Barefoot - Fazio

The Fazio Golf Course at Barefoot Resort, located in North Myrtle Beach, was designed by Tom Fazio. Fazio is renowned as one of the world’s leading golf course architects, having put his mark on such luminaries as Wade Hampton Golf Club in the North Carolina mountains and the luxe Sage Valley Golf Club, located near Greenville, South Carolina, an hour or so from Augusta National Golf Club.

And, speaking of Augusta, Fazio has been the head architect on retainer by the home of the Masters, where he has helped modernize one of the world’s great courses for the highest levels of competitive golf. At his golf course at Barefoot Resort, Fazio applied many of the principles that have made him one of the most popular designers in the golf world.

The course is playable from all sets of tees, with generous fairways and greens where there is nearly always a safe side to miss. But players who want to be more aggressive will face challenges in the shape of deep bunkers, sandy waste areas and water hazards. A great example of this dynamic is at the short par four 15th hole, where players can play their tee shots safely out to the left or near a pond just right of the fairway. Choosing the former option will leave an awkward approach over a bunker to the small green while the latter, if executed successfully, leaves a green-light wedge shot up the length of the green and an excellent chance to make a birdie.