Event Founder Breaks Guinness World Record for World’s Longest Putt
KOHLER, Wis. – Destination Kohler – one of the world’s foremost golf resorts and home to four Pete Dye championship courses – recently hosted the inaugural World’s Longest Putt (WLP) Championship at The Baths of Blackwolf Run. Held on September 25-26, the 2023 WLP Finals showcased Midwest golfers competing for the title, with Mike Born securing the 2023 WLP Championship by putting it twice to within five feet of the final 400-foot pin.
At the conclusion of the WLP Finals, championship competitors attempted to break the Guinness World Record for Longest Putt. On his final putt, Jay Stocki sank a 401.26-foot putt to establish a new world record for the longest golf putt (non-tournament).
The WLP Championship is a new putting competition and charity fundraiser open to all golfers at qualifying locations nationwide. Local qualifiers can advance to regionals, with those regional winners advancing to the World’s Longest Putt Championship, which is set to occur annually at The Baths of Blackwolf Run.
“We are committed to providing unique opportunities to share an elevated and enjoyable golf experience with a broad audience of golfers,” says Michael O’Reilly, PGA Director of Golf Operations at Destination Kohler. “The Baths of Blackwolf Run is thrilled to partner with the World’s Longest Putt team and advance our mission to grow the game of golf through inviting and accessible ways for all. The Baths of Blackwolf Run and the World’s Longest Putt Competition allows us to do just that.”
“The putting green at The Baths of Blackwolf Run is one of my favorite places in the golfing world.” adds Stocki, CEO of The World’s Longest Putt. “Several times a year, we take a group to Kohler and every person raves about how they have an incredible time at The Baths. It truly is a special experience, and we are excited to work with Kohler to bring an entirely new competition that is open and achievable to golfers of all skill levels.”
The 2024 WLP Finals are scheduled for Oct. 7, 2024, at The Baths of Blackwolf Run.
Spread across 27 acres between the first and 11th holes at Meadow Valleys, The Baths of Blackwolf Run is a 10-hole, par-3 course that offers holes ranging from 60 to 160 yards. Four strategic water features, or “Baths,” are situated throughout, but are not forced carries unless desired. Although the course plays as a 10-hole course, The Baths’ imaginative routing allows for flexible alternatives for shorter or longer golf experiences.
Adding to the atmosphere, The Baths features a two-acre putting course, plus a log cabin food-and-beverage station with outdoor seating and a firepit surrounding the opening Bath.
Chris Lutzke and the late Kohler Co. Executive Chairman Herb Kohler designed The Baths. Lutzke spent over 30 years working alongside Pete Dye as he constructed many of his courses, including the two at Whistling Straits.
To book a golfing experience at The Baths of Blackwolf Run or for more information, please visit www.destinationkohler.com or call 855-444-2838.
About Kohler Co.’s Hospitality & Real Estate Group
The Kohler Co. Hospitality & Real Estate profile includes The American Club and world-renowned championship golf venues Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run. The Inn on Woodlake in the Village of Kohler is a three-diamond property. Their sister property, the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in St. Andrews, Scotland is located at the birthplace of golf literally alongside the 17th fairway of the Road Hole, the most famous and difficult par-4 hole in golf.
The late Herb Kohler created Kohler Co.’s Hospitality & Real Estate Group with the reclamation of The American Club and then built world-renowned championship golf courses, The Straits and The Irish at Whistling Straits, and The River and Meadow Valleys at Blackwolf Run. Kohler Waters Spa is the only five-star spa in Wisconsin and has four locations elsewhere in the world. The resort features 12 dining establishments from the remarkable Immigrant Restaurant and Winery Bar to pub fare at The Horse & Plow. And then there is River Wildlife. Herb Kohler believed River Wildlife, located in a forest next to a river on an early Winnebago Native American encampment, has the best country gourmet dining in the United States.
The resort is located in the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin, one hour south of Green Bay, one hour north of Milwaukee and 2½ hours north of Chicago, just off of I-43.
World’s Longest Putt
The World’s Longest Putt is golf’s newest premier event. Golfers of all skill levels can compete in qualifying events at courses and charity events nationwide. Qualifying event winners are then able to compete at regional events held across the country. Regional event winners are then invited to the finals at Destination Kohler in October of each year.
The mission of the WLP team is to create a fun and exciting golf experience for golfers of all skill levels, while helping to enable the missions of dozens of nonprofit organizations around the country.
