From todays Ireland online :
By Charlie Mulqueen
TOM FAZIO, the celebrated golf course architect responsible for ‘Tiger-Proofing’ Augusta, is the man behind the major changes being made to the great Waterville links.
Waterville is consistently ranked among the top five courses in Ireland, and has attracted thousands of overseas visitors, along with the game’s greatest stars and celebrities over the years. The late Payne Stewart was one of the club’s greatest advocates, and a monument to his memory is situated alongside the clubhouse.
Tiger Woods, David Duval, Mark O’Meara, Lee Janzen and Ernie and Stuart Appleby are among the other famous professionals who have used Waterville as the launching pad for their annual challenge on the Open Championship, while, a little further into the past, Sam Snead, Gary Player and Nick Faldo were among its keenest admirers.
However, as secretary/manager Noel Cronin pointed out last night: “Even the greatest courses need a facelift from time to time.”
Accordingly, Waterville chief Jay Connolly decided to hire Tom Fazio to carry out the work. He arrived in Waterville in late October and was thrilled at what he saw.
“Everything about Waterville is truly spectacular,” he said. “The setting is one of the best we have ever seen for golf. Everyone involved with the links has an incredible passion for Waterville’s special place in the game. Management is absolutely committed to preserving Waterville’s unique heritage and we are honoured that they have asked us to assist them with their endeavour.”
The transformation of Waterville’s original 9-hole lay-out founded in 1889 into an 18-hole championship links was the pet project of the late John A Mulcahy. A man with a deep love for Waterville, he in turn engaged Eddie Hackett, the doyen of Irish golf course architects at that time, and Claude Harmon, the US Masters champion and Winged Foot professional, to create a classic championship links.
Now Tom Fazio will lend his expertise to further develop Waterville into one of the game’s greatest courses. Designing a course from scratch is difficult enough. Modernising and revamping one that has stood the test of time for many years is tougher again. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, would be many peoples attitude. You suspect that Fazio had that phrase in mind when he decided to leave the par five 11th, believed by many to be the signature hole at Waterville, untouched.
Moreover, he received nothing but praise for the job he did at Augusta for last year’s Masters. The 2002 annual reported: “In an attempt to keep pace with the prodigious distances that today’s players hit the ball, Augusta National commissioned architect Tom Fazio to revise and strengthen half of the 18 holes. The result: a substantially toughened course and a highly anticipated Masters. Tees were moved back, trees were added, bunkers were enlarged and landing areas regraded to neutralise the leaping first bounces of years past. In all, 285 yards were added to the course.”
Fazio got it spot-on and Woods captured the title at the end of another great Masters. It was little wonder that Augusta hired Fazio, despite the fact that some of their greatest champions, including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson, are in the business.
Fazio was named the top American golf architect in a poll conducted by Golf Digest in 1991. That year, the magazine announced the establishment of a biennial award to recognise excellence in golf course design, and Fazio came out on top in 1993 and 1995. More than a dozen of his designs have been appointed either first or second in the annual best new golf courses (which Doonbeg has just won) since Golf Digest began publishing the list.
He has been true to his word when bearing the setting and location in mind. The alterations include the introduction of new bunkers and the revamping of others, and when the project is completed by the spring of 2004, there will be major changes to the 6th and 7th holes. Essentially, though, Fazio has concentrated on improving still further the visionary aspects of the links by the introduction of lots of new mounding so that pathways and roadways will not be visible.
The entrances to a few greens will be narrowed and next October work will commence on turning the 6th into a par three and the 7th into a par four. The plans for the holes are exciting, and, in concert with 30-40ft high mounding all the way down the left of the 1st, will add considerably to the attraction of the practice ground.
Just as he succeeded so spectacularly at Augusta National, it can be taken for granted that Tom Fazio will do the same at Waterville.