Whistling Straits is the course that Pete Dye built when someone said “make it look like Ireland.”
He took it literally. He built a links-style course on the shores of Lake Michigan, moved enough dirt to fill a small mountain, and installed 1,000 bunkers. That’s not hyperbole. The course has over 1,000 bunkers. Some of them are the size of a bathtub. Some of them are the size of a football field. All of them are waiting for your golf ball.
The course has hosted three PGA Championships, the 2020 Ryder Cup, and the 2025 PGA Championship. It’s a modern championship venue that looks like it’s been sitting on the Irish coast for two centuries. On GSPro, it’s one of the most visually dramatic courses in the library. For a full ranking of must-play courses, see the best GSPro courses guide. If you’re new to GSPro, check the GSPro software review for setup requirements, and the golf simulator computer requirements guide to make sure your PC can run it.
Why Whistling Straits Works on GSPro Sim
The Lake Michigan setting is the star. The course runs along the shoreline, with holes that play right up to the edge of the lake. The wind comes off the water. The fescue is everywhere. The dunes are massive. On GSPro, the elevation changes and the water views create a visual experience that rivals anything else in the library.
The bunkers are the other headline. With over 1,000 of them, you’re never more than a few yards from sand. The GSPro version renders them well — they look deep, they look numerous, and they make you paranoid about every shot.
The course is also playable in a way that Oakmont or Winged Foot aren’t. Whistling Straits is hard, but it’s fair. The fairways are generous. The approaches are visible. The challenge comes from the wind, the fescue, and the psychological weight of knowing there’s a bunker within 5 feet of every landing area.
Finding the Right Version
Search “Whistling Straits” in Course Manager. The best versions are by established designers who have the Lake Michigan shoreline correct — the same designers featured in our top GSPro course designers guide. Look for the version with the most downloads.
There are multiple versions of Whistling Straits. Some are combined with the Irish Course (the second Pete Dye design at the resort). For the Straits course specifically — the championship venue — look for the standalone “Whistling Straits (Straits Course)” build.
The most recent version is usually the best. Newer builds have better LIDAR data, more accurate bunker rendering, and proper green complexes. If you enjoy links-style courses, also check out Royal Lytham on GSPro and Pine Valley on GSPro for similarly challenging layouts.
Search term: “Whistling Straits”
What Whistling Straits Looks Like on GSPro
This is one of the most visually impressive courses on GSPro. The Lake Michigan shoreline is rendered beautifully. The dunes are massive. The fescue is blowing in the wind. The water is blue and present on multiple holes.
The bunkers are the other standout feature. On GSPro, they look like real bunkers — deep, white-sanded, and impossible to escape if you find one of the deep pot bunkers. The course has pot bunkers, fairway bunkers, greenside bunkers, and decorative bunkers that serve no purpose except to make you nervous. They all look correct.
The par 3 17th hole — the one that plays along the lake with the massive dune in the background — is one of the single best visual experiences on GSPro. You’ll stand on the tee, see the water, see the flag, and feel like you’re playing a course on the Irish coast. It’s beautiful. Then you’ll hit it in a bunker.
Playing Whistling Straits on GSPro the Right Way
Conditions: Firm and fast. Whistling Straits is a links-style course and links-style courses need firm conditions. The ball runs. The approaches release. The greens are hard enough to hold a well-struck shot and reject a mediocre one.
Tees: Championship tees. The course plays 7,400+ yards from the tips. That’s a lot of golf course. The forward tees are too short — they take the bunkers and the wind out of play.
Wind: 10-15 mph minimum. This is a Lake Michigan course. The wind is part of the experience. Play it with no wind and you’re playing a different course. The wind makes the bunkers more threatening, the approaches more difficult, and the entire round more authentic.
Bunker strategy: Avoid them. That’s the strategy. If you find one, take your medicine and get out. The pot bunkers are deep enough that you may not be able to see the green. Hit a wedge, get back in the fairway, and accept the bogey. Trying to be a hero from a Whistling Straits bunker is how you card an 8.
Best Holes at Whistling Straits on GSPro
Hole 10 — The par 4 along the lake: The back nine opens with the lake on your left. The fairway is generous. The green is reachable. But the view is what makes this hole — the water, the dunes, the sense that you’re playing somewhere that looks like Scotland but costs less to get to. On GSPro, this is the best-looking hole on the course.
Hole 17 — The par 3 by the water: 220 yards from the tips with the lake on the right and a massive dune in the background. The green is protected by bunkers. The wind is in your face. On GSPro, this is one of the best par 3s in the entire library. Hit a hybrid, hold your breath, and watch.
Hole 18 — The closer: A 500-yard par 4 with the clubhouse in the background. (Wait, a 500-yard par 4? Yes. It’s the hardest road hole on the course. Deal with it.) The fairway is tight. The bunkers are everywhere. The approach is to a green that’s guarded by water on the left. On GSPro, you’ll stand on the 18th tee, exhausted from 17 holes of wind and sand, and realize the course isn’t done with you yet.
What I’d Change
The fescue texture could be more dramatic. In real Whistling Straits, the fescue is waist-high and golden. On GSPro, it’s present but doesn’t look as distinctive as the real thing. The course still plays correctly — the fescue is penal enough to change your strategy. It just doesn’t look as beautiful as the real Whistling Straits fescue.
Why This Matters
Whistling Straits is one of the most dramatic courses in America and a regular major championship venue. The 2020 Ryder Cup, the 2015 and 2025 PGA Championships — this is a course that matters. On GSPro, you get to play it for free.
It’s also one of the best-looking courses on GSPro. The Lake Michigan setting, the dunes, the 1,000 bunkers — it’s a visual experience that rivals the real thing. Go download it, find at least 5 bunkers, and pretend it’s the Ryder Cup.
For a full breakdown of how GSPro compares to the competition, read the GSPro Software Review. Want more course recommendations? See the full list in The Best Courses on GSPro.