Cherokee Valley’s Breathtaking Back Nine Takes Golfers on a Wild Ride

No. 10 (Par 4, 363 Yards, No. 16 Handicap)

This vintage P.B. Dye hole replete with fairway and greenside mounding is one of the shortest holes on the course and plays just slightly uphill. The safe play is an iron off the tee, leaving a full second shot with a short iron. Anything short right into the deep, cavernous bunker will make par virtually impossible.

No. 11 (Par 4, 410 yards, No. 14 Handicap)

Featuring one of the most pleasing visual corridors on property, the 11th plays slightly downhill and will offer an incredible view of Core 450 once completed (as it reverts to the ninth hole). The ideal tee shot is down the center or right side of the fairway. The second shot should be played to the front center of the green to avoid the steep incline to the right. This placement leaves an uphill birdie putt to finish the hole.

No. 12 (Par 4, 410 yards, No. 15 Handicap)

This dogleg left two-shotter plays like a different hole from the black tees, where it calls for a driver and tee shot down the center of beautiful, flat fairway. From the blue and gray tees, a fairway wood or hybrid will suffice off the tee. A well-placed drive down the center of the fairway leaves a clear shot into the green. The green slopes from right to left, so play your ball below the hole. While it’s hard to detect, No. 12 features 31-feet of uphill elevation change from tee to green; a harbinger of what’s to come. 

Hole 12

No. 13 (Par 5, 540 yards, No. 1 Handicap)

Simply put, No. 13 is one of the most challenging holes in the Upstate and must be seen (and played) to be believed as it rises 120-feet from tee-to-green. Position is everything on both the drive and second shot. The fairway widens on the right and a tee shot to this side allows for a clear path to the 150-yard marker. Allow for an extra club or two on the approach shot and breath a sigh of relief once you’re putting.

No. 14 (Par 3, 190 yards, No. 13 Handicap

This narrow, mid-length par 3 has out-of-bounds stakes down the left, right and behind the green. The ideal tee shot is slightly right and short of the flagstick. The slope of the green will allow the ball to release and feed to the back and left. Playing slightly downhill and between 158 and 170 yards from the blue and gray tees, No. 14 is a brief respite from the rigors of the 13th.

No. 15 (Par 4, 378 yards, No. 11 Handicap)

The Dye family is known for sprinkling in a few blind shots, and the tee ball at No. 15 is a case in point. This “one-of-a-kind” hole with 115-feet of drop has a range of 140-220 yards on the tee shot. A drive down the left side of the fairway is the ideal landing spot for a short iron into a green that slopes away from players.

Hole 15

No. 16 (Par 4, 289 yards, No. 7 Handicap)



As P.B. says, No. 16 just has a different feel about it. This stunning par 4 features a collection of streams and rocks not found anywhere else on the course. With only nine feet of slope, it is a flat hole amid a sea of hills. Water runs down both sides of the fairway and fronts the green. A mid-iron tee shot to the right of the bridge is “A-Position” leaving a nice 100-yard wedge into the green.

No. 17 (Par 3, 166 yards, No. 17 Handicap)

This manageable one-shotter is the best remaining chance of birdie, especially from the 120-yard gray and 156-yard blue tees. Play left of the flagstick for the best putt at birdie on this sloping green. At 97 yards from the green tees, No. 17 is well-designed for beginners and short hitters who can run the ball up the front of the green onto the putting surface.

No. 18 (Par 5, 521 yards, No. 9 Handicap)

What goes up, must come down, and the 18th sends players back down the hill they came up on No. 13. Long hitters can take a gamble on getting home in two, but patient players willing to layup often end up with better scores on this classic finisher. A tee shot to the left side of the fairway leaves a mid-iron shot to a narrow, dangerous landing area. The approach to the green must be precise and keep to the same side as the flagstick.

Hole 17

For more information about Cherokee Valley’s affordable memberships, contact Associate Director of Operations

Lauren Landreth at llandreth@cherokeevalleyclub.com or (864) 895-6758 x2