The Greer, S.C. club has worked its way through an ambitious agenda this year, hosting two tournaments while also pursuing a $4 million makeover of its clubhouse and golf course.
One could a make a strong case that the leadership of the Thornblade Club, in Greer, S.C. just east of Greenville, loves an aggressive deadline. In January, five months out from hosting the Web.com (now Korn Ferry) BMW Charity Pro-Am, the club embarked on a $4 million “re-imagination” of its clubhouse and Tom Fazio-designed golf course.
Then, on the heels of this wildly popular event, the South Carolina Amateur Championship returned for the first time since 1997 to Thornblade in August. For a metro area the size of Greenville-Spartanburg, this was equivalent to hosting two major tournaments in three months.
But when your Director of Golf (an unofficial, “emeritus” title) is Champions Tour legend Jay Haas, and your membership roster includes PGA TOUR players Bill Haas (Jay’s son), William McGirt and (2009 U.S. Open Champion) Lucas Glover, as well as Tom Marzolf (Fazio’s lead designer), confidence is not in short supply.
“Look, if you have Jay and Tom leading your golf course bunker renovation, you don’t lose any sleep about it getting done on time and on budget,” says Tim Mervosh, Thornblade’s Chief Operating Officer/General Manager. “Jay has been here since day one and means so much to this club. To say we were in good hands is a vast understatement.”
Right Place, Right Time
Anyone familiar with the Greenville area’s meteoric rise as an international business hub, start-up incubator, foodie destination and cycling hotspot shouldn’t be surprised by the “get it done” approach that’s been demonstrated by the Thornblade management team.
In fact, it was the city’s progressive nature, Southern hospitality and enviable setting near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains that led Mervosh, previously GM/COO at Milburn Country Club in Overland Park, Kan., to come to Thornblade in 2017.
When he arrived, the design of new dining facilities for the clubhouse was nearly three-quarters of the way complete. But after diving into the plans, holding multiple meetings with the executive team and Board, and taking a closer examination of the proposed design’s impact on the parking lot, Mervosh called a timeout.
“I told the Board they had no reason to trust me [yet], other than the fact that they hired me,” says Mervosh. “But the re-imagination of Thornblade was vital to the club’s future, and we had one chance to get it right.”
Mervosh engaged an interior design firm he had worked with on numerous clubhouse remakes at other properties to help redirect the project. The revised plan called for creative space planning that infused new culinary energy into a dated lounge area. This dynamic entertainment and social venue did not require any additional square footage.
The dining facilities, bunker renovation, new championship tees on several holes, outdoor patios with new firepits, and updates to several other clubhouse rooms were packaged together to present to the membership. Because it called for a capital assessment higher than 10% of the current initiation fee, the entire offering had to be approved by 60% of the membership.
When it just missed passing in the fall of 2018, Thornblade’s Board trimmed the scope back to include the new restaurant space and the bunker work, while eliminating the other projects from consideration. The new plan did not require a vote, because its cost fell below the 10% threshold.
According to Mervosh, narrowing the work scope didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. “Everyone was blown away by the vision for utilizing the existing space, but were [still] skeptical it could be pulled off,” he says.
His ace in the hole for making it all work on time and on budget was the fact that the design firm he’d partnered with on other projects was actually a design-build firm. As such, it was able to craft and construct the interior concurrent with the design process, saving many weeks of project time in the process.
Immediate Acceptance
The new Champs Grille and The Pub officially opened on May 7, a full month ahead of the BMW Charity Pro-Am. The result was stunning. The focal points of the spacious dining areas are an exhibition kitchen with a wood-fired oven in Champs Grille, and the horseshoe bar in The Pub.
Rich wood paneling and floors blend with bold blues and soft hues throughout. Thornblade members love their sports (Clemson University is 45 minutes away and the University of South Carolina 90 minutes), and both dining areas are filled with flat-screen televisions.
For the back of the house, having two kitchens has been a godsend for Food and Beverage Director Ted Sweeney and Executive Chef Bryan Lindsay.
“We have a family-focused menu and an Italian-focused menu, and having two kitchens designed for those respective offerings is incredibly efficient,” says Sweeney, who came east to Thornblade from Houston Country Club in 2018. “We had to add staff, but the members love the level of service, new uniforms and overall vibe.”
Having two kitchens paid dividends during the BMW Charity Pro-Am as well, when droves of members, guests and VIP ticket holders ended up inside the new venues during a rainy afternoon. Ordering off the menu became nearly impossible, so Sweeney and Lindsay improvised by whipping up family-style dishes to pass around to the famished crowd. The celebration of friendship, family and food went on well into the night.
“[Sweeney and Lindsay] didn’t ask permission—they came up with a solution on the fly and executed it to perfection,” Mervosh says. “At Thornblade we look for team members who can own their areas of expertise. That night was a real point of pride for our members.”
Cornering the Bunker Market
While there was plenty of confidence from the start that the golf course renovation would be in good hands, relocating, redesigning and replacing Thornblade’s bunkers was still something of a bittersweet undertaking for Jay Haas, who had worked with Marzolf to route the course’s original layout in the late ‘80s through rolling fields and thick strands of kudzu. As part of that process, he would drop balls in the dirt and hit shots to determine hole directions and turning points.
The catalyst for the bunker project was the exponential increase in driving distance on the PGA and Web.com tours in the years since Thornblade opened. Over that time, the average driving distance on the PGA TOUR has increased 42 yards, according to records kept by Fazio Golf Design, and the average driving distance during the BMW Charity Pro-Am is now 305 yards, according to TOUR shot tracking.
As such, the original bunker placements at the turning points set by Haas’s shots had become obsolete, and shot data collected over the years was used to better inform the new placement of bunkers and other hazards.
The bunker project got underway in March but was paused a few weeks before the BMW Charity Pro-Am. While it is rare that any professional tour event would want to have a tournament conducted amid a renovation, the exception was made for Haas and the Fazio organization, as a nod to their dedication to the PGA TOUR and TPC Network over the years.
As of early August, the final few holes were being completed, and the response from members has already been enthusiastic. “With the [new bunker] linings and sand from Georgia, Thornblade looks unlike any other course in this region,” says Marzolf.
The bunker edges are now reminiscent of golf courses in Australia’s Sandbelt, and new Zoysia grass surrounds eliminate the need to constantly edge runners. The “low-mow, level-lip” design eliminates the need to fly-mow around the bunkers, which in turn reduces both labor and equipment expenses.
“We chose Cavalier Zoysia grass around our bunkers,” says Superintendent Randy Long. “Zoysia is a bit less aggressive than Bermudagrass and the frequency of edging is somewhat less. Constant edging of bunkers greatly changes the shape and performance of a bunker system over time.”
And If it is possible to create a signature hole with bunkers alone, Thornblade may be accomplishing just that with its 531-yard, par-5 fifth hole, which now features six massive bunkers with 18,100 sq.-ft. of shimmering white sand. And a 6,000-sq.-ft. “church pew” bunker, paying homage to Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, is being installed just left of the teeing area, in plain view from the clubhouse above.
The Kids Are Alright
Like many clubs, Thornblade’s capital improvements—and overall evolution—have been aimed at retaining existing members and attracting new ones. In the Greenville area in general, and Greer in particular, this often means targeting young families.
Thornblade’s average member age is 53, with a large percentage 45 and under. On a typical summer morning, kids can be found swarming around the property. The junior golf program offers camps, parent-junior clinics, fitness, and junior “play days” on the course.
Tennis is equally family-focused, with a junior night clinic, individual lessons and participation in the Upstate 10 & Under Circuit.
“Tennis members now have a place to go after league matches, socials, and tournaments here at the club,” notes Rick King, Thornblade’s Director of Tennis. “In years past, the clubhouse was lacking a casual, inviting space for our tennis players to enjoy. With the addition of Champs Grille and The Pub, they now have a energetic, come-as-you-are venue where they can enjoy a refreshing drink and a bite to eat after hitting the courts.”
Thornblade’s swimming facilities and programs are also tops in the region. The “Blades” swim team features 75 kids and six coaches competing in dozens of events annually. For a more relaxed experience, there are weekly family pool parties, pajama movie nights and off-site rafting trips.
“The re-imagination has even trickled down to the pool, with revenue and covers exceeding expectations,” says Sweeney. “Even the swim team won its first-ever Divisional Championship, so some may say we have Lady Luck on our side now.”
A little bit of luck never hurts, Mervosh concedes, when pulling off a major renovation project on a tight deadline. But keeping the overall objective in focus has kept the team pulling in the same direction.
“Our mission statement is simple,” he says. “We want this to be our members’ favorite place to be. If they want to do something with the family, we want them to do it here. If they want to grab a pizza and watch the game, we want them to do it here.”
Judging by the smiles now seen on faces, young and old, as they meander around the Thornblade clubhouse, traverse its golf course and lounge by its pool, that mission appears to be accomplished.
At A Glance: Thornblade Club
Location: Greer, S.C.
Founded: 1988
Members: 748 total; 520 golf
Average Member Age: 53
No. of Golf Holes: 18
Golf Course Design: Tom Fazio
Annual Golf Rounds: 27,500
Clubhouse Size: 55,000 sq. ft.
General Manager: Tim Mervosh
Head Golf Professional: Jon Hines, PGA
Golf Course Superintendent: Randy Long
Director of Food & Beverage: Ted Sweeney
Executive Chef: Bryan Lindsay
Director of Tennis: Rich King
Director of Sales & Catering: Carly Jones
Chief Financial Officer: Mark Blaylock
Membership Sales Director: Jessica Clark
Member Relations Director: Jessica Justice
Marketing & Communications Director: Carly May
C+RB
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