An all-star development, design and construction team has been named to create Kettle Forge, a new championship golf course in Ashippun, Wisconsin that is destined to be ranked among America’s Top 100 courses and private clubs.
The collective includes:
- Jackson Kahn Design, comprised of Tom Fazio disciples, is Kettle Forge’s lead course architect known for its critically acclaimed work at Conway Farms, Monterey Peninsula, Scottsdale National and St. Lucia Preserve.
- Scott Hoffman, a fellow Tom Fazio disciple and master of Kettle Forge’s early routing who created Lost Rail Golf Club near Omaha, Neb. and Mapleton Golf Club in Sioux Falls, S.D.; both private clubs serving as models for Kettle Forge.
- Steve Stricker, a design consultant to Kettle Forge and winner of 12 PGA TOUR and 18 PGA TOUR Champions tournaments who was integral in the making of TPC Wisconsin.
- Landscapes Unlimited, the legendary golf course development and construction company responsible for nearly 75 Golf Digest and Golfweek top-ranked layouts globally, is project manager and will build the course.
- Landscapes Golf Management, sister company to Landscapes Unlimited, will operate the c-lub upon opening, preceded by course grow-in oversight, membership sales and other planning functions.
Located eight miles west of U.S. Open host Erin Hills, Kettle Forge’s golf course with classic character and modern strategic design elements is considered a shoo-in for media-bestowed “best of” rankings by golf industry pundits who visited the 270-acre site and laid eyes on routing plans.
Construction is scheduled to commence this fall with an anticipated opening in fall 2027.
At 7,600 yards from the tips, Kettle Forge will represent one of the longest courses in Wisconsin. Authentically and seamlessly carved into the native rolling woodlands with mature oak and maple groves, holes traverse through wetlands with dramatic elevation changes; generous fairways; deep, sculpted bunkers; strategically placed water features; and undulating greens which will reward shot-making precision and create memorable putts.
“Kettle Forge will uniquely look like a natural preserve with grasses, wildflowers and wetlands,” said Brett Craig, Principal of Kettle Forge, a Wisconsin resident, and past business executive and entrepreneur. “It promises to be a course that attracts repeat play – fair to members yet exhilaratingly difficult for those who desire challenge amid rugged elegance and timeless appeal.”
The name Kettle Forge is derived from the glacial kettles and mounds that characterize the land, and a forge is where raw materials meet fire and purpose. These two forces of nature and intention will converge at Kettle Forge.
A dominant aesthetic is a massive hill offering 20-mile panoramic views on which the clubhouse and future guest cottages will sit. Amenities include fine dining, a wellness spa, a cigar and bourbon vault, business den, bike and walking trails, fishing and pheasant hunting on a partner game farm.
The project development team is committed to investing thoughtfully and fully to make Kettle Forge world-class.
“This is pure, unadulterated golf without tennis and swimming,” said Bill Kubly, Chairman of Landscapes Unlimited, Principal of Kettle Forge and a Monroe, Wisc. native. “Based on our work at Lost Rail outside Omaha, Kettle Forge is likely to reach a full membership before the course opens.”
Combined with Erin Hills, Whistling Straits and Sand Valley, Kettle Forge will round out a rotation of spectacular courses in close proximity to Milwaukee and convenient to Madison, Appleton and Chicago.
