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24 | I NSIGH T • J u n e 2 0 15 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m Kohler. "We have the water, the Great Lake of Michigan, the sand dunes, beautiful grass — all that will be on display during the PGA." Hosting the 97th PGA is an enormous undertaking, especially since the goal this time is "new, better, different," says David Kohler, general chair of the 2015 PGA. "e complexity of the operational setup is going to be immense." Construction of 30 air-conditioned and fully-appointed chalets for major sponsors in temporary, clustered "villages" along the ninth, 15th, 17th and 18th holes began in May. More than 1,000 people are working on the event, expected to draw some 225,000 visitors to Whistling Straits, 10 miles northeast of the village of Kohler, population 2,000. All the top names in golf — current Masters champion Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and yes, Tiger Woods — are expected to be among the 156 players to qualify, according to PGA Championship Director Jason Mengel. e field will be narrowed to 70 who will split the $10 million purse, the largest in the game of golf. e winner will take $1 million and the Wanamaker Trophy. "It's significant," David says. "ink about having a Super Bowl at your high school football field. We're having a Super Bowl at Whistling Straits." From vision to reality D avid, 49, was there when his dad, now 76, began to envision the hospitality business at Kohler. He recalls walking in the woods together along the Sheboygan River in the 1970s, eyeing the spot Herb had chosen for what would become an exclusive recreational With more than 1,000 members of the media — including Turner Sports and CBS — expected to descend on Sheboygan County, 500 million viewers worldwide will see breathtaking views of the course, perched on the sand dunes at the edge of Lake Michigan. Business leaders statewide, including many from Northeast Wisconsin, are supporting the event through sponsorships, tickets and word-of-mouth promotion. "e Kohler Hospitality Group and the Kohler family have developed a fabulous destination for the state to really be proud of and show off in the most remarkable way," says Dan Ariens, CEO of Ariens Company, fellow member of the Young Presidents Organization and personal friend of David Dynamic drive c o n t i n u e d The 2010 PGA at Whistling Straits. Whistling Straits, hole 18.