Herb Koehler Jr., a golf legend who oversaw the expansion of his family’s plumbing business into a global leader in the industry, died on Saturday at the age of 83 in Koehler, Wis.
“His zest for life, adventure and impact inspire us all,” his family said in a statement on Sunday. “We have traveled together, celebrated together and worked together. He was always there, leaving an indelible mark on how we live our lives today and continue his legacy,” he said.
In the year Born in Chicago in 1939, Koehler went to work for the family company founded by his grandfather, Michael Koehler, in 1965 right out of college. Kohler Jr. became CEO in 1968, four years after his father, Herb Sr., died. and added the title of president in 1974. He served in both roles until 2015, when his son David took over and became the company’s executive chairman.
Kohler had a passion for golf, both as a business and as a hobby, throughout his adult life. In the year In the late 1970s, he transformed his adopted hometown of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, into a major golf destination with the development of the American Club resort and the creation of a pair of 36-hole golf facilities. .
Blackwolf Run was the first in Kohler’s golf portfolio to open in 1988. In 1998, the 18-hole course hosted the U.S. Women’s Open, where South Korea’s Se Ri Pak defeated amateur Jenny Chousipo in an 18-hole match. The Pak Major – men’s or women’s – is South Korea’s first and her victory is credited with inspiring female golfers in South Korea to take up the game.
10 years later, Koehler opened Whistling Straits, bringing in renowned architect Pete Dye to take the flat airfield near Lake Michigan and turn it into beach links. The Straits Course went on to host three PGA Championships (2004 won by Vijay Singh, 2010 by Martin Kaymer and 2015 by Jason Day). The United States also won last year’s Ryder Cup 19-9.
In 2004, Kohler’s involvement in golf became global with the purchase of the Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews, Scotland, along with Rode Hall at the famous Old Course. He also bought The Duke’s, a heathland course outside St Andrews.
Koehler’s passion for the game turned into a course designer that helped build the 10-hole, par-3 Bass of Blackwolf Golf Course, which launched in June 2021. Kohler Company property located on the shores of Lake Michigan in southern Sheboygan County.
His involvement in the golf business has earned him various accolades in the industry. In the year In 2016, Kohler received the Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, which recognizes his “indelible mark on golf and his focus on the importance of environmental stewardship.” He was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.
Kohler is survived by his wife, Natalie; two daughters, Laura and Rachel; and one son, David Koehler, along with 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The family plans to host a private service. A Kohler company spokesman said public praise for Kohler will be determined at a later date.
