Plans for the company’s third Wisconsin layout—joining Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits—took a hit when Judge Mark F. Kaiser said the Department of Natural Resources failed to follow state requirements for projects involving wetlands loss, and that the steps that would be taken by Kohler to assuage the losses would be inadequate.
Report Says New Kohler Course OK’d Despite Environmental Concerns
Staffers from the state’s Department of Natural Resources say that approval was granted for the new 18-hole golf course along the Lake Michigan shore despite assessments that the project did not meet environmental standards and could harm sensitive wetlands. Kohler has promised to remediate any affected wetlands for the project that is estimated to bring…
DNR Reports Kohler Co. Golf Course Could Compromise Rare Plant
The proposed golf course in Sheboygan, Wis., could result in the “incidental taking” of sand reedgrass. The golf course land is currently at the heart of multiple legal battles, including one between the Town of Wilson and the City of Sheboygan over the annexation of land. The proposed Kohler Co. golf course in Sheboygan, Wis.,…
Kohler Co. Golf Course Put on Hold for Review
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has put construction of the proposed 18-hole golf course in Sheboygan, Wis., on hold as it reviews its decision to grant the developer a wetlands permit. In April 2017, the golf course was expected to be complete by 2020, but the controversial project has been slowed by frequent legal…
Land Swap for New Kohler Course Approved
The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has approved the deal between the Department of Natural Resources and Kohler Co. that gives the manufacturer a piece of land in Kohler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan, Wis., for a planned 18-hole luxury golf course. The project has been hotly contested since details were announced in 2015. The state Natural…
New Liquor Permit to Benefit Kohler Co. Resorts
The proposed “resort manufacturer permit” in Wisconsin would allow a business to manufacture, bottle, store and sell up to 150,000 gallons of liquor per year on its premises if it meets specific requirements, including at least 300 guest rooms, one spa, food-and-beverage services across five separate restaurants, and 36 holes of golf. A new type…
Wetland Permit for Kohler’s New Course Approved
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approved the first of several permits that will be needed for the new course to be built by the creators of Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run, even as an array of potential environmental impacts from the project were detailed. Kohler has agreed to create wetlands in other parts of the area and to contribute $200,000 towards restoration work.
DNR Takes Public Comments on Kohler Golf Course Project
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources held a public hearing on December 1 after updating its Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed golf course project in Sheboygan, Wis. Those who spoke at the hearing offered a mix of strong opposition and support for the project, and public comment will continue to be taken through December…
Town of Wilson, Wis., Files Suit to Halt Annexation for Kohler Course
The town filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Sheboygan, Wis., alleging that the city “improperly annexed land from the town” in cooperation with Kohler Co. to develop the golf course. The town alleges the city improperly reached the land by a “balloon-on-a-string” annexation, seizing land that is not contiguous to the bordering area. Town of…
Sheboygan, Wis., Approves Annexation for Kohler Course
Kohler Co. is proposing the annexation of several hundred acres of land from the Town of Wilson, Wis., to build an 18-hole golf course. The company still needs to be approved by the city for a conditional use permit and needs permitting from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural…
Kohler Co. Seeks Annexation of Golf Course Land
The company is proposing that 500 acres of land, which includes the site of a golf course it wants to develop along Lake Michigan, be annexed into the city of Sheboygan, Wis., from the Town of Wilson, Wis. “It is in the public’s best interest to have the project be located in a financially stable municipality like the City of Sheboygan, which is able to provide on a long-term basis the appropriate level of services to both the project and residents,” Dirk Willis of Kohler Co. said.
Kohler Co. Files Permit Applications for New Course
The company that includes Whistling Straits among its golf properties has applied to the Army Corps of Engineers for a permit to discharge dredged and fill material into wetlands as it constructs an 18-hole course in Town of Wilson, Wis. Total investment in the new course would be $25 million, with projected completion in 2020.
Kohler Co. Revises Plans for Wilson, Wis., Golf Property
In the latest version of plans for a proposed championship golf course along Lake Michigan, the amount of wetlands directly impacted was reduced from 25 acres to 3.69 acres, protecting rare interdunal wetlands. The design updates involve adjustments for some holes and other features, and Kohler Co. is also offering a wetland mitigation plan.
DNR Releases Environmental Impact Report on Kohler Course
The draft of the report is being called premature by a group opposed to the course’s construction in the Town of Wilson, Wis., because the company has not made a formal proposal. “Overall, we believe the science and facts of the statement confirm the project can meet applicable standards, reflecting a minimalist design and a responsible approach while providing a major economic boost for the community,” a Kohler representative said in a statement.
Discovery of Cultural Artifacts Could Alter Newest Kohler Course
The planned golf course in the Town of Wilson, Wis., along the shore of Lake Michigan could be required to avoid some areas and minimize impact on others. In all, archaeologists found 25,186 prehistoric and historic artifacts in 96 digs across 195 acres, with items dating back to the late Archaic period, between 1200 B.C. and 100 B.C.