Herb Kohler Jr., who oversaw the expansion of his family’s plumbing business and became a world leader in the industry as well as a prominent figure in the world of golf, died Saturday in Kohler, Wisconsin. He was 83 years old.
“His zest for life, adventure and impact inspires us all,” his family said in a statement released on Sunday. Celebrated and worked together, he always gave his all and left an indelible mark on how we live today and how his legacy continues.”
Born in Chicago in 1939, Kohler began working for the family business founded by his grandfather, Michael Kohler, shortly after graduating from Yale University in 1965. Jr. became his CEO, adding the title of president in 1974. He held both positions until his son David took over in 2015 and Herb Jr. became the company’s executive chairman.
It wasn’t until adulthood that Kohler developed a passion for golf, both as a business and as a pastime. He almost single-handedly took over his adopted home of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, in the late 1970s by developing the American Club Resort and creating two 36-hole golf facilities, the Blackwolf Run. transformed into a premier golf destination. There is the layout of Meadow and River (#93 on Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses list), Whistling Straits, The Straits (#23 on Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses list) and The Irish Course.
Blackwolf Run was the first part of Kohler’s golf portfolio, opening in 1988. In 1998, the 18-hole compound course hosted the U.S. Women’s Open, where South Korea’s Seripak defeated amateur Jenny Chua Siripong to win the 18-hole playoff. Park was the first Korean to win a men’s or women’s major, and her victory is credited with spurring an entire generation of Korean female golfers to start playing the game.
Ten years later, Kohler opened Whistling Strait and invited renowned architect Pete Dye to take a flat, abandoned airfield on the shores of Lake Michigan and transform it into a replica seaside rink. The Straits Course has hosted three PGA Championships (Vijay Singh won in 2004, Martin Kaymer won in 2010, Jason Day won in 2015) and the US Senior Open (Won Simon Hobday in 2007). I was. It was also the venue for last year’s Ryder his Cup, which the United States swept him 19-9.
Kohler’s involvement in golf took an international component in 2004 when he purchased the Old Course Hotel, adjacent to the famous Old Course Road Hall in St Andrews, Scotland. He also purchased St. Dukes, a heathland course outside of Andrews.
Kohler’s passion for the game also led him to become a course designer, helping build the 10-hole, par-3 Bass of Blackwolf golf course, which debuted in June 2021. Kohler Company site along the shoreline of Lake Michigan in southern Sheboygan County.
His involvement in the golf business has earned him various accolades within the industry.In 2016 Kohler received the Old Tom Morris Award from the American Association of Golf Course Managers. Inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.
Kohler is survived by his wife Natalie. She is the daughter of Laura and Rachel. Her one son, David Kohler, with ten grandchildren and her three great-grandchildren. The family plans to host private services. A Kohler Co. spokesperson said a public memorial service for Kohler will be held at a later date.
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