BLACKTHORN GOLF CLUB ( 574-232-4653)
- 4/18/03 -
Blackthorn Golf Club in NW Indiana (near South Bend) is a special golfing experience - and proud recipient of
many prestigious awards including 4 1/2 stars (Golf Digest 2002), 5 stars (Chicagoland Golf 2002) ,Top 100
Women-Friendly Golf Course (Golf Magazine for Women 1999), Best Course in Indiana (Indiana Business
Magazine 1998) and # 4 Best New Public Course in the U.S. (Golf Digest 1996). Its location makes it easily
accessible from Southern Michigan, Northeastern Ohio and the Chicago area as well. In fact, it is only 90 minutes from downtown Chicago.
The property takes pride in its resort style customer service and top notch facilities and conditioning. Even on a
chilly overcast spring morning, the course was awash in natural beauty, with a variety of holes spread out over
acres of secluded terrain. This world class golf is available to the public at rates that are completely
reasonable for a course of such stature ($68 weekends and $54 weekdays during prime season for non-residents - including cart in 2003).
With the Blackthorn Golf Academy on property, the practice facilities here are excellent, and include a driving
range, practice green and short game area. Banquet and outing facilities can facilitate groups of various sizes,
and the pro shop features a variety of attire and golf accessories. On the course, each sculpted tee provides
distance markers measured to the center of the green, and the day's pin placement is indicated on sheets
posted in every cart. Uniquely, color-coded flags in the middle of the fairways measure distances at
100/150/200 yards from the greens. This is largely necessary due to the elevated fairways and mounds found
on many holes. There is an equal number of uphill and downhill tee shots, laced with a few level fairways as well.
Beginning and mid to high handicapped golfers will delight in the usually generous fairways. The initial cut of
rough is very playable - but stray too far and you will find your ball in the deep stuff. Experienced players will
appreciate the length of this wild and wooly - yet classic links style layout. The adventurous can choose the
black tees, which play to 7100 yards with a 75.2 course and 135 slope rating. The green tees measure around
6500 (129 slope) and the next set of tees scale down to under 6000 yards. The second tee areas rotate with a
difference of 70/80 yards. Golfers lacking length off the tee (and high handicappers) should definitely opt for the whites - or face 5 par fours measuring 400 plus yards.
The front nine is a bit shorter than the back side, and is characterized by rolling fairways laced with strategic
bunkering. With yards of short fringe, the bump and run is often a good option near the mildly undulating and
well conditioned greens.As with many links style layouts, many of the putting surfaces have flat areas near the
pins, but ridges often call for accurate placement on approaches. Holes one through 3 provide an opportunity
for a good start with the par three 3rd one of the best birdie holes on the course. The fifth is a monstrous par
four (465 from the tips) with a considerable bunker complex that makes reaching in regulation a chore from any
of the tees. After a reasonable par four and five on 6 and 7, a short par three (157 from the green tees) presents
another excellent birdie opportunity. The closing hole is a long dogleg right that features a water hazard near the front right of the green - a downhill approach is the saving grace here.
The back features 4 fairly flat holes to begin, followed by a stretch that provides elevated fairways and tees. Ten
is a short dogleg left, and precedes a pair of interesting and long par fours with significant waste areas coming
into play. After a short trip on your cart through an old dairy barn from the 12th green to the 13th tee (no kidding!)
- you find perhaps the best scoring stretch on the course. Two pars threes sandwich a downhill par four and a
mid range five par. The 16th is an especially pretty hole - and requires a high arcing shot to carry the
depression while remaining on the putting surface. The 454 (tips) yard par four 17th is a challenge due to the
length demanded along a narrow tree lined fairway. The closing hole is a beauty - as it bends to the left and
plays downhill towards a small green flanked by bunkers right and a formidable water hazard left. Even with
bare trees and the absence of colorful wildflowers, this hole exemplifies the natural beauty of the golf environment at Blackthorn.
Elaborate greenside and fairway bunkering, along with scattered water hazards and elevated fairways create
challenge and variety. With no on course residential development, Blackthorn presents an opportunity to play
the game in a secluded environment on vast acreage surrounded by mature hardwoods and pines. A great
course for locals - and certainly worth a day trip from surrounding states - This is a most enjoyable round of golf!
For more information on this course and a link to its website (if available) visit our detailed listing page in the Two Guys Who Golf Chicago Section: click here.
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