The feel of ThunderHawk is much like that of University Ridge (another Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course), with perfectly rolled fairways and an excellent blend of golf course and nature. Also like University Ridge, ThunderHawk features one of the best collections of par fives around.

The front nine begins with a blind tee shot straight away and over the crown of a very wide fairway. It’s bombs away on this 394-yard par four.

The third is a 187-yard par three to a wide green. About 175 yards of this tee shot needs to be carried to avoid the wasteland that lies in between. The raised green will otherwise deflect anything short and right back in to the fescue.

Following the long par three third hole is a very tough par four fourth. Sand litters the driving area, and the tee shot is uphill to a very small green amidst a tight squeeze of trees.

The eighth is a very interesting par four. Short and over water, the wind was directly in to the tee boxes on this hole. With 333 yards to the green, it was difficult to tell how far the carry is to fly the water hazard, but with the right side tight and full of sand, there were few other options! If you’re a big hitter, go for it. Otherwise, lay up right and hit a short wedge in.

With the wind heading out, this green is actually very reachable from the tee. We had a slight wind at our back the last time out (Monday, October 15, 2012), and my tee shot was pin high left of the greenside bunker.

The ninth is the number one handicapped hole on the course, which I think should probably be numbered 1.5 along with the eighteenth. Both nines at ThunderHawk finish in similar fashion: Extraordinarily long, heavily wooded with sharp doglegs left. The ninth is the one hole at ThunderHawk where hitting less than driver can really hurt. I played a three-hybrid to the fairway, and found myself completely closed out from the dogleg by the trees. A par four over 450 yards, the ninth finishes strongly uphill, and is well guarded in front by greenside bunkers.

Just as the front nine finishes with a huge challenge, so does the back. The left side of the fairway is covered with sand, while the right side is out of bounds. The fairway is quite wide for the drive, but the dogleg left tightens up significantly. A three-shot par five, the eighteenth finishes over a large rock pile and well above the level of the fairway. This is another great hole to play target golf on for any chance at birdie or par.