Whitehall Sands is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing new golf projects in the Midwest. Built across a reclaimed sand mine in Whitehall, Wisconsin, the property already possesses the ingredients architects usually have to manufacture: massive exposed sand, dramatic elevation, rugged quarry walls, sweeping ridgelines and long views across the Driftless landscape. Rather than erase the property’s industrial past, the vision is to use it—transforming the former mine into a bold, public inland-links destination where the land itself becomes the defining feature. At the center of that transformation is Wisconsin native blasigolf (Jay Blasi), whose land-first approach feels uniquely suited to Whitehall Sands. Blasi served as project architect at Chambers Bay, helping transform another former sand-and-gravel mine into the course that ultimately hosted the 2015 U.S. Open. His résumé also includes acclaimed work at The Patriot, Santa Ana Country Club, Lakeside Country Club, Golden Ga...