ERIN - Monroe native Bill Kubly's business, Landscapes Unlimited, built Erin Hills and now the golf course will be on display for the world to see when the U.S. Open tees off on Thursday.
Kubly, a 1967 Monroe High School graduate, was an avid golfer at a young age and was a member of the Monroe High School golf team. After graduating, Kubly went on to get his landscape architectural degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After a short stint working as a golf course designer, Kubly launched his golf course building company, Landscapes Unlimited, which is based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Kubly's company has built 350 new golf courses since 1976, including Erin Hills.
"I took the lead from my grandfather (Bill Rees)," Kubly said. "He owned Rees Construction in Monroe. I've always had construction in my blood."
For 41 years, Kubly, the CEO and founder of Landscapes Unlimited has been building golf courses. Landscapes Unlimited also built the baseball field at the Houston Astros' ballpark, MinuteMaid Park, and the football field at Oklahoma State.
Kubly said Erin Hills will be the third modern-day golf course to host the U.S. Open. Erin Hills is a privately owned public golf course.
"The last modern day course to host a U.S. Open was Chambers Bay (in Washington)," Kubly said of the 2015 Open. "It's the first time the U.S. Open will be played in Wisconsin. It's pretty rare to have a modern day course in Wisconsin host the U.S. Open."
Bob Lang, a Delafield businessman, signed a contract to buy a cattle farm in the Kettle Moraine in 1999. The land that has become Erin Hills was carved by rolling terrain sculpted by glaciers during the Ice Age.
Golf course architects Mike Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten were hired in 2000 to design the course. The contract to build the golf course in 2003 went to Landscapes Unlimited. Kubly met Lang at a golf outing just outside Toronto a couple years before. The course was built for $2.7 million and designer fees with one-third going toward irrigation, Kubly said.
"I knew how to build a golf course because I did it in college," Kubly said. "It's a very natural and rustic golf course. The golf course fit the site so well."
All of the fairways are fine fescue fairways. Kubly said the fine fescue fairways are hard and fast, and the ball will run a lot more.
Kubly said the fairways were long prairie grass at first, and they needed time to mature. Kubly said Lang spent another $1 million two to three years after the course opened to make improvements to lure the USGA to allow the Wisconsin course to host a U.S. Open.
Erin Hills includes a lot of rustic bunkers, Kubly said.
"It's kind of en vogue with links style courses," he said. "The most important thing is to hire the best people to do the work. I go back to my Wisconsin roots and hired great people from the Midwest."
Lang had a $3 million Irish-looking clubhouse built. Andy Ziegler purchased Erin Hills from Lang in 2009. In 2010, for the second straight year, Erin Hills was closed in the spring and early summer for an overhaul of improvements that included drainage, bunkers and turf conditions. A new clubhouse was built on a ridge overlooking the course. The rough was seeded with native fescue to frame the fairways into gold and brown.
Kubly said one of the most unique holes of Erin Hills is the par-5 18th that lines up with Holy Hill to the east of the course.
"It's really unique when you get the sun shining on the Catholic monastery in the background," he said.
Kubly's great-grandmother had a barn from her farm near the site of the course that was moved and now serves as a caddie shack.
"It's kind of unique," Kubly said.
Kubly, with his Landscapes Unlimited company, owns 12 golf courses and manages 40 courses.
"I had no idea our company would become as big as it has," Kubly said.
Kubly will attend the U.S. Open on Friday and Saturday. He doesn't get back to Wisconsin as often after his late parents moved before passing away.
"I don't get back to Wisconsin as much as I would like," he said. "It's a great destination golf course for Wisconsin."
Kubly, a 1967 Monroe High School graduate, was an avid golfer at a young age and was a member of the Monroe High School golf team. After graduating, Kubly went on to get his landscape architectural degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After a short stint working as a golf course designer, Kubly launched his golf course building company, Landscapes Unlimited, which is based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Kubly's company has built 350 new golf courses since 1976, including Erin Hills.
"I took the lead from my grandfather (Bill Rees)," Kubly said. "He owned Rees Construction in Monroe. I've always had construction in my blood."
For 41 years, Kubly, the CEO and founder of Landscapes Unlimited has been building golf courses. Landscapes Unlimited also built the baseball field at the Houston Astros' ballpark, MinuteMaid Park, and the football field at Oklahoma State.
Kubly said Erin Hills will be the third modern-day golf course to host the U.S. Open. Erin Hills is a privately owned public golf course.
"The last modern day course to host a U.S. Open was Chambers Bay (in Washington)," Kubly said of the 2015 Open. "It's the first time the U.S. Open will be played in Wisconsin. It's pretty rare to have a modern day course in Wisconsin host the U.S. Open."
Bob Lang, a Delafield businessman, signed a contract to buy a cattle farm in the Kettle Moraine in 1999. The land that has become Erin Hills was carved by rolling terrain sculpted by glaciers during the Ice Age.
Golf course architects Mike Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten were hired in 2000 to design the course. The contract to build the golf course in 2003 went to Landscapes Unlimited. Kubly met Lang at a golf outing just outside Toronto a couple years before. The course was built for $2.7 million and designer fees with one-third going toward irrigation, Kubly said.
"I knew how to build a golf course because I did it in college," Kubly said. "It's a very natural and rustic golf course. The golf course fit the site so well."
All of the fairways are fine fescue fairways. Kubly said the fine fescue fairways are hard and fast, and the ball will run a lot more.
Kubly said the fairways were long prairie grass at first, and they needed time to mature. Kubly said Lang spent another $1 million two to three years after the course opened to make improvements to lure the USGA to allow the Wisconsin course to host a U.S. Open.
Erin Hills includes a lot of rustic bunkers, Kubly said.
"It's kind of en vogue with links style courses," he said. "The most important thing is to hire the best people to do the work. I go back to my Wisconsin roots and hired great people from the Midwest."
Lang had a $3 million Irish-looking clubhouse built. Andy Ziegler purchased Erin Hills from Lang in 2009. In 2010, for the second straight year, Erin Hills was closed in the spring and early summer for an overhaul of improvements that included drainage, bunkers and turf conditions. A new clubhouse was built on a ridge overlooking the course. The rough was seeded with native fescue to frame the fairways into gold and brown.
Kubly said one of the most unique holes of Erin Hills is the par-5 18th that lines up with Holy Hill to the east of the course.
"It's really unique when you get the sun shining on the Catholic monastery in the background," he said.
Kubly's great-grandmother had a barn from her farm near the site of the course that was moved and now serves as a caddie shack.
"It's kind of unique," Kubly said.
Kubly, with his Landscapes Unlimited company, owns 12 golf courses and manages 40 courses.
"I had no idea our company would become as big as it has," Kubly said.
Kubly will attend the U.S. Open on Friday and Saturday. He doesn't get back to Wisconsin as often after his late parents moved before passing away.
"I don't get back to Wisconsin as much as I would like," he said. "It's a great destination golf course for Wisconsin."
