23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Opening Shot at The Irish - Whistling Straits

The first hole of The Irish Course at Whistling Straits sets the tone — wild dunes, sculpted fairways, and a lone golfer testing precision against the courses designed drama. The terrain rises and folds like a living sculpture — where every contour tells the story of challenge and beauty along Lake Michigan’s edge.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2025
Date Uploaded: 10.2025
Photo Location: Kohler, Wisconsin, United States of America
Copyright: © Jason Aponte