Greenville CC (Chanticleer), SC

Holes to Note

7^th hole, 510 yards; The USGA’s Golf Journal once shrewdly selected this as 'A Great Golf Hole.' Though there are plenty of tougher holes, this one is full of charm and a treat for any level golfer. The tiger will try and hit the elevated green in two but even if successful, can he get down in two putts? The back to front pitch is fearsome and a dreaded three putt par can be the sad result. For most of us, a seven foot deep bunker on either side of the green encourages us to be long with our pitch but again, long on this green means a trying two putt.

8^th hole, 400 yards; The highlight of this hole is one of Trent Jones’s all-time finest green complexes, perhaps the equal of the 4^th green at Spyglass Hill. The hole has the basic design characteristics of the 13^th at Augusta National: the stream cuts across the tee at the 200 yard mark, winds up the left hand side of the fairway before crossing in front of the green and hugging its right side. A drawn tee ball is ideal and the golfer is rewarded with a shorter club into the green. Ten paces on, there is an abrupt ridge which can act as a back stop: the thinking golfer will fly his ball here and let the slope slowly feed it back down to the front hole locations. Past the ridge is another smallish area that is the most difficult target on the course to find. Pull it left and the bermuda rough or bunkers will leave you with a near impossible recovery shot to salvage a par. The right third of the green hugs the creek and offers the flatter putting surfaces but finding such hole locations is no bargain. All in all, a terrific hole.

the first rate 8th green complex

12^th hole, 395 yards; One of the hardest sub-400 yard holes in the game, this one doglegs left around the elbow of the creek before heading uphill to a narrow, two tiered green.

the dogleg 12th with the elevated green in the distance

17^th hole, 500 yards; Another appealing use of the stream occurs at the 17^th, where it cuts across the fairway some fifty yards shy of the green on this reachable three shot hole. Many a golfer – both the tiger golfer and otherwise - is tempted to carry it with his second shot. The green is completely open in front to receive such a shot, almost as if Trent Jones is bating you into it. Too many architects would have put the green flush against the creek where the hole would accommodate only a high flying approach shot. Not so here. Sam Snead has always maintained a fondness for this hole.

One of the reasons Chanticleer is important to see and study is that it remains an untouched Trent Jones course. Other than a few drainage and flood issues, little has changed since it opened. In fact, Trent Jones toured Chanticleer a few years before his death in 2000 and said he forgot just how good this course was. He could only suggest two small alterations, which were indeed not carried out. His distinctive design features are found here and hopefully, the Club can resist any changes to this gem going forward.

Chanticleer epitomizes the best of a lean time and remains refreshing to play to this day. As Ron Whitten said in his Feature Interview on this site:

As more and more multi-million dollar, high profile courses were built through the 1980s and 1990s, Chanticleer may have had its fair share of the spotlight momentarily deflected from it. But rest assured, as people begin to tire of the sameness of these new latest and greatest efforts, they will once again fully appreciate the far more engaging challenge on offer at Chanticleer.