By Scott Michaux
Some artists work with blank canvas, creating something where there was nothing. Others chisel away the beauty that lies hidden within the medium. Tom Fazio practices both styles of artistry with his golf course designs. The course architect has brought lush tropical landscapes to the barren desert and carved layouts into mountains, valleys, forests, marshes and seashores.
His versatility is on display in three dynamic communities represented by IMI—from the barrier islands of Georgia to the vast mountains of the High Sierra to the craggy spine of a leeward Caribbean island.
“From my standpoint, it’s always my goal to make distinctive golf courses,” Fazio said. “In this case it’s very easy because the environments are so different.” From the nature-oriented Martis Camp in California’s High Sierra near Lake Tahoe, to the exclusive Frederica at coastal Georgia’s Sea Island, to the luxury resort of Christophe Harbour in St. Kitts—Fazio has created three remarkably different ways to define spectacular.
“They’re certainly as good as anything I’ve ever done,” explained the architect who boasts more courses than any other designer on the acclaimed top-100 rankings. The variety and scope of the three projects keeps it interesting for a man with more than 200 award winning designs to his credit. “It’s always exciting no matter where it is,” Fazio said. “It’s never boring and the challenge is in the execution.”
Frederica
The private course at the Sea Island community of Frederica is a remarkable layout from pretty humble beginnings. Using the dirt dredged while creating a 400-acre recreational lake, a course with rolling elevation changes of nearly 50 feet was formed on the northern corner of the property. “I believe the highest points in the county are on our golf course,” head pro Steve Archer said of the site that was originally only seven feet above sea level and covered in scrub pine. With more than 1,000 mature live oaks—many 60 to 80 feet tall—that were also moved from the area where the lake was built, the end result is a stunning landscape unlike anything else in the region.
“People who see this are going to be hard-pressed to know it wasn’t always like that,” remarked Eric Schneider, vice president of golf and retail operations. “The oaks are not out of character in their final locations, but we were able to create a golf course that is very much different from this part of the world.” While the community at Frederica includes amenities such as the deep-water lake and marshes, the golf course provides a traditional core-golf experience, with no roads or homesites intersecting it.
“The challenge was to create something different, an alternative to what is already in this area,” noted Fazio. “That makes Frederica a very special place.” What distinguishes Frederica from other Fazio designs is the generous scale and scope of the playing field. Influenced by the collaboration of Sir Michael Bonallack, the former secretary of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, the undulating greens of Frederica are massive (average 9,100 square feet) with no rough leading from the fairways into the transition areas. It offers more of a links-like experience, intended to play firm and fast with greens that rise from ground level and are guarded by creatively styled bunkers.
“On almost every hole you have the ability to play a variety of shots that roll up onto the greens,” said Schneider.
Frederica, which opened in 2004 and has played host to events from the Jones Cup to the Southeastern Conference tournament, also has a world-class practice range. With uniquely designed target areas framed by live oaks, it attracts area PGA pros Davis Love III, Jonathan Byrd and Lucas Glover—and is where Zach Johnson spent the week honing his wedge game before winning the 2007 Masters. “You have the ability to hit shots and replicate shots that you’ll get on the golf course,” Archer observed.
