Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

When the calendar pages flip past March, many people gear up for one of springtime's sporting pleasures--golf. If you haven't played a round on one of Wisconsin's courses, then you may be surprised to learn that the state's natural rolling, wooded landscape has long attracted the world's biggest names in course design, such as Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus. And with almost 500 courses located throughout the state--400 of which are open to the public--there's always somewhere to play, unlike many other states.

Wisconsin also hosts some of the golf world's most challenging events. The Greater Milwaukee Open (GMO) is held annually at Brown Deer Park. This municipal golf course, one of only three PGA public courses, is where Tiger Woods made history by announcing his decision to turn professional in 1996. This year's competition will be held from July 19-28.

Wisconsin is also host to one of the premier golfing events in the world, from August 9-15--the PGA Championship. The international competition draws more than 250,000 people to watch the best golfers in the world. This year's action will take place at Whistling Straits in Haven, WI. Just 45 minutes from Milwaukee, the Straits course is ranked 67th in the world and 35th in the nation by Golf magazine.

There are even more reasons to choose Wisconsin as your golf destination. The Wisconsin Department of Tourism is celebrating the state's love affair with golf by launching the "Golf Wisconsin" program. This multi-faceted program gives golfers the chance to win free rounds at top state courses and tickets to PGA events, as well as participate in free family clinics and the special "Golf Wisconsin Day," during which kids play free with a paying adult.

Visit www.travelwisconsin.com/multicultural, where you can register to win four daily passes to the PGA Championship for yourself and a guest. You can also get more information about Wisconsin's great links and statewide golf packages and deals at travelwisconsin.com/golf.