Tom Fazio Golf Courses and Signature Design Traits

Updated November 15, 2022
Tom Fazio on the 18th hole of the Vintage Club
  • DESCRIPTION
    Tom Fazio on the 18th hole of the Vintage Club
  • SOURCE
    Tony Roberts
  • PERMISSION
    getty image license

You know you’re good at your craft when awards are discontinued because you’ve won them too many times. For anyone who questions Tom Fazio’s impact on golf architecture, the fact that Golf Digest gave up on its 'Best Modern Day Golf Course Architect' award after Fazio won it three years in a row should be evidence enough that Fazio was truly the king of his craft.

Tom Fazio has designed and built over 200 golf courses and has his name on 13 of Golf Digest's U.S. Top 100 courses, more than any other active golf course architect. While Fazio has taken his talents abroad to Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Ireland, the bulk of his career, and his most notable designs, reside in the U.S. Many of the top architects in golf today credit Fazio for influencing the way they approach certain aspects of their craft.

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About Tom Fazio

Tom Fazio was born on February 10, 1945 and has a golf design career that spans over six decades. Even as he approaches his 80s, Tom isn’t looking to retire anytime soon, as he is still heavily involved in the day-to-day of his company, Fazio Design.

It would be more than fair to say that he was destined to be a golf architect. His uncle, George Fazio, had a design firm in Philadelphia and welcomed Tom to his staff in the 1960s. It was in 1972, however, when Tom opened his own firm in Jupiter, Florida and never looked back. Oddly enough, George has said that it was Tom’s contributions to the company that allowed him to reach great heights within his own firm.

Today, Fazio is assisted in large part by his son, T. Logan Fazio, who is a world-class architect in his own right. Despite his success and instant name recognition, Fazio is known to prefer team notoriety over individual accolades. Many Fazio-designed courses accompany other courses at a larger resort, demonstrating his strength in creating courses that mesh well with the others on the property, while also offering their own flavor.

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Tom Fazio Signature Traits

The 18th tee at Shadow Creek outside of Las Vegas
  • DESCRIPTION
    The 18th tee at Shadow Creek
  • SOURCE
    Nick Heidelberger
  • PERMISSION
    Permission given by Nick Heidelberger

Tom Fazio courses are perhaps some of the easiest to attribute to their architect. Fazio frequently worked under a budget-less umbrella, which is why his resume includes some of the most prestigious private courses in the world. On a Fazio course, you’ll never feel like the design and build cut corners. A few other design traits of Tom Fazio include:

  • Fazio wants to give the player an immediate wow factor, which is why his courses photograph well
  • Hazards that run parallel to the hole rather than creating forced carries
  • Elevated tee boxes with dramatic sightlines
  • Holes designed to be individually framed from tee to green without running into the next
  • It's rare to find a Fazio design with an uphill par-3
  • Many Fazio courses are built on sites considered unsuitable for golf courses - he likes a challenge
  • Large green complexes with severely sloping areas designed to be avoided
  • Untouched, natural beauty
  • Varied difficulty levels to accommodate all skill levels
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Tom Fazio Courses

The 10th green at TPC Myrtle Beach

The 10th green at TPC Myrtle Beach

  • DESCRIPTION
    The tenth green at TPC Myrtle Beach
  • SOURCE
    Pete Fontaine / Contributor
  • PERMISSION
    121404218

Here are some of the most notable Tom Fazio courses. As you scroll through, you'll notice some of the most prestigious courses in golf, such as Quail Hollow, Shadow Creek, and Caves Valley. He and his wife, Sue, split residences between Florida and North Carolina, both states which have benefitted from Fazio's designs. His work also has a heavy presence in Texas and well as South Carolina.

Course Year Opened Public/Private Location
The Estancia Club 1996 Private Scottsdale, Arizona
Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor) 1996 Public Scottsdale, Arizona
Ventana Canyon Golf & Racquet Club  1984 Public Tucson, Arizona
Whisper Rock Golf Club 2005 Private Scottsdale, Arizona
The Alotian Club 2004 Private Little Rock, Arkansas
The Canyons at Bighorn  1999 Private Palm Desert, California
The Grand Del Mar 1999 Private San Diego, California
Eldorado Country Club  2003 Private Indian Wells, California
Monterey Peninsula Country Club 2016 Private Pebble Beach, California
Pelican Hill Golf Club (Ocean North) 1993 Public Newport Beach, California
Shady Canyon 2002 Private Irvine, California
The Vintage Club (Desert and Mountain) 1980 Private Indian Wells, California
Red Sky Ranch  2002 Private Wolcott, Colorado
Bull's Bridge Golf Club 2004 Private South Kent, Connecticut
Amelia Island Plantation  1986 Public Amelia Island, Florida
Bonita Bay Golf Club (Cypress) 1997 Public Bonita Springs, Florida
Champions Country Club at Summerfield  1994 Private Stuart, Florida
Coral Creek Club 2001 Private Placida, Florida
Hammock Dunes Club 1989 Private Palm Coast, Florida
Lake Nona Club 1985 Private Orlando, Florida
PGA National (Haig and Squire) 1979 Public Palm Bech Gardens, Florida
PGA Golf Club (Wanamaker and Ryder) 1996 Public Port St. Lucie, Florida
Sea Island Club (Seaside) 1999 Private Sea Island, Georgia
St. Ives Country Club  1989 Private Duluth, Georgia
Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club 2007 Private Coeur d' Alene, Idaho
Butler National Golf Club  1972 Private Oak Brook, Illinois
Conway Farms Golf Club 1991 Private Lake Forest, Illinois
The Glen Club 2001 Public Glenview, Illinois
Stonebridge Country Club 1989 Private Aurora, Illinois
Belterra 2001 Private Belterra, Indiana
Caves Valley Golf Club  1991 Private Owings Mills, Maryland
Congressional Country Club 1976 Private Bethesda, Maryland
Treetops Sylvan Resort (Fazio Premier) 1992 Public Gaylord, Michigan
Ironhorse 2000 Private Whitefish, Montana
Shadow Creek 1990 Private Las Vegas, Nevada
Wynn Las Vegas 2005 Private Las Vegas, Nevada
Trump National 2000 Private Bedminster, New Jersey
Atunyote Golf Course at Turning Stone 2004 Public Verona, New York
Finley Golf Course  1999 Public Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Pinehurst Resort (#4, #6, #8) 1999, 1976, 1996 Public Pinehurst, North Carolina
Quail Hollow Club 1997 Private Charlotte, North Carolina
Firestone Country Club (West) 2002 Private Akron, Ohio
Pronghorn Club 2007 Private Bend, Oregon
Osprey Point 1986 Private Kiawah Island, South Carolina
TPC - Myrtle Beach 1999 Public Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Barton Creek Resort and Spa (Foothills and Canyons) 1985, 1999 Public Austin, Texas
Champions Golf Club (Jack Rabbit) 1964 Private Houston, Texas
Dallas National 2002 Private Dallas, Texas
Trump National  1992 Private Potomac Falls, Washington D.C.
The Greenbriar (Snead) 2004 Private White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia