Thornblade Club

Thornblade Club – Played 2014

• Rankings: None of the four lists
• Location: 1275 Thornblade Boulevard, Greer, South Carolina
• Year: 1990
• Architect: Tom Fazio
• Course Access: Private
• Walking Rules: Carts Available

Score Card Information:

• Haas: 6,960 yards, Par 72, 74.2 Rating/138 Slope
• Thornblade: 6,661 yards, Par 72, 72.3 Rating/136 Slope
• Enclave: 6,402 yards, Par 72, 70.3 Rating/131 Slope
• Cascade: 6,103 yards, Par 72, 69.5 Rating/130 Slope
• Rose: 5,508 yards, Par 73, 67.6 Rating/128 Slope

Thornblade Club is a very nice private club and it is a privilege having it right around the corner.  I have been fortunate to know some members over the years and I always look forward to getting out to play there when I can.

The course has a pretty large membership and is a full-service club with golf, tennis, restaurant, and all the other amenities you could imagine.  I haven’t been able to find out much about the history of the club besides the details listed above, but I do know that Jay Haas lives at the course.  Both he and his son Bill have played a lot of golf around the Blade, so much so that a set of tees bear their family name.   The course has also hosted a prestigious junior event known as The Blade as well as The BMW Charity Pro-Am on the Korn Ferry Tour.

I played with a couple of buddies from church in a men’s group event and we had a wonderful time.  Let’s get to the course review.  We played the Enclave tees so all distances will be from there.

I do have to show you one picture before we get started.  Take a look at the photo below.  My friend had this relic in his bag.  We were going on about it and giving him grief, but then he proceeded to knock one to about ten feet.  I guess there were still some shots left in her!

Hole 1 – 407 yards – Par 4

Fazio doesn’t ease you into the round.  The shot is at least downhill.  A fade off the bunkers is the best play.

The approach plays to a raised green.  That bunker on the right is to be avoided.

Hole 2 – 544 yards – Par 5

This hole plays up the hill all the way.  It also calls for a fade just like the first tee shot.

Below is a photo of the approach shot.

Hole 3 – 407 yards – Par 4

The third doglegs to the right, but you can curve the ball either way here.  I took it over the trees on the right and had an open shot to the green.

Here is a shot of the green from the left side.

Hole 5 – 487 yards – Par 5

Great birdie opportunity here.  The bunker is just decoration.  A good drive here will set up an opportunity to go for it in two.

The third shot is shown below.  If you do go for it on the second shot, make sure you clear the creek that fronts the green.

The green is long and skinny with some undulation in its midsection.

Hole 6 – 144 yards – Par 3

This is a great one-shot hole.  You may only have a short iron in your hand, but trouble abounds if you are wayward.  Anything that carries to far long and left is in danger of catching the creek.

The green is kidney-shaped and slopes down from the right side (left in this photo).

Hole 7 – 341 yards – Par 4

This a shorter par four, but the tee shot is pinched by the trees.  A shot of 200 yards is the smartest play here to avoid the creek that runs up the left of the hole.

The second plays over a creek to a green guarded by the two bunkers seen here.

The green is pretty flat, as seen below.

Hole 8 – 370 yards – Par 4

This is a really difficult shot.  The woods on the right are in play and a creek runs all down the left side.  Hit one right at the bunker with a little draw if you can.

Hole 9 – 154 yards – Par 3

There is more trouble along the left side of this hole.  The smart play is to go for the middle of the green.

The green can be seen in the photo below.

Hole 10 – 362 yards – Par 4

This tee shot plays downhill and favors a fade, much like the first hole.  As you have seen, elevation changes are a theme of this course.

The raised green is protected by a vast bunker on the left and a smaller one on the right.

Hole 12 – 318 yards – Par 4

This shot is straightaway, just bust a hybrid or long iron out there.

The second shot plays extremely uphill.  Be aware of your club selection and the yardage.

There is a ridge that moves through the middle of the green from front to back.  For an easier putt, make sure you are on the right section of the green.

Hole 13 – 415 yards – Par 4

This hole bends slightly to the right.  As a guy who moves it left more often than not, I am starting to get tired of these!  However, if you hit a fade, Thornblade Club has looked great so far.

This shot again plays to an elevated green.

The green is seen below.

Hole 15 – 512 yards – Par 5

Here we go!  This hole calls for a draw off the bunker.  It also plays a little shorter than the yardage due to the downhill slope.

This photo is from the left side just off the green.

Hole 16 – 517 yards – Par 4

I like the back to back par fives.  This one calls for a fade and is uphill, so basically a mirror image of the last one.

The front of the green is surrounded by a couple of deep sand traps that make an up and down difficult.

Hole 17 – 194 yards – Par 3

This is a solid one-shotter.  Just try for the middle of the green and run away with your par.

Hole 18 – 442 yards – Par 4

The final hole is probably the most demanding at Thornblade Club.  It is long and demands accuracy.  The power fade works perfectly here.

The second shot plays long and uphill.  Oh, and there are a bunch of bunkers too.  Focus!!!!

For a long hole, the green is pretty small.  There is some slight slope, but nothing outlandish.

Thornblade Club is a great course that sports top-notch conditioning and a wonderful clubhouse.  I always enjoy my rounds here and this day was no different.