Can You Play Whistling Straits on E6 Connect? Here’s How
Whistling Straits is the course that looks like it was dropped on the wrong continent.
It’s in Wisconsin. It looks like Ireland. Pete Dye built it on a stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline that had nothing but sand, bluffs, and wind. He shaped 1,000 bunkers into the dunes, put a sheep farm on the property for atmosphere, and created a course that hosted three PGA Championships and the 2020 Ryder Cup.
On E6 Connect, it’s included in the Expanded tier. That’s a better deal than most people realize, because Whistling Straits is one of the most visually dramatic courses on the platform.
What E6 Connect Tier You Need for Whistling Straits
Whistling Straits is part of the Expanded ($600/year) tier. Not available in the Basic ($300/year) rotating library.
For a full breakdown of what each tier includes, read the Best Courses on E6 Connect guide.
Why Whistling Straits Works on E6 Specifically
Whistling Straits is a course of extremes. Bunkers everywhere. Lake Michigan on half the holes. Elevation changes that make the course feel like a roller coaster. E6’s rendering engine handles all of it.
The bunkers are the headline. Whistling Straits has over 1,000 bunkers. That’s not a typo. They’re everywhere — in fairways, around greens, lining the dunes. E6’s rendering captures the scale. The bunkers look like natural parts of the landscape, not hazards dropped in for difficulty. The sand is rendered with the right color and texture. You’ll hit into them because there’s no way not to.
The Lake Michigan views are the other standout. The course runs along two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. E6’s water rendering makes the lake look like an ocean. The waves. The horizon. The color. On holes 8-13, where the course runs along the water, E6’s rendering makes you feel like you’re on a coastal links in Ireland, not Wisconsin.
The elevation changes are significant. The course climbs and drops through the dunes. E6’s elevation modeling captures the blind shots and the forced carries. You’ll stand on a tee and not be able to see the landing area. That’s Whistling Straits.
How to Access Whistling Straits on E6 Connect
Open E6 Connect. Navigate to the course library. Filter by Expanded tier. Search “Whistling Straits.” Add to your library. Play.
There’s only one official version. You can’t pick the wrong one.
What Whistling Straits Looks Like on E6 Connect
E6’s Whistling Straits is a visual highlight of the Expanded library. The color palette is brown and green and blue — fairways against sand against Lake Michigan.
The 5th hole: The first dramatic Lake Michigan hole. A 590-yard par 5 that runs along the shoreline. The lake is visible the entire hole. The approach is to a green that sits on a bluff above the water. On E6, the scale is breathtaking. You’ll hit your second shot with the lake in the background and feel like you’re at the Irish Open.
The 12th hole: The short par 3 over the lake. 170 yards from the tips. The green sits on a peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan. On E6, the carry looks terrifying. The water is everywhere. The wind is always in your face. Hit one more club. You’ll still be short.
The 17th hole: The famous par 3 with the island-like green. Actually it’s a peninsula, not an island, but it plays like an island. The green is surrounded by sand and water. On E6, the perspective is perfect. You can see the entire hole from the tee. You’ll hit the shot. You’ll make par or worse. You’ll want to play it again.
Best Holes at Whistling Straits on E6 Connect
Hole 6 — The par 4 with the blind drive: The fairway drops into a valley and climbs back up. You can’t see the landing area from the tee. On E6, the blind tee shot is nerve-wracking. You hit and hope.
Hole 10 — The par 4 along the lake: 440 yards with Lake Michigan on the left the entire hole. The wind pushes toward the water. On E6, you’ll aim right and still watch your ball drift left. The lake is a magnet.
Hole 18 — The finishing hole: A 500-yard par 4 with the Straits House in the background. The fairway is lined with bunkers. The approach is to a green that sits above the lake. On E6, the closing scene is dramatic enough to make you forget you just shot 85.
What I’d Change
The contrasts between Whistling Straits and its sibling course, the Irish Course, aren’t dramatic enough in the menu. E6’s course library lists both as “Whistling Straits” variants. Make sure you select the Straits Course, not the Irish Course. The Straits Course is the major championship venue.
Built for Sim Golf
Whistling Straits is one of the most visually dramatic courses on E6 Connect, and it’s included in the Expanded tier. The Lake Michigan holes, the 1,000 bunkers, the forced carries over sand and water — it’s a course that was built for sim golf.
You’ll hit shots you remember. You’ll hit into bunkers you can’t count. You’ll stand on the 12th tee with Lake Michigan in the background and understand why Pete Dye built this course in Wisconsin.
For the full list of courses worth playing on E6, read The Best Courses on E6 Connect. Need the full software breakdown? Check the E6 Connect Software Review.