Okay, so I decided to hit the links down on Hilton Head Island, and the George Fazio course was on my list. Heard some things, figured I’d give it a shot myself.
Getting Started
First thing, I had to actually get a tee time. Called them up, found a slot that worked. Pretty standard stuff, really. Packed up my clubs the night before, made sure I had plenty of balls. You know how it goes, always seem to lose a few.
Woke up that morning, grabbed some breakfast, and headed over to the Palmetto Dunes area where the course is. Finding the clubhouse wasn’t too hard. Plenty of signs once you get into the resort area.
Checking In and Warming Up
Parked the car, hauled my bag over to the bag drop. The guys there were quick, got my clubs onto a cart. Went inside the pro shop to check in and pay up. Staff seemed friendly enough, pointed me towards the range.
Spent a little time warming up. Hit a small bucket of balls just to loosen up. The practice area was decent, nothing too fancy, but it did the job. Rolled a few putts on the practice green too. Wanted to get a feel for the speed.
Out on the Course
Finally, it was my time. Got paired up with a couple of other guys, nice enough fellas. Headed to the first tee. Right away, you could tell this wasn’t gonna be a walk in the park. Fazio courses, they make you think a bit, right?
The Layout:
- It felt like placement was key. Couldn’t just bomb it down the fairway every time.
- Lots of bunkers. Seriously, sand seemed to be everywhere I didn’t want it to be. Spent some time in the ‘beach’ as they say.
- Water comes into play on a good number of holes too. Had to be careful with approach shots.
Played through the front nine. Had some good shots, had some bad ones. That’s golf, isn’t it? The course was in pretty good shape, greens rolled true mostly. It demands you pay attention. You drift off, you’ll find trouble quick.
Made the turn, grabbed a quick snack. The back nine felt similar in challenge. Maybe a bit tighter in spots? Hard to say exactly, but it kept you on your toes the whole way. It wasn’t overly long from the tees I played, but you had to be accurate.
Wrapping Up
Finished up on 18. Shook hands with the guys I played with. Dropped the cart off, grabbed my clubs. Headed back to the car feeling like I’d definitely played a round of golf. It tested me, for sure.
Overall, it was a solid experience. A challenging course, makes you manage your game. If you’re looking for an easy, relaxing round, this might not be it. But if you like a course that makes you think and execute good shots, then yeah, the Fazio course is worth playing when you’re down on Hilton Head.
