Yahoo Sports Golfweek's Best: Tom Fazio's top 20 U.S. course designs, as ranked ahead of The Showdown
The Showdown – featuring PGA Tour players Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler versus LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau – will put the spotlight on one of architect Tom Fazio’s best courses, Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas, Nevada.
But Fazio’s work extends well beyond the audacious layout that will be shown on Tuesday’s TNT broadcast or streaming on several outlets.
Fazio has been one of the most prolific and successful golf course architects of the past 65 years, having either created or renovated 47 of the top 200 Golfweek’s Best modern courses in the United States. His work stretches coast to coast, showing his adaptability and willingness to move plenty of earth to create holes, as he did at Shadow Creek.
But which of his U.S. courses are best? The following are Fazio’s 20 highest-rated traditional U.S. courses in our Golfweek’s Best rater program. He either designed each of these outright or extensively renovated existing layouts (as noted below for such courses).
Worth noting: There are several highly private clubs – such as Headwaters in North Carolina, Alotian in Arkansas and Madison Club in California – that haven’t received enough votes to make the Golfweek’s Best rankings of classic and modern courses. Those prestigious lists demand a minimum of 25 votes in the past 10 years, and several courses don't provide enough rater access to accumulate enough votes.
Listed below with each course is its average rating on our 10-point scale, ranking on the modern courses list (with one exception for a classic course), location, year opened and type of club (private or public-access as a resort, et cetera).
20. John’s Island Club (West)
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.20
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: Tied for No. 77
Where: Vero Beach, Fla.
Year opened: 1989
Type: Private
T17. Sea Island GC (Seaside)
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.23
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: Tied for No. 71
Where: St. Simons Island, Ga.
Year opened: 1929 (Fazio renovated two existing nines in 1999 to create the modern Seaside Course. Previous architects who worked on the course include C.H. Alison, Harry Colt and Joe Lee.)
Type: Resort
T17. Hudson National
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.23
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: Tied for No. 71
Where: Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.
Year opened: 1996
Type: Private
T17. Mountaintop
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.23
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: Tied for No. 71
Where: Cashiers, N.C.
Year opened: 2007
Type: Private
16. Quail Hollow
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.30
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: Tied for No. 60
Where: Charlotte, N.C.
Year opened: 1961 (George Cobb designed the original course, which was renovated by Fazio in 1997 and several more times since.)
Type: Private
15. Shooting Star
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.32
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: No. 58
Where: Teton Village, Wyo.
Year opened: 2009
Type: Private
14. Galloway National
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.34
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: No. 56
Where: Galloway Township, N.J.
Year opened: 1995
Type: Private
13. Diamond Creek
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.36
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: Tied for No. 53
Where: Banner Elk, N.C.
Year opened: 2003
Type: Private
12. Sage Valley GC
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.40
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: Tied for No. 49
Where: Graniteville, S.C.
Year opened: 2001
Type: Private
T10. Victoria National
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.41
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: Tied for No. 47
Where: Newburgh, Ind.
Year opened: 1998
Type: Private
T10. Spring Hill
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.41
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: Tied for No. 47
Where: Wayzata, Minn.
Year opened: 1999
Type: Private
9. Butler National
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.45
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: No. 45
Where: Oak Brook, Ill.
Year opened: 1974 (Tom Fazio worked with his uncle, George Fazio, on the design and construction of the course)
Type: Private
8. Martis Camp
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.48
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: No. 43
Where: Truckee, Calif.
Year opened: 2008
Type: Private
7. Dallas National
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.50
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: No. 39
Where: Dallas
Year opened: 2002
Type: Private
6. Monterey Peninsula (Dunes)
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.57
Golfweek’s Best classic courses ranking: Tied for No. 49
Where: Pebble Beach, Calif.
Year opened: 1926 (Working with Tim Jackson and David Kahn, Fazio in 2016 renovated a classic layout originally designed by Seth Raynor and Robert Hunter.)
Type: Private
5. Gozzer Ranch
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.61
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: No. 34
Where: Harrison, Idaho
Year opened: 2007
Type: Private
4. Congaree
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.71
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: Tied for No. 24
Where: Ridgeland, S.C.
Year opened: 2017
Type: Private
3. Estancia
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.86
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: No. 17
Where: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Year opened: 1995
Type: Private
2. Shadow Creek
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 7.98
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: No. 13
Where: North Las Vegas, Nev.
Year opened: 1990
Type: Resort, casino
1. Wade Hampton Club
Average Golfweek’s Best rating: 8.16
Golfweek’s Best modern courses ranking: No. 6
Where: Cashiers, N.C.
Year opened: 1987
Type: Private
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Shadow Creek, site of The Showdown, among Tom Fazio's top designs
