By Evan Schiller
As I waited for sunrise on the 11th hole of the River Course at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisc., I couldn’t help but take in the beauty of this place. Early morning fog had completely enveloped the course the previous two days, but today showed promise. It was mid-September, and the leaves had just begun to change color, but even more fascinating to me that morning was the start of the Coho salmon run up the Sheboygan River, which winds through the course, including the whole right side of this par 5. I used any spare moments I had to run down to the river’s edge to witness the sheer number of fish participating in this annual spawning pilgrimage. There were spots along the river which couldn’t have been more than inches deep and filled with rocks, yet the determined salmon, some as long as 2 1/2 feet, seemed to find a way around every obstacle en route to their destination. Talk about persistence. Equipment: Sony Airpeak drone with Sony A7R5 camera and Sony 35mm GM lens.
Before becoming one of the most sought-after golf photographers, Evan Schiller was a tour pro who competed in the 1986 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. He lives in Weston, Conn., with his wife, four cats, and parrot.