The Bull and Hitting The Tight Lie Flop Shot

Happy Sunday OOB fam! I’m finally back in Scottsdale after two weeks away - split between Whistler and an Alaskan cruise. No golf this time (needed the break lol) but the landscapes were unreal. My favorite moment was hopping a seaplane over the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier and landing at Taku Lodge for a salmon bake and great wine. Not sure I’m a “cruise guy,” but it was cool to try a different way to travel.

Alright, back to golf. A couple weeks ago I did an epic Wisconsin golf trip with the boys - Erin Hills, Whistling Straits, Sand Valley - but we also hit a local and caddie favorite, The Bull at Pinehurst Farms. And wow, it delivered. Affordable, pure conditions, fast greens, and a layout that forces you to use every club in the bag. The season’s wrapping up there in early October, but if you’re plotting a Wisco trip next year, put this course on your list.

Ryder Cup week is almost here and I can’t wait to see Bethpage packed with New York energy. It’s going to be wild, maybe the loudest Ryder Cup we’ve ever seen. I keep telling myself I’ll just watch it at home, but if things are tight going into weekend… don’t be surprised if I’m hunting for a last-minute flight. If you’re going to the Ryder Cup, hit reply - I just might meet you there.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

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💰 Green fees - WI Res. $75-$129 | Non-Res. $75-$169

⛳ Par 72 | 7,354 yards

📍 Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin

TL;DR — Why The Bull at Pinehurst Farms is Worth Your Time
The Bull is the course locals and Whistling Straits and Erin Hills caddies point you toward - and for good reason. Nicklaus’ only Wisconsin design mixes meadows, forests, and the Onion River into a brutal-but-beautiful test highlighted by two unforgettable par fives.

Coming off a run of U.S. Open venues - Erin Hills, Whistling Straits, plus the big dogs at Sand Valley (minus the Lido) - I figured anything that followed might feel like a letdown. But that’s the beauty of Wisconsin golf. Even the local favorites can surprise you. The Bull at Pinehurst Farms isn’t just filler between the headliners, it’s a course that you should definitely add to your Wisco itinerary.

Before Nicklaus carved his only Wisconsin design here, this was Pinehurst Farms - a nationally renowned Holstein breeding operation known for producing champion bulls. After a fire in 1993 forced the farm to relocate, the family chose a new path for the land, and in 2003 The Bull opened, its name a tribute to that legacy.

Nicklaus had 400 acres to work with and he used every bit of it. The routing moves seamlessly across a landscape of meadows, forests, and wetlands, with the Onion River cutting through and shaping the strategy on several holes. One moment you’re staring down a broad meadow fairway, the next you’re threading a drive through tight woods or trying to carry a ravine into a green perched against a scenic backdrop. Pot bunkers guard corners, doglegs tempt you, and the greens run quick and true. It’s classic Nicklaus design - bold, demanding, and begging you come to back to get revenge.

Before we teed off, the starter told us, “The Bull doesn’t really start until hole five.” He wasn’t kidding. The opening stretch looks fine, but it runs through an upscale neighborhood and I can’t stand houses crowding golf holes. Still, my Erin Hills caddie had told me the same thing: be patient, it gets really good. And sure enough, when you get to five it’s game on. The hole is a super-tight par 4 with a fairway you absolutely cannot miss, guarded by woods left and right and a green tucked behind massive oaks. From that point forward, you’re out in nature playing some of the most strategic golf I’ve ever played. The misses are brutal - the kind where doubles and even “others” lurk so unless you’re striping it, you’re better off taking the safe line and living to fight another hole. That’s what makes The Bull so much fun: it dares you to take it on, and if you pull the shot off you’ve got a real chance at birdie or even eagle, but if you don’t… you’re cooked.

Highlight Hole: No. 8, Par 5, 562 Yards

The 8th at The Bull is everything this course is about wrapped into one hole. From the tee, if you can carry it 265 over the pop-up bunker on the right, you’ll leave yourself less than 200 yards for the second shot. That’s the bold play, but push it even slightly and you’re wet. The Onion River hugs the right side and anything leaking that way turns into bogey or worse in a hurry. Take the line left and now you’re staring at 225-plus with a forced carry over the river for your second. It’s a tough shot, and with a little bit of headwind you have to absolutely stripe it to hit the green. There’s also a split fairway left if you want to lay back and give yourself a bigger target for the third - safer, sure, but it feels like conceding when you’re standing there with a chance to go for it.

What makes the 8th special is how Nicklaus frames it. The Onion River runs along the right, separates the split fairways, then cuts back across in front of the green. It’s beautiful, but it lives in your head - every shot requires total commitment. Nicklaus has always been a master of the risk/reward par five, and this one is as good as any I’ve played. It quickly became my favorite hole at The Bull.

Eighteen is also a really really good hole and is cut from the same cloth - another par five with a forced carry over water right off the tee and the same “be bold or bail out” DNA on the second shot. It’s a perfect finisher because it leaves you with one last chance to gamble. For me, it was also where I pulled off the shot of the trip — a ridiculous flop from a gnarly downhill lie that somehow came off soft and sealed our team match. My buddy Jeff had the camera rolling, and it’s living on my IG here. So much fun!

How to hit the tight lie lob shot

For years I hated hitting from tight lies. Hardpan just off the green, desert lies, thinned-out rough where the ball is sitting down - I never felt confident because every surface played different. It only took me about 20 years to figure out a go-to move that actually works in all of those spots.

If you don’t already follow Dan Grieve on Instagram or YouTube, you’re missing out. The guy is a short game magician, and his superpower is explaining how and when to hit certain shots. His reel on the tight lie lob shot is gold (watch it here). He shows you exactly how to clip the ball clean off those sketchy surfaces and actually get it to pop up soft.

This move has probably shaved two strokes off my game. Seriously - watch the reel, practice it next time you’re out, and thank me later.

Welcome to the Aces Club @Andrew Miller. I have no idea what course he made the ace on but his post went viral on X and it’s probably because he made it with a Maxfli on a one hopper!

Have you made your first hole-in-one, or know someone who did? Tag me on X @kevinLcurry or IG @outofboundsgolfer and I’ll feature it.

That’s a wrap on issue number 4! I’ve been going down the rabbit hole and I have some gems coming up the next few weeks. See you next week!

If you’re a fan of OOB, please forward this issue to all of your golf buddies. Thanks so much!