LOCAL GOLF - Dewsweepers Golf Course Review - Thunderbird Hills North

Course:  Thunderbird Hills North

Location:  Huron, Ohio

Directions:  Right on Rt. 2  - about 30 minutes west of Cleveland, 60 from Akron

Dewsweepers Tee Time Was:  642

Thunderbird Hills Website

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The Thunderbird Hills 36 hole complex is one of the real fun stops on the Dewsweeper Tour. We played and reviewed the newer South Course a few weeks ago, and this week we teed it up on the heritage North Course.  We love both of these 18's and they are very different.

The North Course is a tree lined mature golf course checking in at about 6,500 yards.  It has rolling fairways, wonderful greens, with few water hazards, and no sand.  But the the rough can be challenging especially when wet or damp. This is a course that plays uphill, and down, with undulated fairway lies, and relatively flat, but very nice greens.  This place, along with The South, is always in really nice shape and the pace of play is terrific.  This is worth a few minute drive.

We had a slight delay this week as some rain moved through early, but the course soaked it up well, and the course played really nicely. As much rain we we got, the greens still rolled pretty fast, and extremely well. 

It was fun to watch Joe Red play today. After he got off to a slow start, he simply hit the ball better and better as the round wore on.  After a few tough holes culminating on number 6, he then found his stroke and was piping the ball down the middle, and making good shots overall. He found the consistency that has been with him the past few weeks, and settled down and played good golf.  After a tough start shooting a 47 on the front, with all of the damage early, he threw down a 41 on the back for an 88 on the day. Not bad after stumbling out of the blocks.

Tex conversely got off to a good start and was playing some pretty good golf.  Driving the ball well, and making solid second shots.   Tex also has 8, 1 putts on the day, including a streak of 5 in a row on the front.  Also 11 putts on the front - sizzling!  But he like many started to find trouble on holes 9, 10, 11, 12.  A really rough stretch on this course, and the scoring got away from him.  But as you'll learn later, this is a tough stretch.  After Tex tossed down a solid 44 on the front, he found 53 on the back.  Mostly because of two really brutal holes. 10, and 12.  97 on the day. 

Beef's game is getting better all the time too. Beef had the highlight of the day, if not the season on #6, a short par 4.  After a bomb drive, he chipped in an eagle from about 50 yards (2).  He also had a beautiful 30 foot downhill daddy gagger putt on number 11 for a great birdie. Those helped erase a couple of tough holes, and helped him shoot a very nice 41/41 for 82 on the day. A solid round here.

I got off to a hot start. I birdied the first 2 holes, and was on my way.   I shot a fun 36 on the front, even par.  My first even round of the year.  On the back I fired a 43, for 79 on the day.  My big problem was like Tex, number 10.   I finished 7 over on the day, 4 on that one single hole for a brutal 8!  Then a horrible 3 putt on 11.  But I got hot and parred 5 of the last 6, and saved my round. 

Course highlights?  Number 7 a really tough par 4, long and doggy right, 405 yards.  Number 9, tough from every angle par 5, with a tiny green. Number 10 (the hardest par 4 we play all year).  400 tough drive to a raised high green, over mush to a blind pin on a huge green. BRUTAL HOLE (we were collectively 10 over on that hole).  Number 12 another tough par 5 with all kinds of trouble.  Number 13, a very tough driving par 4 400 yards to a raised green.  But there are three par 4's that make this able to score on.  Number 4, 6, and number 17 all drivable and both are there for scoring. But the key to this hole is the tough stretch from 7 through 13.  You must survive those holes in the middle.

This is a really fun place to play where you can score if you mange the course well and make good decisions.  The course is always nice, and the facilities are really strong. Service is terrific, and rates are very good.  And they do have a rewards card system that rewards repeated play.

Thunderbird Hills North. Great golf. Fine place to play, worth the drive. Play all 36!!

This week the tour rolls on and we head to Willoughby to play the fantastic Manakiki in the MetroParks.  Another one of the highlights of the tour.

Here are other courses The Dewsweepers have played and reviewed recently.

Scores 

Wynn  -  79
Beef  -  82
Joe Red  -  88
Tex  -  97