some of the best golf I’ve played, and the second visit only made me want to return even more. I want another chance to play the 12th, take in the views from the back of the property, and see what kind of round I can put together on a course that I know is going to test me.
Re-Tee Verdict: RUN IT BACK
The Reality Check
There’s no getting around the fact that Erin Hills is expensive, and the cost is probably the biggest thing keeping me from playing it more often. But I also think it’s worth the money, especially if you’ve never experienced it before. I found a good deal when I played in 2020, which helped convince me to make that first trip, and I’m really glad I did.
If you’re planning your first visit, my recommendation would be to make an entire day out of it. Get there early, enjoy breakfast, spend time around the clubhouse, and take advantage of the practice facilities. Hire a caddie, enjoy the round, and don’t feel like you need to rush out as soon as you’re finished. Have lunch or dinner, grab a Fescue Rescue, and spend some time on the Drumlin putting course. There’s so much to enjoy about the property beyond the 18 holes.
For me, Erin Hills is absolutely a course worth saving up to play again. Would I love to play it more frequently? Of course. But even at its current premium pricing, I know I’ll eventually find a way to make another trip. It’s simply too good of a golf course not to return.
Final Thoughts
When I think about Erin Hills, the first thing that comes to mind is still that view from the hill near the pro shop. Looking out over the enormous property, seeing the rolling landscape stretching into the distance, and knowing you’re about to take on one of the best championship golf courses in the country is a pretty special feeling.
I’ve played it twice, enjoyed two fantastic rounds of golf, and walked away with an even greater appreciation for the course after my second visit. The challenge is tremendous, the design is creative, and the collection of holes is outstanding. But more than anything, it’s a place where I genuinely love spending the day playing golf.
I still think about the reveal on the 12th hole, the views near the 15th tee, and the feeling of walking through those massive hills surrounded by fescue. And even though I’ve already experienced it twice, I know there’s another round waiting for me there someday.
Run It Back.