How the agronomy team at Thornblade Club strives for perfect at the BMW Charity Pro-Am

After years of serving as assistant superintendent at courses throughout South Carolina, Jordan Strange couldn’t help but be drawn back to his hometown of Greer, S.C. He received that opportunity in May 2023, joining the agronomy team at Thornblade Club as superintendent.

Less than four months later, Strange received a promotion to director of golf course and grounds maintenance. Soon after Strange took the reins at Thornblade, the 18-hole course started work on two major projects.

First, he had to manage the reclamation of a creek bank along the fifth, eighth and ninth holes, as it controlled and prevented erosion. At the same time, his team renovated and relocated the fifth hole’s tee box complex leading to a more challenging and lengthened par five.

“In my first year at Thornblade, it’s been exciting to work with my team to oversee and execute two major projects to improve the course,” Strange says. “Now that both projects have been successfully completed, we continue to focus on our attention to detail, in order to provide excellent conditions for our members, along with our annual Korn Ferry Tour competitors.”

Turf trials

The primary host of the Korn Ferry Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am since 2008, Thornblade Club features an array of different turf types. Much of the course has 419 bermudagrass, while its greens are comprised of A-1/A-4 bentgrass. Due to the nature of South Carolina’s hot and humid climate, Stange says his bentgrass requires constant attention.

“To maintain the fast, firm conditions that our golfers enjoy, we practice extensive hand watering strategies and follow a detailed plant health approach, to allow the course to thrive during the summer season,” he says.

The Tom Fazio-designed 18 at Thornblade Club have hosted the Korn Ferry Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am since 2008. (Photo: Thornblade Club)

Aside from South Carolina’s heat and humidity, Thornblade’s agronomy team looks forward to the challenges associated with hosting the BMW Charity Pro-Am. Since the tournament is one of the Korn Ferry Tour’s most popular, the agronomy team strives to perfect various course details. It also facilitates tournament infrastructure installation, while supporting daily play from Thornblade’s active membership, leading up to the event, too.

“As our entire team sees the property transform into the setting of a professional golf tournament, they become very excited for the event,” Strange says. “However, to host the event properly, our team needs extensive preparation and continuous adaptability. The hard work is certainly well worth it, as we take immense pride in providing a course that’s in peak condition and broadcasted on Golf Channel nationwide.”

Of equal importance, the BMW Charity Pro-Am is a multi-site event that Thornblade Club shares with Spartanburg, S.C.’s Carolina Country Club. Unfortunately, South Carolina’s weather can be quite unpredictable in June, which can affect pairings and tee times at both courses. In turn, the grounds crews are required to always be on call.

Luckily, Strange and his team benefit from several volunteers who are paramount to the tournament’s success.

“Volunteers are essential to our operation because of the unpredictability of weather and tournament needs,” he says. “Since we have a staff of 25 full-time employees during peak summer hours, the addition of 15 turf professionals makes a huge difference in how we operate and what we’re able to accomplish.

“Without volunteers, we would not be able to complete as much critical detail work as we do every morning and night before the rounds,” he continues.

Thornblade Club underwent a complete bunker renovation and redesign in 2019, led by Tom Fazio, which included improvements to drainage and new placements to provide a more challenging experience. (Photo: Thornblade Club)

Creating a culture

Looking ahead, Strange believes that — in addition to producing quality course conditions — he must maintain Thornblade Club’s positive team culture.

“Our agronomy team’s culture is vital to our success as a unit,” he says. “By operating in a team-first environment where respect for one another, along with a strong work ethic, are highly valued, we strive for perfection day in and day out.”

The bottom line? Strange says since the agronomy industry is constantly evolving, he and his team have to evolve at the same pace.

“As an agronomy team, we look forward to finding ways to adapt and improve, in order to produce a golf course that we, our Thornblade members and the Korn Ferry Tour can be proud of,” he says.