FA Z I O P R E M I E R C L U B S
FREDERICA
GOLF CLUB
12th hole, 354 yards
L. C. LAMBRECHT
Perhaps unlike any other course he’s ever built,
Tom Fazio had the flexibility to create something particularly special,
drawing a celebrated membership to this island enclave
2012 EDITION
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FREDERICA GOLF CLUB
AMED AFTER A FORT just a few miles away that once served
as the British military headquarters in colonial America,
Frederica on St. Simons Island, Georgia, pays homage to the
area’s history with a logo of English and Scottish flags
side-by-side. It’s an unusual coupling given the two countries’
historical enmity, but when the Spanish tried to invade Georgia in 1742, a nearby
settlement of Scots came to the aid of the Redcoats in St. Simons, helping to defeat
the Spaniards in the “Battle of Bloody Marsh.”
golfers tend to hit it a little farther here than they do elsewhere and can play a variety of fun shots.
They never have to worry about their ball caroming off a
cart path either since there aren’t any: For the most part, players can drive the carts, all of which contain Laser Link
rangefinders, wherever they like. “Just keep them outside the
leather” is the only admonition. Of course, with tees and
greens in close proximity (the 13th green literally bleeds into
the 14th tee), the layout is eminently walkable and there’s an
excellent caddie program, too.
N
Today, the only battles taking place along the marsh are
those with a ball and club, but how appropriate that they
involve a game invented by the Scots. And nowhere on the
island’s 18 square miles are those skirmishes more fun and
intense than at Frederica, which is the home club for 10 PGA
Tour pros, including Jonathan Byrd, Lucas Glover, Zach
Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Davis Love, and Brandt Snedeker (a
few major league baseball players also are members).
“It’s a special place in that regard,” says Steve Archer, the
director of golf and general manager. “The appeal is the practice facility, the course conditions, and the ability to get away
and be themselves. They are able to hone their games but also
enjoy the atmosphere of the club. They’re just great guys who
will play with members, and they go out of their way to get
to know the folks here.”
Talk about a tough club championship! But you don’t need
to be a major champion to enjoy all that Frederica has to offer, starting with the rolling, 7,217-yard layout. As challenging as it is for the pros to play—with its preferred lines off the
tee and into the large, undulating greens—the wide fairways
and lack of rough make it enjoyable for higher handicaps,
too. The ball really chases on the firm-and-fast fairways so
The course is defined by its wide-open spaces, the result of
pine-tree harvesting. The roomy 300 acres was very appealing
to Tom Fazio when he first set foot on the property. “One of
the struggles as a designer in my career is having enough width
for golf,” he says. “But that wasn’t an issue at Frederica, so
we had this opportunity to create something very distinct.”
That he did. The large scale called for big greens. Fazio is
known for creating some of the most interesting complexes in
the game, but he outdid himself at Frederica. The greens
average 9,500 square feet and have more movement than an
ocean in a storm. Each one is like a sculpture that you want
to stop and admire, as well as study for all the possible breaks
and shot variations.
“There are some substantial elevation changes on the large
greens, so there are a lot of alternate pin placements,” says
Fazio, who collaborated on the design with Sir Michael
Bonallack, former secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.
“Club selection is a very big issue. Hitting it to the proper side
of the green is important, too, so the slopes funnel the ball toward the hole, or if you’re on the wrong side, away from the
hole. There’s a lot of thinking even with these big spaces.”
The elevation changes are also surprising, especially for the
generally flat island. Fazio created them with 4.5 million cubic yards of earth generated from digging a 400-acre boating
50
L.C. LAMBRECHT
Above: Equestrian pursuits
14th hole, 170 yards
2012 EDITION
51
‘One of the struggles as a designer in my career
is having enough width for golf,’ says Tom Fazio.
‘But that wasn’t an issue at Frederica.’
15th hole, 525 yards
FREDERICA GOLF CLUB
Fazio is known for creating
some of the most interesting
green complexes in the
game, but he outdid himself
at Frederica.
Custom homes grace the
community.
Below: Fleet of electric
boats at the Boathouse
54
FA Z I O P R E M I E R C L U B S
LOCATION
St. Simons Island,
Georgia
PAR 72
YARDAGE 7,217
YEAR FOUNDED
2004
ARCHITECT
6th hole, 323 yards
L. C. LAMBRECHT
and fishing lake filled with female trophy bass (8 to 10 pounders
are common). A visitor to the club would never guess the
rolling terrain was manmade. (About 1,800 trees were transplanted from what is now the lake. The biggest oaks couldn’t be lifted so the crew built a trench, then used bulldozers
to push and pull them into place at a cost of $30,000 each.)
The trees are as pleasing strategically as they are aesthetically (Fazio even planted some in the range to duplicate real
playing conditions). For instance, on the opening hole, a 409yard, dogleg right, if a golfer plays safe down the left side
away from the corner bunker, he or she may have some arbor issues coming into the green, particularly if the pin is left.
And on the 525-yard 15th, the lay-up has to be well right or
back to avoid a big oak short and left of the green.
Thought-provoking dilemmas like that come up again and
again. On the 423-yard 13th hole—situated in the more wooded part of the course—a drive hit down the left away from
the marsh on the right leaves an approach as much as 40
yards longer than one that flirts closer to the trouble.
The closing trio is particularly challenging. The 462-yard 16th
plays uphill and is probably the toughest hole on the course:
The tee ball needs to challenge a big bunker on the left for a
better angle into the extra-large green, which is receptive to
a long iron or hybrid. At the downhill 443-yard 17th, players really need to step on their drives to have short irons into
the angled, well-bunkered green. Same on the dogleg-left, parfive 18th if a golfer is to have a go at the green, which has a
false front that runs off into a lake.
Developed by Bill Jones III under the Sea Island Company umbrella, Frederica was bought by Wayne Huizenga in 2010 and
since then he and his wife, Marti, have made a number of enchancements to the club. They recently added five elegant, Lowcountry-style four-bedroom cottages, making it easier for members who don’t own in the community to visit (a variety of
homes and homesites with river, marsh, golf, lake, or wooded
views are available for purchase). The sports and business mogul,
who has developed several clubs himself, including Diamond
Creek in North Carolina, also donated his Super Bowl and
World Series’ trophies from the Miami Dolphins’ perfect season
in 1972 and the Florida Marlins’ victory in 2003: The hardware
sits in a glass trophy case right outside the pro shop, located in
the comfortable clubhouse that feels more like a home with its
tabby exterior, barrel-tile roof, and antique-filled interior.
“Mr. and Mrs. H have brought an incredible new energy
and passion to the club,” says Archer. “They’ve become such
a part of the community. When they looked at the property,
Mrs. H liked it so much she said wanted to live here. So they
do have a home here and are great stewards of the land.”
With its beauty and history, this unique golf course community is certainly deserving of the devotion.
Tom Fazio
Frederica Golf Club
CONTACT
fredericaliving.com