As part of Wisconsin’s emergence as a golf destination, Erin Hills was one of those shining stars that seemingly came out of nowhere.
The 18-hole gem, which is located roughly 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee, was built by Bob Lang, who sold off his printing business to develop the destination. And when it opened in 2006, Lang had an early fan in Mike Davis, who at the time was the USGA’s championship course set-up man and later became CEO.
Davis worked with Lang to shepherd the project along after the opening, but the multiple changes needed to turn a really good golf course into a U.S. Open-caliber venue were beyond what Lang’s wallet could handle. In debt and seeing few roads out of his financial malaise, Lang gave up his baby, selling Erin Hills in October 2009 to Andy Ziegler, a prominent Milwaukee businessman.
Ziegler also supported bringing the U.S. Open to Wisconsin and worked with Davis to make an announcement in 2010 that the 2017 U.S. Open was coming to the Badger State for the first time. When Brooks Koepka held the U.S. Open trophy aloft, Lang was nowhere to be found.
Lang had no part in Erin Hills’ first U.S. Open. If rumors are to be believed, Lang was not even welcome on the grounds that week due to a falling out with Ziegler.
Eight years later, Lang, 80, has resurfaced in hopes of developing another golf course property, this time in the Village of Summit, just 30 minutes south of Erin Hills and west of Milwaukee.
With an accepted offer of 218 acres and another 70 acres in negotiations, Lang told reporter Gary D’Amato of Wisconsin Golf, “This is just crazy land. The land is more important than me.”
Unlike Erin Hills, this new property — to be named Trinity Hills — is bordered on one side by the Bark River, part of the Mississippi River watershed. Lang has also convinced a 57-year-old design novice, Steve Stricker, to jump on the bandwagon.
Stricker, a seven-time major champion on the PGA Tour Champions, worked with PGA Tour Design Services to renovate Cherokee Country Club — later renamed TPC Wisconsin — in Madison, Wisconsin.
The 12-time PGA Tour winner told D’Amato he has much to learn about golf course architecture.
“I’m super excited to have the opportunity,” he says. “But it won’t be just me. It’ll be some other guys there helping out with the design. I’m new in this world. I got help from the PGA Tour to do TPC, but I still need help on how to design a golf course.”
While Lang is committed to the project’s success and has even sketched a preliminary plan, the real issue is finding the $40 million needed to finance the project. Lang is currently searching for a potential investor who would foot most of the bill.
“Here’s the bottom line,” Lang says. “What am I looking for? I’m looking for a person who sees and supports my vision, wants to be a partner with Steve Stricker and myself, and wants to own 72 percent of this golf course.”
If that doesn’t work, Lang has other options. Lang, though, is committed to finding a way.
“I see what I didn’t get done (at Erin Hills), and I see what (Trinity Hills) could be. I see Kohler and its exclusiveness, which is fantastic. I see Sand Valley and the incredible amount of play that it gets. I can do it. And I can do it better. And that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to make Trinity Hills the No. 1 golf and hospitality venue in the state of Wisconsin. You can quote me on that.”