Thunderbird Hills North (Huron, OH)

Thunderbird Hills North has been good to me over the years in the CGA. It used to be home to the midseason 2 man scramble, a tournament I won a half dozen times before the format was changed. Several of those wins was at the North. 

(Par three fourteenth plays to a pitched green.)

Thunderbird North is totally devoid of bunkers. Usually I would consider that a deficiency, but the greens are so beautifully placed upon the knolls and ridges that the slopes do a good job at making the shots interesting. It also makes this a great place for seniors, ladies, and juniors to enjoy the game. 

(The 445 yard tenth is an outstanding hole. Players usually face an uneven lie to an elevated green with very little room for error. Those who challenge the creek will have a flat lie, but still face a daunting approach. It's one of the best holes in Ohio!) 

(This pic illustrates the cleverness of the greens. Look how the green sits on a little spine. Your short iron on this 130 yard par three must be hit precisely, otherwise, you ll be looking at a deft chip to save par.)

(This gnarly oak tree is the symbol of Thunderbird. It is 70 yards short of the green on the first hole, and being behind it is complexing. The putting surface is laid out across a high spot in the terrain, so chipping or pitching from the sides is difficult.) 

(One of my favorite holes is the fourth, a 318 yard par four. The green is nicely placed atop the hill, a tough flag to get close from a downhill lie.) 

(Six is driveable at 290 yards. It's a really fun hole that sees plenty of birdies and eagles. The fairway flows downhill into the green, just like a well struck drive.) 

(The ninth can be a daunting hole into the wind. The pic above shows the great pitch and roll of the fairway as it doglegs toward the green. If the player can carry it past this point, the ball will leave 240-200 to the green.) 

(Eighteen is a great ending hole. A flat spot in the valley leaves a mid iron approach, however, the heaving fairway has a large roll that blocks the view of the green. It's a tricky green too. Birdies are hard to come by.) 

Thunderbird Hills North is a very popular course. (The fact that they built the South course is a testament to that.) In the summer, Thunderbird North holds a huge tournament that sees players from all over, including Michigan and Indiana, play in their scramble. A handful of pedestrian holes, the horrible twelfth being one of them (any par five that forces an iron off the tee makes me cringe!) prevents this from getting a higher rating. I give it a 4 (above average). There are three courses in the area that cater to Cedar Point tourists, and Thunderbird is easily the most accessible and playable. It's not necessarily the best, but it's the most convenient. And being above average means a lot of repeat customers.