Pete Dye's Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits highlight Wisconsin's Destination Kohler golf resort

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- The Straits course at Destination Kohler is a bit of a Midwestern phenomenon. Having risen from the "dunes," by way of thousands of truck loads of dirt and sand, Pete Dye transformed an old military test site into the host of multiple major championships, including the 2015 PGA Championship. And in doing so, Dye delivered owner and fellow visionary, Herb Kohler, a key ingredient to his master strategy: "To provide a higher level of gracious living."

Life on the Straits, which includes a herd of Scottish, black-faced sheep, can be anything but gracious as you navigate some treacherous shots along the shores of Lake Michigan. But play from the appropriate set of tees, and catch it when the wind has taken a day off, and there's a good chance you'll play to your handicap. The required caddies can also be a big help with course management and club selection, especially on the dramatic collection of par 3s, which culminates with 17, one of the toughest "short" holes in golf.

On a recent trip to Kohler, I played the Straits and the River Course at Blackwolf Run, which is used to make up the Championship routing and has played host to two Women's U.S. Opens. Se Ri Pak inspired a Korean golf revolution with her dramatic win in 1998, and fittingly, it was fellow Korean Na-yeon Choi who hoisted the hardware in 2013.

Throughout my rounds, I hoisted my iPhone and posted this series of pics to my Instagram account. One observer joked, my iPhone was the best club in my bag that day. Unfortunately, it was hard to argue.