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By Steve Donahue
A pair of freak fires may have prematurely ended the cattle business for The Bull at Pinehurst Farms, but the accidents gave way to an ever-thriving golf entity
It’s rare that after a family’s historic livelihood disintegrates in flames—not once, but twice—it can be considered a good break. However, that’s what happened to David Bachmann, Jr., the president of The Bull at Pinehurst Farms, a top-100 daily-fee course in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, located across the street from Blackwolf Run’s two top-100 resort layouts at Herb Kohler’s American Club Resort.
The Bull sprawls across property owned by just two families since 1910—the Bachmanns (Reiss) and the Giddings. Bachmann’s family began acquiring the land in 1845, before Wisconsin was granted statehood. The land was called Pinehurst Farms, and was used to raise Grand Champion-caliber purebred Holstein cattle, which captured national championships and top dollar at public and private sales.
In 1983, a lightning storm destroyed the main farm and all existing buildings, but no cattle were killed.
In 1993, another fire destroyed a milking barn. The animals were moved to another Bachmann-owned facility, marking the end of Pinehurst Farms.
“My dad [David Bachmann, Sr.] rebuilt the farm after the first fire but not after the 1993 fire,” says David, Jr. “I always thought our property would make a great golf course, but never seriously until the barns burned down in 1993.”
Still, it took Bachmann’s son several more years to decide to actually build a course. “It was my idea,” he says, “although my father tells everybody he thought of it long before then, which is absolutely fine. For him, building a course would have been more of a business. For me, it was a passion that came from a love of the game.”
The Bachmanns hired Jack Nicklaus to design their course, and Bachmann, Jr., was handed the reins to The Bull, which opened in 2003. Bachmann bought his dad out as partner several years ago, but David, Jr.’s wife, Brenda, is the club’s marketing director, so it still remains a family affair. Two sons—who have worked at the facility—are in school along with another child, and aren’t working at the club presently.
“I hope after they go through school and maybe try a couple of things,” he says, “that somebody returns here someday, but I also hope they find something they’re as passionate about as I am about this.”
The family atmosphere extends to the employees, a handful of which have worked at The Bull since the beginning. One current employee even worked at Pinehurst Farms. “That’s important to me,” Bachmann says.
Many Pinehurst Farms touches are incorporated around the course, range and facility, such as old stone, stonewalls and split-rail fences. Each hole is named after a famous bull who lived on the farm.
“These things have some relevance and are tied together in the property’s history and the family aspect,” Bachmann says. “Golfers like the story.”
The Bull’s customers are drawn mostly from a two- and three-county radius. Weddings, banquets and numerous golf programs are key segments of its business.
Among the most popular programs are couples nights (prizes are given for “skill” events such as long drive and long putt, and “fun” events such as closest to the lake without going in); junior programs; the 50/50 Program (times not booked within 48 hours can be purchased for 50 percent off the rack rate); a nine-hole, three-club tournament; and two 18-hole October chili tournaments (four-person scrambles with a selection of chili, hot dogs and free beer on the course, hole events on each hole, a 50-50 raffle, additional raffles and giveaways, a betting hole and skins game).
“Making golf family friendly, women friendly, kid friendly and fun is very important,” Bachmann says. “You have to keep being creative. We’re trying to maintain and grow our business, too.”
Another favorite with golfers and non-golfers alike is the “10 for $10” menu, which features 10 “very good” meals for $10. “It’s not something we make a fortune on,” says Bachmann, “but it’s something we do because the local people are extremely important to us.”
Bachmann contends that because The Bull is family established, owned and operated, all of its employees also treat guests like family. “We have a lot of frequent guests,” he says. “We have people who have been coming here for years. That includes friends, people I grew up with, people I’ve played golf with, people who come here for their recreation.
“It’s all part of the idea that we treat them like family,” Bachmann adds. “We appreciate whatever they pay to play here, whether it’s our cheapest special or the full rack rate. They’re deserving of the experience, each and every one of them.”
Steve Donahue is a Connecticut-based freelance writer.