Greenville Country Club (Chanticleer)

Greenville Country Club (Chanticleer) – Played April 2015

• Rankings: None of my four lists
• Location: 502 Garden Trail, Greenville, South Carolina
• Year: 1970
• Architects: Robert Trent Jones & Roger Rulewich
• Course Access: Private
• Walking Rules: Carts Available

Score Card Information:

• Black: 6,864 yards, Par 72, 74.5 Rating/146 Slope
• Blue: 6,499 yards, Par 72, 73.2 Rating/143 Slope
• White: 6,210 yards, Par 72, 72.4 Rating/135 Slope
• Gold: 5,951 yards, Par 72, 70.8 Rating/133 Slope
• Red: 5,338 yards, Par 72, 72.7 Rating/135 Slope

One of my favorite rounds every year is the work get-together after Tax Day!  It is a great reward after three months of busting your butt at work.  In 2015, the weather was a little overcast, but it beat being in the office.  On this day we played the Chanticleer course at Greenville Country Club.

The founding of Greenville Country Club dates back to 1895.  A small group of young Greenville men loaded their wagons to lay out the first golf course in this part of the country only seven years after the first permanent site golf course was laid out near Yonkers, New York.

A short time later, new facilities were needed and the new club opened in 1905.  The initiation back then was $10 with annual dues being $20.  It sounds like a good deal!  The golf course was expanded to 18 holes in 1956.  Another historical accolade for the club was being one of the five founding member clubs of the Carolinas Golf Association.

In 1970, the Chanticleer course opened for play.  It was ranked in the Top 100 by Golf Digest in 1973 and rose to 50th in 1989.  It underwent a renovation in 2001 and in 2012-2013 served as one of three hosts for the Web.Com Tour’s BMW Invitational.

Robert Trent Jones was known for making some tough golf courses.  Chanticleer is no different.  There are some long holes and elevated greens with extensive bunkering to challenge golfers.  Let’s get right into it.  All distances are from the white tees.

Hole 1 – 390 yards – Par 4

The opening hole at Chanticleer is the first of many difficult ones.  The hole is long and features a creek down the whole right side.  You need a solid drive because the approach is no picnic.

Remember what I was saying about elevated greens and bunkers.  This is possibly a long iron shot to a small green surrounded by deep bunkers.  Good luck.

Here you can see just how small the green is for such a long hole.  The good news if you hit the green is that the putt shouldn’t be too long.

Hole 2 – 152 yards – Par 3

Point blank this is just a beautiful hole.  It plays quite a bit downhill.  There is plenty of trouble with the water and bunkers.  You have to be sure you have the right club.

Here is a zoomed-in shot.

You can see the shape of the green from the photo below.

Hole 3 – 503 yards – Par 5

For someone that hits it left occasionally this hole can be intimidating.  The same creek from the first hole is in play down the right side.  Depending on what you want to do with the second shot you can hit three wood off the tee for accuracy.

The second shot is flat, but there is a creek in front and to the left of the green.  There is not much room to miss.

Below you can see the green and what you face for the approach.  The bunker on the right is a devilish one.

Hole 4 – 150 yards – Par 3

I didn’t get a photo from the tee, but you can see the green you have to hit into.  It is quite narrow and guarded by more deep bunkers.

Hole 5 – 380 yards – Par 4

This hole puts it all out in front of you.  If you miss right there is a big slope that will direct the ball further from the fairway.  A power fade works best.

Here is a shot of the approach that plays uphill.

The green is large and undulating.  You will need to take some time reading putts here.

Hole 6 – 350 yards – Par 4

There is not much room here when hitting a wood.  Most of the bunkers are in play and anything to the right will have tree trouble.

What do we have here?  Another uphill approach of course.  That front, right bunker is nasty.  You don’t want any part of it.

Hole 7 – 480 yards – Par 5

The tee shot here calls for a draw.  If you go too far just left of the bunker on the right you can run into a hazard.

The second shot plays through a sea of bunkers to a slightly elevated green.

Here is the green from up close.  You can see the undulations off to the left that continue through the green.  The current pin position is in a high spot on the left side of the green.

Hole 8 – 354 yards – Par 4

The eighth is not overly long, but there is plenty of trouble.  You can go through the fairway so a draw is best.  Too far left though and a creek comes into play.

The approach is played over that creek with some nice rock work in it.  A good drive will leave a wedge shot, so clearing the water shouldn’t be too bad.

The green has quite a bit of slope just in front of where my friend, BJ is standing.  It cuts the green in two sections one noticeably higher than the other.

Hole 9 – 350 yards – Par 4

The landing area for this tee shot is blind.  There is more room to the right than it looks.  A tee shot to the left will get you in more trouble.

Hopefully, you have piped one off the tee.  The shorter club you can hit here the better.  There is nowhere to miss but long and that is not at all appealing.

Here is the putting surface with quite a bit of slope.

Hole 10 – 352 yards – Par 4

This can be a tough tee shot depending on how you are hitting it.  The bunkers on the left are a tough carry, but if you block it right you can run out of fairway quickly.  A small draw starting at the right side of the colorful bushes is the best play.

The approach is played over plenty of sand.  It should be just a wedge though.

The green is wide enough, but overall is pretty small.  Distance control must be precise to avoid bogey.

Hole 11 – 400 yards – Par 4

This hole is strong especially if it playing into the wind.  There is a creek on the right that is definitely in play.  One long and down the middle is the goal here.  Luckily, the tee is elevated.

The second plays back to an elevated green with a very deep bunker on the front right.

The green is shaped like an hourglass with a pronounced ridge in the middle.

Hole 12 – 351 yards – Par 4

This tee shot plays to a pretty small landing area.  Most of the time I have played here I hit three iron.  It makes for a slightly longer approach, but gives me the best chance to stay dry.

The approach shot is straight up the hill.  Get a load of those bunkers.  They are very deep and make par almost impossible if you find yourself in there.

Here is a shot of the green from behind.

Hole 13 – 352 yards – Par 4

This hole bends slightly back to right and plays downhill.  You need to avoid the left side.

The green is protected by more bunkers.  The ridge in the middle makes knowing the pin position crucial.  Cross-green putts will be difficult to navigate.

Here is a closer view of the green.

Hole 14 – 145 yards – Par 3

Go big or go home!  It is all carry on this one.  It isn’t too long, but you just need to put the water out of your mind.  Easier said than done.

Hole 15 – 526 yards – Par 5

This one is a long par five.  You need a solid drive here and a draw plays best with the trouble all down the left.

Here is a view of the long second shot.  This is one to play for position.

The green is guarded by a few bunkers and the same creek from the tee.  There isn’t too much tricky here.

Hole 16 – 160 yards – Par 3

The tee shot plays all uphill.  The bunkers on the left are well below the green and are the last place you want to miss.

Here is a shot of the green from the right.

Hole 17 – 481 yards – Par 5

Chanticleer gives you a few birdie opportunities towards the end of the round.  This is definitely one of them.  If you are a long hitter, a well-struck drive can set you up to go for it in two.  You will want to keep the drive up the right side as the fairway drops off on the left.

I missed the approach shot, but here is the green.  It is very long and not overly wide.  You need to know where the pin position so you can figure out the yardage.

Here is a closer view where you can see the slope of the green.

Hole 18 – 334 yards – Par 4

The last hole at Chanticleer does not call for the driver.  I hit three wood through the fairway.  If you take a wood you need to go aggressively up the right side.

The second shot can be a little scary since it the green sits so close to the water.  Anything a bit short will be wet.  Anything right of the green will be in trouble.

The final green is bisected by a small ridge on the right side.  If you’ve played your approach correctly you will have a relatively flat putt for birdie.

Chanticleer is a quintessential RTJ track.  The elevated greens and deep bunkers make the course very difficult.  It can be a difficult round if you are spraying the ball off the tee, but choose the right set of tees and you can have fun out there.  Chanticleer is always in great shape.

It was a fun day with my coworkers and a great way to decompress after a long busy season!  Tee it up.