Dan Perry

Walking Tour of London

danperry — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:22:01 +0000

I went to London on a business trip, and luckily had a few hours to walk around with my camera. I took lots of pictures (no surprise there), and created a Google Maps/Flickr mashup, so anyone could follow my path and see what I saw.

At the end, when I reached Buckingham Palace it started to snow. Really made for an interesting and unique view of the Palace.

I hope you enjoy the tour as much as I did!

Walking Tour of London

Post from: Dan Perry

Walking Tour of London

No related posts.

Beginner SEO Suggestions

danperry — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:27:09 +0000

Whether it be friends, family, acquaintances, etc., I often receive the following type of email:

Hey Dan,

I have a friend that runs a website and is looking for some SEO help. Anything you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Friend, family, acquaintance

In an effort to automate as much of my life as I can, this post is the answer to that question. Then, the next time I’m asked, I can just send a link here. Smart, eh?

So here’s my advice:

Based on the site, I’m guessing that their looking to do the work rather than outsource for money. Based on that assumption, here are a few suggestions…

1. Go to this page:

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291

And click on the PDF link at the top that reads “Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide”. Read completely.

2. If they wants to take a deeper dive, I’d suggest reading this:

http://www.seomoz.org/article/beginners-guide-to-search-engine-optimization

It’s a little dated, but the content is high-quality, easy to understand, and still very valid.

3. If they feel like buying a book, my first suggestion is not an SEO book, but a usability book called “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug. It had a profound effect on how I look at websites. For an SEO specific book, I’d suggest “The Art of SEO“. It’s relatively new, but I know all of the authors, and it is full of more than they’ll ever need to know about SEO.

In a nutshell, learn the basics of SEO (crawlability, TITLE tags, content, links), make changes to the site to make it enticing for spiders and users, and build links.

OK, what additional advice would YOU give to a beginner?

Post from: Dan Perry

Beginner SEO Suggestions

Google Personalization and In-house SEO

danperry — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:11:44 +0000

If you don’t know, Google has decided to automatically opt-in everyone into their personalized results, which will appear whether or not they’re logged in. This is a big deal for in-house SEO’s, to be sure. Here’s the story if you missed it.

Three things come to mind…

Ranking reports may become worthless. This is up for debate, but if Google is personalizing EVERYONE’S results, how can you run a ranking report? The results for the same searches week after week may start skewing based on the machine their run from, showing an inflated sense of ranking. You can opt-out, but since everyone is opted-in by default, is this a true sense of the rankings?

SEO may become tougher to sell internally. As different internal employees search for relevant terms, they’re results are going to continue to be skewed towards their own web sites. In effect, their sites will be ranking high, giving them a false sense that the SEO that’s been done is enough. This could prove painful when it comes to trying to get prioritization for SEO-specific projects.

SEO is more important than ever. If a random person continually searches for your generic terms and your competitor continues to appear, over time they will see more and more of your competitor’s pages in their results. If you’re not already ranking, it could become increasingly more difficult to find new people to consume your content.

What else comes to mind?

Post from: Dan Perry

Google Personalization and In-house SEO

Personal Branding – 2009 Update

danperry — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:24:27 +0000

Last year I posted about my personal branding efforts, and where I ranked in Google and Yahoo for the a search of my name (Dan Perry, no quotes.) I compared my rankings from 2008 to 2007. This is an update on that post, to keep track of the value of my personal branding efforts.

In 2008 in Google, I had 15 of the top 30 rankings. In 2009, I had the same amount in the top 30. The difference is the quality of the links, as well as the number in the top 10 (clearly the most important). Here’s what my current Google results look like:

1 www.danperry.com/
2 www.danperry.com/blog/google-fridge-giveaway/
3 twitter.com/danperry
4 www.flickr.com/photos/golf_pictures/
5 www.flickr.com/people/golf_pictures/
6 www.facebook.com/dan.perry
8 www.linkedin.com/in/danperrydotcom
10 friendfeed.com/danperry
17 www.seomoz.org/marketplace/resumes/view/28156
18 www.mixx.com/users/danperry
20 www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/dan-perry/
22 www.pubcon.com/bios/dan_perry.htm
23 answers.yahoo.com/my/profile?show=exIBZGF6aa
27 www.pbase.com/topics/danperry
28 www.seo-scoop.com/2009/01/16/dan-perry-search-blogger-of-the-day/

Notice that now I have 8 of the top 10 results, including the first 6. That is a huge leap over last year, where I had 2 of the top 10 (#2 and #3.) In addition, in 2009 I now have a picture at the bottom of the results (Google Images) as well as a link to my Google profile, neither of which were an option in 2008.

Yahoo also showed some improvement. In 2008, I had 8 instances in the top 30 of Yahoo, and 2 in the top 10 (#1 and #6.) In 2009, I have 4 in the top 10 (#1, 2, 9 and 10), as well as 14 in the top 30. Here are the current results for 2009:

1 www.danperry.com
2 www.danperry.com/blog/about
9 www.linkedin.com/in/danperrydotcom
10 danperrydotcom.multiply.com
11 www.pbase.com/danperry/profile
15 twitter.com/danperry
19 digg.com/users/danperry
20 www.google.com/profiles/danperry.com
21 danperry.tumblr.com
23 www.flickr.com/people/golf_pictures
24 www.seomoz.org/marketplace/resumes/view/28156
26 www.twine.com/user/danperry
27 www.squidoo.com/danperry
30 www.pubcon.com/bios/dan_perry.htm

So what stands out this year? Let’s start with Google.

Most of the new links are from social media sites (FriendFeed, Mixx, Yahoo Answers), proving the value of continuing the optimization of these profiles.

In addition, my link from PBase changed from my Profile page to my Topic page. That speaks to the value of not just joining these social media sites, but actually digging deep and using them. I would’ve never guessed that the Topic page would supplant my Profile page, but it did. Without testing, I would have never known.

Yahoo is a different story.

The second listing in my indented result is more relevant than Google’s. I rank #1 on both engines for my blog, but the indented second listing on Google is a very popular post where I gave away a Google Fridge. On Yahoo, it’s my About page, which is much more relevant. Wasn’t expecting this, but glad to see it. Clearly, inbound link still rule Google’s world.

Of course, the Yahoo link may be there because it’s the second link on my site (in the top navigation.) It might be worth testing that; to see if I can essentially choose my indented listing on Yahoo. Hmmm.

My Google profile page shows up in Yahoo. Not a huge deal, but worth noting.

All the rest of the links in Yahoo are from social media sites, except one (my Pubcon speaker page.) In order, the new listings in Yahoo in 2009 as compared to 2008 are from: LinkedIn, Multiply, Twitter, Digg, Google, Tumblr, Flickr, Twine and Squidoo. If that doesn’t show the value of being social, I don’t know what does.

If you’ve been following my personal branding study over the past 2 years, I hope you are learning and applying items from it; I certainly am. Plan on the next edition in November or December, 2010, and thanks for reading!

www.danperry.com/

Post from: Dan Perry

Personal Branding – 2009 Update

Breast Cancer Awareness and the NFL

danperry — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:00:24 +0000

The NFL did such an impressive job of providing Breast Cancer Awareness this year, it just blew me away. My favorite item were the caps the teams were wearing. The pink bills didn’t match at all, and looked out of place, but that was kind of the point. Congrats to the NFL for stepping up!

Pubcon Poker Tourney

Post from: Dan Perry

Breast Cancer Awareness and the NFL

Cutters Ridge Golf at Manistee National Resort

danperry — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:10:21 +0000

I used to be a member at Manistee National, so I thought it made sense to preface this review with that. In other words, yes I am biased. I have played both courses multiple times, and am a huge fan of both. The Canthooke Valley course is more of a traditional track, while the Cutters Ridge course is labeled as more of a resort course.

When I think of resort courses I think wide fairways, greens with gentle slopes, not a lot of OB, etc. Basically somewhere the beginner can go, not lose too many golf balls, and still have a good time. Cutters Ridge is not that type of resort golf course. There are a number of forced carries, a few thin fairways and some very challenging greens. Now that I think about it, I guess Manistee National has something for every type of golfer: Canthooke Valley for the more “fun” round (although it does have its challenges), and Cutters Ridge for the seasoned golfer who wants to be challenged. Even from the Whites, this track is tough.

I played this round with my Dad, and we teed off around 3 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon (you can tell by the clouds and sun position.) We passed a foursome on the 7th or 8th hole and didn’t see another group. We finished in about 3 ½ hours, and as we were leaving it started to rain. It was easily one of the best rounds of my life. Golf with the old man, nice brisk fall afternoon, couple beers, nobody else around; it’s what makes life worth living. Here’s a great shot of him in a bunker, with a lone red tree in the background:

We played the Whites, which only measure 5,806. I’ve played the Blues here many times (measuring 6,321, and Blacks at 6,654) but honestly, this round was more about spending time with my Dad than it was about shooting a great score form challenging tees. It proved to be the right decision, as the Whites gave my dad the opportunity to clear some forced carries, and the potential to par a few holes. (All of the distances I’ll be mentioning are from the Blue tees, unless otherwise noted.)

The first hole is a straight-forward par 4, with a little room to bail right off the tee. The approach is a bit tighter, and the right side isn’t an option anymore. There’s a sharp drop-off into the junk as you get closer to the green, and with little room to bail left, a good approach shot is required.

The second is a par three that requires a carry over some junk to a green with lots of undulation. The hole is short (140 from Blues, 127 from Whites), so I hope your wedges are ready to go; you’ll need them!

The third is a 391 yard par 4 that doglegs (well, more like “jog-legs”) to the left, but I’d be hesitant using a Driver off the tee as there’s junk in the fairway at about 110-120 yards from the green. The goal of your tee shot is to hit it far enough so the large tree on the left doesn’t affect your approach in anyway. You can see the 150 marker from the tee, so measure yourself off to that and club accordingly off the tee.

Here’s what it looks like from the green looking back. Note the big tree is on the right now.

The fourth is a par 5 that I truly believe is unreachable. The green is tucked so far to the left that it’s nearly impossible to hit it, in my opinion. The tee shot should clear a small hump on the left side of the hole; I noted it in the below picture (click on it and view the Note in Flickr):

Your second will be a long shot that you can aim straight up the middle. Mine had a little tail that made it go right a bit but that was fine, as it left me with 100 yards in. The only thing to remember here is that you need to hit it far enough so you have an unimpeded shot into the green, with all the trouble being left. Look closely for the flag on the left in this picture:

One thing I like about Cutters Ridge is that at times, there is a reasonable distance between green and the next tee. Although detrimental to pace of play for most walkers, it’s nice to feel like you’re “in the woods” when playing golf (especially in Michigan.) It gives me the feeling of solitude and is one of the things I really love about the game. Here’s a quick video of the trail between the 4th green and 5th tee. I think you’ll see what I mean.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The 6th is a reachable par 5. You have to hit a strong Driver, and consider either hugging the trees on the right, or clearing them depending on your ball flight. A perfectly struck tee shot might leave you < 200 yards for your approach. With a good tee shot, this is a definite birdie opportunity.

As you’ve seen, it was a pretty cloudy day. When I got on the 6th green all of the planets aligned, and I got one of the best pictures of the day. My dad even noted how great the view was looking back on this hole. Judge for yourself.

Seven is an interesting par 4 in that it has an island fairway (well, kind of.) The tee shot requires a carry-over ferns and other trouble, and so does the approach. There is a little room left on this tee shot if you need to bail.

The approach also requires a carry, as you can see in this shot from the green looking backwards. Boy, the sun was still cooperating!

Eight is a par 3 that in my opinion requires the most precise tee shot. Long is death here, as it slopes down to trouble that you don’t want to have to deal with. It’s 154 from the Blues; if you’re between clubs, make sure you take the lesser stick just in case.

Nine is another relatively short par 4 (390), but that doesn’t make it any less challenging (#3 handicap hole.) OB up the entire left side (with it jutting out into the fairway near the 150 marker) will visually force you to play it a bit right. Keep an eye on where your tee shot lands; this hole borders the right side of the driving range, and depending on time of day you may see a number of sliced range balls in this fairway.

Looking backwards from the green, you can see just how thin this fairway is, and how far the trouble sticks out. Beware my friend.

Starting the back with a bang, the tenth jogs a bit to the right but there’s lots of room, so feel free to take the driver. You should be able to leave yourself with a reasonable approach.

I like this hole because they left a collection of tall, thin pine trees on both sides and I think it really elevates the hole in terms of its visual appeal. Here’s another angle, looking back from the green towards the tee:

The twelfth used to be a short, challenging par 4 but it’s been converted into a par 3. From the Blues it measures 187, making it a toughie for sure. The real trouble is the water on the left, and the small green. Luckily from the Whites it’s only 149, which is actually perfect for this tee. This hole is extremely challenging for the better player, yet reachable and a potential par for the beginner. Love that this is a par 3 now.

Thirteen is another hole that, like the 7th, has a sort of “island” fairway. There are forced carries on your tee shot as well as your approach here. I’d suggest an iron or possibly a hybrid off the tee but distance isn’t the only concern. Try to land it near the middle of the fairway as it starts to slope downward, which could leave you a very tricky lie for your approach. I hit 5-iron and was very happy with the results.

The green is wide and thin so if you dial in the distance, you’re almost guaranteed to be on the green. It’s a bit tricky, but with a good tee shot a par is attainable for sure.

Sixteen is one of my favorite holes because with a good tee shot, this par 5 is definitely reachable. Measuring 468 and the entire hole playing downhill, distance isn’t the issue here; it’s accuracy. There’s a reasonably fat fairway, so aim it right up the middle and let her rip.

On your second shot if you decide to go for it, be wary that the fairway ends just before the green, meaning you could have a really awkward lie if you’re not prepared. Also it’s all trouble right and the green is thin and long, so try to be as precise as you can. There is room left to bail with a long second shot, so keep that in mind. Here’s a shot from the end of the fairway looking down at the green:

Seventeen is almost a mirror of the ninth with the trouble up the left side, and jutting out as you get closer to the green. Your tee shot is going to be key here. It is 50 yards longer than the ninth so driver isn’t out of the question, but there’s lots of trouble on both sides. This hole makes for a wonderful beginning to the finish of the round, especially if there’s a wager; great design!

A perfectly struck tee shot should leave you with a view of the green like this. Don’t be afraid to be a bit right of this as well.

The eighteenth is a strong finishing hole (even stronger than the seventeenth). The tee shot is crucial; OB on the entire right side and a l-r sloping fairway that ends right about where a perfectly struck tee shot will. This could be the toughest shot on the golf course.

The approach is to the trickiest green on the course as well. Be sure to see where the pin is and club accordingly, as there’s little room for error. There’s a huge spine in this green, and being on the wrong side guarantees (for me) a three putt.

As we finished we noticed that the apples were just falling off the trees. There are a number of spots on the course with apple trees, but the 18th green has one large one adjacent to it that was in full bloom.

There is nothing better than golfing in Northern Michigan in the fall, and when you add a round with my Dad and great weather, it couldn’t have been better. It’s a round of golf I won’t soon forget.

Post from: Dan Perry

Cutters Ridge Golf at Manistee National Resort

Moving On…

danperry — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:54:12 +0000

One gate closes; another gate opens…

I resigned from my SEO Manager position at Cars.com, and have accepted a position with Turner Broadcasting. The Title of the position is “Director – Search Engine Optimization, Strategic Audience Solutions“. So exciting!

I’ll be working with Topher and supporting his SEO efforts at CNN, as well as supporting SEO on the other Turner web properties, such as:

CNN Money
NASCAR
NBA
TNT
TBS
PGA (Not that I love golf or anything!)
PGA Tour (Ditto!)
Cartoon Network (and the International versions)
Adult Swim (Venture Brothers – Yay!)

For an in-house SEO guy, this is as good as it gets. I’m excited, scared, anxious… Running through lots of emotions. The most exciting opportunity of my career!

So I’ve started a list of all the things I’ll have to assess (internal training, current initiatives, development calendars, analytics, etc.) For those of you doing in-house SEO…

What one piece of advice would you offer concerning my new position?

Post from: Dan Perry

Moving On…

In-house SEO and Twitter

Have a Kindle? Enjoy this often-lame blog there!

danperry — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:11:37 +0000

My blog is now available on the Kindle. Please, please, please…

“Don’t act like you’re not impressed.” (said in my best Ron Burgundy voice.)

Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002FGU7T6/

Post from: Dan Perry

Have a Kindle? Enjoy this often-lame blog there!

My blog via Wordle

Prairie Isle Golf Review – Crystal Lake, Illinois

danperry — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:44:08 +0000

Some friends told me that Prairie isle Golf Club in Crystal Lake, IL was an out-of-the-way track that was a pretty good play, so I decided to give it a shot. Roughly 35-40 minutes from my house isn’t too far, so what the heck, right?

I called to set-up a tee time as a single (which is often a pain or not allowed), but the gentleman on the phone was extremely nice and set me right up. It was open enough that I ended up playing the round by myself! I enjoy playing with others, but I also don’t mind a round of solitude so off I went. The cost was < $70, which is a bit below average for the area (bonus!)

The back tees (Blue) measured just under 6,600 yards, so that was my choice. I was following a pair of threesomes, so thought the pace of play would be pretty good (and it was.)

The course starts with a relatively straight par 5, measuring 511 from the tips. The tee shot is a bit blind, with the preferred angle hugging the left side of the fairway. You may hit the downslope, and be able to go for it in two, but there’s trouble on both sides of the fairway so be forewarned. The right side is actually the 18th fairway, but it’s OB off the first hole, and there’s water up the right. I layed up, giving myself about 100 in and two-putted for an opening par.

The second is a downhill 344-yard par 4. The difficulty here is threading the needle of trees on both sides of the fairway with your tee shot. If your driver is hot this might be reachable, with a good kick off the downslope and a dry fairway. If not, it will easily be 100 yards or less for your approach. I opted to hit a hybrid off the tee (which brings the bunker on the right into play), and was left with about 120. Wedge and two putt for a par; so far so good.

The third is another relatively short par 4 (350), with a pretty fat fairway. That being said, there’s water right (although not visible from the tee) so be aware. The best approach is from the center or center-right of the fairway, so don’t just bail left because of the trouble or you’ll have to carry a bunker (and maybe a tree or two) with your second shot.

The fourth is where the beauty of this course starts to show (and there’s a lot of beauty here; much more than I expected.) It’s a downhill dogleg left, with your approach over water. You might be able to cut the corner with a driver, but there’s so much trouble I’d vote for a hybrid off the tee. That should leave you with a view of the green like this:

The shorter the wedge, the happier you’ll be with this precise approach. Pretty, isn’t it? Be on the lookout for turtles!

So far this course has been relatively short, even from the Blues. Well that’s about to change, with three holes in a row that will test your longer clubs. A 190 yard par 3, followed by a 444 yard par 4, and finishing with a 564 yard par 5. You better be warmed up by now!

The fifth is the longest par 3 on the course, measuring 190 from the Blues. It’s also a bit uphill, and possibly into the prevailing wind so club up! I hit a 5-iron much better than expected and still ended up a bit short, as you can see below.

The strength of the 6th and 7th are their length. Par on either of these holes is almost going to require an exceptional tee shot. Focus!

The 8th is a beautiful hole. It’s a downhill, 154 yard par 3, with the green surrounded by trouble (mostly water.) I hit a Pitching Wedge and was very happy with the shot. Here’s a view looking back to the green; note the elevation change.

The ninth is as straight as a par 4 can be. It measures 444 yards, and the tee shot is uphill. Hitting the fairway is key, considering your approach may be anywhere between 180-200+. This is a very strong par 4, with a big greenside bunker on the right. Regardless of pin position, aim up the left side and depend on your putting skills to get par. I bogeyed and was very happy with the result.

Standing on the tenth tee, you’re directly adjacent to the clubhouse if a snack or a break is needed. The day I played, there was someone cooking on the grill outside the clubhouse. It smelled really good; great advertising!

The tenth is a par 5 that only measures 518 but be forewarned; going for it in two is a suckers play. Look closely at the hole map on the 10th tee sign:

Water up the right and in front of the green. What it doesn’t show is that the left is all OB. Play it safe here; you can thank me in the comments.

Eleven is just another beautiful hole. Standing on the tee of this par 4, you can see a lot of the back end of the course, including most of the water. No homes are visible, the wind is light because of the hills in front of you; really a great spot.

It’s also a challenging hole. It’s a sharp (as in 90 degree) dogleg left, so be aware on your tee shot. Driver may be too much. Visually, it’s just plain challenging the way they laid it out. The preferred landing area is just left of the tall tree in the middle of this picture.

The approach is uphill, with the green not visible from where you’re standing. I was also left with a downhill lie. Am I a sadist for loving this hole?

The tee shot on twelve is simple enough, looks like lots of room to land it. Depending on how far you hit it is going to dictate the difficulty of parring this hole. About halfway through this 374 yard par 4, the fairway drops significantly to a green that is well below the tee. You may have an uphill or downhill lie, but probably not flat, unless the tee shot is perfect (tough to do, especially the first time you play.) Here’s what my approach looked like.

A quick note; the twelfth tee was the first place on the course where you start to see houses. You’ll see them for most of the rest of the course, but they don’t get in the way in any way, shape or form. Some folks frown on the uptick in residential golf course real estate, but at Prairie Isle Golf Club it’s done at a minimum, and it doesn’t detract from the round at all.

Thirteen is almost a mirror of 12, except that the tee shot is uphill instead of flat. The approach is also severely downhill on this hole. I hit a boomer of a tee shot, and ended up rolling into the right rough, leaving me this for an approach.

Fourteen only measures 325 from the Blues but again, the tee shot is almost blind, with the fairway barely visible. I like how it visually plays a trick on me. Stick to your guns here and hit a fairway wood full, and all will be well. Here’s what the hole looks like from the tee; over the cart path is a good play:

Here’s a view form the back of 14 green looking towards the tee. Lots of room to bail left off the tee.

Fifteen is an all-carry par 3, measuring in at 162 yards. There’s a little room to bail right but not much; be careful here. Long is also better than short.

Seventeen is also a par 3, but this one is downhill and measuring in at 175 yards. This green has a SEVERE ridge in the middle of it running left to right, so be sure to be on the right level (and yes, I three-putted here.)

The course finishes on a relatively short par 5 (505 yards.) A well-struck tee shot will kick left, as the slope of the fairway goes that direction. It’s possible to go for it in two, but the second shot is going to be uphill, over a few trees and blind. I laid up, leaving myself with an uphill third.

My round went by much quicker than expected (considering I was playing as a single.) I did notice that even though this course is open to the public, most folks here know each other, and there’s a lot of camaraderie. That’s good and bad. Good because it builds a strong base for this great track, and bad because I felt ignored both times I entered the clubhouse (pre and post round.) Not the end of the world, but noticeable.

Other than that very small negative, the course itself impressed. It’s very playable for the longer player, and I saw a LOT of women playing, which I view as a good thing. I’d be happy to bring my wife here to play; I think she’d enjoy the scenery, and the length from the Red tees is perfect for her game.

Yes, it is out of the way and yes, I felt a bit snubbed in the clubhouse but the golf course itself was in great shape, and I was impressed with the design. When I add in the lower than expected greens fee, I’d definitely give Prairie Isle Golf Club a thumbs up, and suggest it to anyone that wants a peaceful yet challenging round of golf.

Post from: Dan Perry

Prairie Isle Golf Review – Crystal Lake, Illinois

Erin Hills Golf Review – Erin, Wisconsin

danperry — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:25:24 +0000

Erin Hills is a relatively new golf course in Erin Wisconsin that’s been getting a lot of press, most notably for its length (the Back Black tees measure in at 8,266 yards… for real.) In addition, it won “Best New Course of the Year” in 2007 from Golf Magazine, and has been awarded the 2011 US Amateur. Considering it was only a couple hours from our house, it was a definite must-play.

On a side note, we stayed at the Delafield Hotel in Delafield, WI the night before, and ate there at Andrew’s Restaurant. We loved the hotel and the restaurant, and are happy to suggest them to anyone visiting the area. I’ve posted pictures of the (huge) room, Andrew’s Restaurant, and the meals.

When we played, the course had yet to fully grow in so you may see patches of grass/straw on some of the bunker borders, and along the rough. The tees, fairway and greens were in great shape, especially the greens, which may have been a 12 or so on the Stimpmeter; very, very fast. We received a discount of about 40% because of this, which was more than generous in my opinion.

I played the Green Tees, which measure 6,838 yards which is plenty long. Believe it or not, even at that length the longest of the four par 3’s only measured 172. Because of that the Blues were an option for me (7,258), but the Greens may have been a stretch for the other two gentleman we played with, so Greens for sure. (Plus, I didn’t want to hit hybrid and 4-5 iron approach shots all day either.)

The opening hole is a 575 yard par 5, which bends to the left. It’s OB up the left side the entire length of the hole, so center and right center is a safe tee shot. The bunker on the right is reachable, but not to difficult to avoid.

The second is a very short par 4 (314 yards) which is a definite birdie hole, if you know how to play it. Aim to have your tee shot land left of the mound of bunkers; there’s more room than you think on this blind tee shot. It is uphill, so don’t be scared of the driver.

Your approach should look something like this, and you should have a wedge in your hand so go for it!

There are a couple permanent on-course restrooms, and they are well-placed and clean. This one is just off the third tee.

The third is a straight-forward par 4 from an elevated tee. I pulled it just a little, but still cleared the bunkers on the left (from the Greens), so if the big stick is working, go for it. Your approach could be relatively short making this another potential birdie hole. Take advantage of it now!

The tee shot on four is crucial; there’s a lot of sand waiting to eat any wavering drive. The best landing area is right of the bunker that’s in the middle of the fairway.

You’ll notice some very interestingly-shaped bunkers at Erin Hills. One of my favorites is in front of the fourth green. Here’s a shot from the green looking back.

The seventh is the second par-5 on the front, measuring 568 yards. From the tee there’s a lot of room to play so rip it.

I love the location of the greenside bunkers on this hole, if you have the chops to go for it in two. This picture is best viewed large, but you can still see some very deep bunkers on the left and a couple smaller ones directly in the center of the fairway near the green.

The eighth is a tough hole, period. It’s the #1 handicap hole for a reason. It’s worth your time (if you’re keeping pace) to drive your cart to the top of the hill, and see where the green is. The best choice for a tee shot should hug (or go over) the bush on the left. With an uphill tee shot, I’d choose hug.

If well-struck you should roll down a hill leaving you with a very steep, uphill approach.

I turned this into a par-5, and hit fairway wood/iron/wedge to the green. It’s not a bad play, trust me.

Nine is a very well-bunkered, downhill par 3, with the halfway house to the right.

The tenth is a 597 yard par 5; bam! It’s also uphill with a blind tee shot. Time to dig in folks. There is a white pole that you can see from the tee box. I hit my ball a bit left of it and was in the fairway.

As is the pattern at Erin Hills, bunkers abound. In front of the green there are plenty, with some interesting shapes and depth. The approach should be a bit right to avoid these.

Finally, the 10th green may be the longest green I’ve ever seen in my life. I should have walked it off, but I have no doubt that it’s 40 yards long, and maybe 50+. Pin position could dramatically change the length of this already difficult par 5.

The eleventh is a breather hole and a possible birdie, measuring only 310 from the Green tees. A good drive will guarantee an approach of 100 yards or less, but keep in mind that the approach is uphill. There’s room behind the green if you’re a bit long too.

The twelfth hole is like the second in the sense that there’s an uphill, blind tee shot and a downhill approach. It differs in the sense that the twelfth is 388 yards long, compared to 314 for the second. I would suggest staying a bit right on the tee shot, giving you a chance to see your approach (which may possibly be blind as well, if you pull it like I did.) Here’s what it looks like from the top of the hill:

The thirteenth is a 170 yard par 3, and the easiest hole on the course. What I remember is that it gave me what I consider one of the best images of the entire golf course. Note the turtle sunning itself in the image below.

Holes fourteen through sixteen may be the best three hole stretch in Wisconsin (and yes, I’ve played all four courses at Kohler.) The fourteenth is a short par 5 (469), but what it lacks in length it gains in difficulty. Again, the bunkering (especially directly in front of the green) is amazing.

In addition, this is one of the toughest greens on the course. I ended up short/right, and hit what I thought was a great chip. Unfortunately I just missed getting the ball to the correct level, and it ended right where it started.

Standing on the fifteenth tee you can see a large percentage of Erin Hills, so I decided to break out the video camera and take a quick video. It begins looking down at the fourteenth green, then seeing the fifteenth hole, and circling around again.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Fifteen is only 338, but the approach is straight uphill so the hole plays longer. Here’s a shot from the tee; note the elevation of the green on the left.

Also, as expected, there are plenty of bunkers on the hole including this beauty that’s waiting to swallow your approach if you hit it a bit long and right (spoken from experience.)

The final hole in this wonderful three-hole stretch is the 163 yard par-3 sixteenth. I like the lone tree on the right, and the superb bunkering surrounding the green. It’s not the length that causes mental errors here; it’s the bunkers.

The final hole is a 620-yard, uphill par 5. What a finish! There are well-placed bunkers for your tee shot and second, but the real trouble starts around the green. First, let me share a picture I took from the top of the right rough which shows the 18th flag, clubhouse, cart barn, and in the distance, the spires of the Basilica of Holy Hill. What a view. The Basilica really adds to the experience; you’ll see.

Back to the approach. In front of the green there’s a collection of significant bunkers (common theme.) Consider yourself warned; better up the right than left.

We thoroughly enjoyed our round at Erin Hills. Although out of the way for sure, it is definitely worth the drive. I suggest staying the night before at the Delafield if you can.

This course is going to get a lot of press in the coming years, so make sure you make an effort to play it. You won’t be sorry.

Post from: Dan Perry

Erin Hills Golf Review – Erin, Wisconsin