Hole 6 on The Original Nine

The Original 9 at Thornberry Creek

Follow the Red Brick Road

By Brian Weis

When a property features 27 holes of championship golf, the nine-holer is mostly likely an afterthought for most golfers. In the case of Thornberry Creek's "Original Nine, also known as the Iroquois course, it is a track worth playing - twice. Uniquely designed, Rick Jacobson built two greens per hole to allow for an 18 hole experience on a nine hole course. The distinct nines are marked with two different flags creating the white nine and the red nine.

The best of the best on this mighty mite, include the par 5, 2nd which offers golfers an elevated view of the property. Bombers who hug the left side position themselves to get home in two.

Hole 4 is a demanding par 3 that will both visually and mental test you. Two peninsula greens positioned at the opposing ends of a large pond will challenge golfers of all skill levels. The white nineplays 158 yards while the red nine plays a club longer at 168 yards.

After the eighth, you return to the clubhouse. However, the all brick cart path steers you left down a deep glacier formed ravine. The closing par 3 hole, plays slightly up hill to a monstrous green that is surrounded by a stadium of Wisconsin hardwoods.

Most golfers will head to Thornberry Creek to play The Oneida Legends course regarded as one of the best public courses in Northeast Wisconsin. Take my advice, spend the day there and add the original nine to your itinerary. If time allows play the course twice!

Photo Slide Show

The Skinny
9 Holes - 2 flags per hole creating 18 distinct holes
Par - 72
4 Tees - 6049, 5668, 5158, 4773 yards

Contact Information
Thornberry Creek at Oneida
4470 N Pine Tree Road
Oneida, WI 54155
Phone: 920-434-7501

Article Tags: Original Nine, Iroquois Course, Thornberry Creek

Revised: 09/17/2012 - Article Viewed 36,372 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.