The Kohler, Wisconsin resort complex will host the No Tees Tour™ at its Baths of Blackwolf Run course on October 1, 2026, beginning at 5:00 p.m. CT — marking the luxury hospitality destination's entry into a fast-growing genre of alternative golf competition formats.
The event will bring 32 professional golfers, athletes, entertainers, and digital creators together for a head-to-head short-game showdown that the tour describes as "HORSE meets golf." Built around chipping and putting battles rather than full-course stroke play, the format eliminates distance as a differentiator, putting a premium on creativity and precision. Resort guests are welcome to attend.
The Format's Appeal
Founded by Will Lowery, the No Tees Tour was designed to broaden golf's reach by stripping the game to its most accessible elements. "The Baths of Blackwolf Run offers the perfect canvas for our head-to-head format, combining world-class hospitality with an environment that celebrates creativity, personality, and shot-making," said Lowery, who also leads Crosshand Group. The Baths is a distinctive 10-hole, par-three layout within the Blackwolf Run complex — a setting that lends itself naturally to a competition centered on the short game.
For Kohler's hospitality operation, the partnership reflects a broader strategy to diversify programming and attract non-traditional golf audiences. "Our golf business continues to steadily grow, and this new experience will offer an exciting and dynamic way to enjoy the game," said Mike O'Reilly, GM of Kohler Golf, noting the resort's commitment to expanding access across skill levels.
Operator Implications
For hospitality and resort operators, the No Tees Tour partnership illustrates how luxury properties are increasingly activating their athletic amenities with experiential programming that appeals beyond core golf demographics. Events that blend sport, entertainment, and social-media-friendly formats are becoming a meaningful tool for driving midweek and shoulder-season occupancy, food-and-beverage spend across a property's dining outlets, and broader brand visibility.
Kohler's resort portfolio — which includes The American Club, LODGE KOHLER, Whistling Straits, and 12 dining outlets ranging from the Immigrant Restaurant to The Horse & Plow — positions the property well to capture incremental revenue from event-driven visitation. The trend toward experiential sports programming aligns with patterns our restaurant and hospitality coverage has tracked across major resort markets.
Kohler serves as one of four host destinations on the No Tees Tour. The tour's broader circuit model — placing competition at marquee hospitality venues — mirrors strategies increasingly common in food-and-beverage-driven sports entertainment, where operators use curated events to differentiate from competitors and generate content-worthy moments for digital audiences.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
