[Matt_Cohn]

Someone had to pick an architect so let's get started.

[Matt_Cohn]

I'll start. I think a number of holes at Karsten Creek in Oklahoma are very good. I'll nominate #18, a good cape hole par 5 around the shore of the lake. The angles are good, the hole demands bold play, and at the same time it's quite playable for everyone. In this picture you can't see the large bunker guarding the front right part of the green. It makes the hole much harder for someone who bails out or misses right with their second shot. Interestingly Karsten Creek was one of Fazio's lowest budget designs - possibly the lowest budget of his career, albeit on a great piece of land.

[SPDB]

Too tough to think of off the top of my head. I do recall being pretty impressed by a couple of the holes I saw recently at Forest Creek North. I think this is the 12th, which was a pretty nice hole.

Just remembered - the 18th at Johns Island West.

Btw - if somebody can give me a quick tutorial on resizing images, I'd be grateful.

[Mike_Cirba]

A couple off the top of my head...

The 1st at Galloway National, which is just a tremendous starting hole.   The other 17 aren't chopped liver either.

The 4th, 12th, 13th, and 14th at World Woods Pine Barrens.

The 4th at Oyster Bay on Long Island, where the 16th, 17th, and 18th are quite good, as well.

The 16th and 17th at Hartefeld National..the former with a great skyline green and the latter with a sprawling, downhill roller coaster ride to a great greensite.

But, my favorite Tom Fazio hole that I've played is the 14th at Trump National in Bedminster, which is a hole that would make Donald Ross envious.

[John Kirk]

I believe I've only played three Tom Fazio courses, both World Woods courses and The Quarry.  I don't remember much from World Woods.

I liked both par 5s on the from nine at The Quarry, #1 and about #5.
I liked the par 3 #14 in the quarry.

I like the short par 5 at Pine Barrens, #4
I like the big par 4 with the wild green on the back nine, #12 or #13 at Pine Barrens.

I enjoyed myself a great deal on the Rolling Oaks course.  It's quite simple and straightforward, and I had the course to myself.

[CHrisB]

I'll nominate #2, #3 and #18 at Victoria National, as well as the 6th and 10th just for their greens, the best I've seen from Fazio.

Other holes I really remember as standing out:
#11 The Preserve
#10 Flint Hills National
#9 at Caves Valley
#2 and #7 at The Club at Carlton Woods
#8 at Barton Creek (Foothills)
#18 Karsten Creek
#4, #12, and #13 at World Woods (Pine Barrens)

[Jimmy Muratt]

The 4th hole at Querencia in Cabo is an excellent par 5 and one of my favorite Fazio holes that I've played.  The entire hole sweeps from right to left on the side of a large hillside and tempts you off the tee and with your second shot to bite off more than is perhaps wise.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Matt,
That image, with the exception of the pond or lake or whatever you want to call it, crossing in front of the tee, well it looks to be the same hole as Shadow Creek #4 which looks similar to an aerial I saw of a hole @ Wade Hampton. Glad to see Faz has got the memiograph machine working again.

My favorite Fazio hole, well Sean's image there looks particularly appetizing. Nice image. I would probably say the Qof LQ #5, which is a pretty decent par 5 or the Q of LQ 12th which is a really good par 4. Then of course there is the Q of LQ par 3 14th Shadow Creek's par 3, 5th or Shady Canyon's par 3, 5th which is the best Fazio green I have been on to date. I also like the par 4 18th at Shady Canyon, but it doesn't even come close to the 13th or 15th at Shadow Creek.

[Jim Franklin]

#2 at Victoria National or #15 at Shadow Creek.

[Glenn Spencer]

I will second Jim's call of #2 at Victoria. The hole that I liked there was #14. I also thought #10 was a pretty good par 5. Tough green with pin in front. Also, I didn't play it, but how about #17 at Belfair West. I thought this hole was stunning, how does it play?

[T_MacWood]

The 3rd at Victoria National, a very interesting par-5 and the one hole that incorporates the waste piles into the strategy of the hole.

[Geoffrey Childs]

I am in total agreement with Mike Cirba.  The opening hole at Galloway is probably the single best Tom Fazio hole I've played.  It is a butt puckering approach shot ala #1 at Pine Valley and sets teh mood for the rest of the day.  Galloway is teriffic and only hindered by an awkward routing.

Numbers 2 through 4 at Victoria National are also excellent.

Then I would also agree with Mike's choice of holes at World Woods and Trump.

[Tom_Doak]

I agree that the 4th at World Woods (Pine Barrens) is an excellent hole.  The whole course is in the Pine Valley style but the fourth is the one kind of hole Pine Valley doesn't have -- a reachable, gambling par five.  I liked it much better than the short par-4 15th which they try to sell as their signature.

I've seen so many Fazio courses (maybe thirty?) that I am sure I'm not thinking through them all right now, but here are a few more off the top of my head.  The 15th at Lake Nona is a great three-shot par five.  The third at The Golf Club of Oklahoma was a great par four over some plain ground, though sadly it has been so long I can't remember much else about it.  The par-4 15th was to me the best hole at Shadow Creek, with the creek in just the right spots; the par-5 fourth was the other hole I really liked there, because the water makes the second shot exacting no matter what you are trying to do.

The things that I've picked up the most from seeing Fazio's work are not so much the strategies of individual holes but the creative ways he's moved dirt on flat sites.  John's Island West has some great variety, there are even a couple of punchbowl-ish green sites there.  The jazzy waste bunkers starting at the foot of the back tees at courses like Wachesaw Plantation were a really stunning way to differentiate an otherwise flat tee shot, until he lost sight of the purpose and started doing it off every tee on The River Course at Kiawah, which made it impossible for me to remember one hole from the next.

[Matt_Ward]

Let me echo what Mike C said about the finishing holes at Oyster Bay GC in Woodbury, NY. Given a VERY LIMITED site Fazio created a superb finish from the 15th hole right to the house. Although all four are par-4's they are each notable.

On another front -- I would say the conclusion at The Quarry at LaQuinta is also well done. You make the turn at the far corner of the property and proceed with four well done holes.

I'm sure I can add a few others when time allows.

[james soper]

wade hampton #6. wonderful green site.

[Aidan Bradley]

Victoria National #2 and #15

[John_Cullum]

With all of the Fazio discussion lately, I scribbled a quick list to see how many Fazio's  I had played. In moments I got over 20, so I may qualify as one of the preeminent Fazio critics on GCA.

One of his best holes is the downhill par 4 5th at Golden Eagle,  it uses the terrain  very well, and the green has some good contour. Its the first hole you see as you enter the gates and you quickly realize you're in for something different today.

[Aidan Bradley]

Has anyone played Kuki'o and what were your thoughts.......

[Jimmy Muratt]

Aidan,

Wow, great photos once again!  Victornia National really looks like a dramatic site, it's at the top of my must-see Fazio list.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Love the steps in the VN 15 bunker. I hadn't seen that bunker style out of Fazio, but it does confirm my experience that there is a lot more Fazio variety out there than this board will probably give him credit for.

I loved some of his holes at Disney - including a par five with carry bunkers on a sharp dogleg left and a wide green, with the right side partially blind, unless you play your second way left. It may have been 11.

Having just played Pinehurst 8 last month, there are some great holes, like 4.  I should probably post this on his worst holes thread, but 5 - a par 3 with one small bunker in front - has always been my least favorite Fazio hole. It just looks out of proportion, as the bunker is too small.  For that matter, the par 3 holes on No. 8 are weaker in general than the other holes.

[Mike_Cirba]

I loved some of his holes at Disney - including a par five with carry bunkers on a sharp dogleg left and a wide green, with the right side partially blind, unless you play your second way left. It may have been 11.

Jeff,

I think you mean the 16th.   It's a really superb par five.

[Keith Williams]

Mike,

My guess is that Jeff actually was thinking about the 12th - a par 5 that doglegs sharply left off of the tee with three bunkers left that one definitely wants to carry in order to reach the green in two.

12 sits right in the middle of one of the better stretches of holes on Osprey Ridge - 10 through 13.

Keith.

[Michael Whitaker]

That image, with the exception of the pond or lake or whatever you want to call it, crossing in front of the tee, well it looks to be the same hole as Shadow Creek #4 which looks similar to an aerial I saw of a hole @ Wade Hampton. Glad to see Faz has got the memiograph machine working again.

Tommy - What is your point? Are you saying a great hole design that an architect finds works on one course should never be copied on another? That would have prevented a lot of great Northeast courses from being built, wouldn't it?

[Matt_Ward]

As much is TF is discussed one of his most noteworthy layouts is one that flies far below the radar screen but is easily the best layout in the State of Utah -- Glenwild.

I would place the course at the highest of levels from the 50+ TF courses I have played.

Among the star holes at Glenwild is the final trio -- an outstanding trio encompassing a par-5, par-3 and par-4 closer.

Don't have pictures to present -- but TF brings home the golfer in grand fashion. Put Glenwild in a more high profile golf area and the course would draw far more acclaim than it gets now.

[Michael Whitaker]

I would vote for the 5th hole at Belfair East. It is a terrific short two-shot hole with an outstanding green. The graphic does not do the hole justice as there is lots of movement in the fairway and a great rise in the front of the green that can hide pin positions from view when they are located on the front of the green. I played Belfair East in the SC Senior Amateur and there were a number of birdies on this hole... but, a lot of "others," too. Lot's of fun!!!

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