PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida – The Legacy may be the most intriguing course in golf-rich Florida.

Located in a community that has five 18-holers in close proximity to each other, The Legacy – the only private course among the five — has been around for 32 years and has hosted local qualifiers for many U.S. Opens and other national tournaments. Its designers carry a highly respected name in course architecture circles and its most progressive 82-year old owner has made upgrades that make his club both special and unique.

Still, The Legacy has maintained a lower profile than the four resort courses that comprise the PGA Golf Club. Many of the club professionals from around the U.S. who have come to this community to play the four layouts at PGA Golf Club don’t know much about The Legacy. There’s an aura of mystery about it for those not living in the immediate area.

Thirty-two years ago the course was called The Reserve and its owner was George Fazio. He holds a unique place in golf history, being the first of many touring pros who have dabbled in course architecture. Fazio did much more than dabble after a playing career that included victories in the 1946 Canadian Open and the 1947 Bing Crosby Pro-Am and a playoff loss to Ben Hogan in the 1950 U.S. Open.

Fazio’s list of course designs includes such well-known American layouts as PGA National, East Lake, Butler National and Jupiter Hills. His financial partners on such golf ventures included legendary comedian/golfer Bob Hope, one of Fazio’s frequent pro-am partners. Fazio paved the way for his nephews, Jim and Tom, to enter the golf architectural business and Fazio Design now spans three generations, since the sons of Tom and Jim have also gotten involved.

The Legacy holds a unique place in golf history, it being the last course designed by George and the first designed by Jim, who has since created about 30 courses in the United States and a similar number overseas.

“George was a pretty good tour pro. He had a nice playing record,’’ said Chuck Knebels, a well-known club professional in the area, “but he was the first player of that generation to get into architecture. Before him course designers were more engineers, guys who were more visionary about the land rather being a player. George – then Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw – were the first players to take a shot at it. At the end of the day people really needed to get a player’s perspective. It’s hard doing well without being there.’’

Knebels knew George Fazio long before either settled in Florida. They both had roots in Philadelphia, and Fazio helped Knebels – then just 22 years old – land the head professional’s job at Mariner Sands, another Fazio design in the nearby town of Stuart.

“I was just lucky to be associated with someone like that as a kid, because it opened doors,’’ said Knebels, who spent 24 years at Mariner Sands before finishing a successful professional career with a 15-year stint at Hawks Ridge — a highly upscale private club in Atlanta. Now he’s back in Stuart, still involved with Mariner Sands and giving perspective on The Legacy as well.

Jim Fazio, though a nephew of George, didn’t really get to know his uncle until he was in his teens.

“I didn’t meet him until I was 15, because he lived in California and was a pro on the tour,’’ said Jim. “I went to work for him when I was 17 at a nine-hole golf course he had in Pennsylvania.’’

As George’s career was winding down due in part to health problems Jim’s was on the upswing. They wound up together working on a property called The Reserve in the early 1980s. The owner had donated a portion of a 2,500-acre property called The Reserve in what was then Fort Pierce, Florida, for the creation of a golf course. The Reserve was the first course built in what is now PGA Village, a part of Port St. Lucie. The first of the resort courses weren’t built there until 1996.

George Fazio lived on the premises for about four years, built the clubhouse, tennis courts and swimming pool, then developed prostate cancer. Jim recalls the course being built for less than $1.5 million and estimates that today its construction would be a $6 million project. After clearing 100 acres of trees, the finished project was much like today’s layout – a challenging 7,023 yards from the back tees.

Building started in March of 1983 and finished in November. An 11-inch rain on the day of the scheduled opening pushed the course’s debut to January 1, 1984, and it wasn’t exactly a smash hit then largely because of its somewhat remote location.

“It was a fun thing to do, but we were ahead of our time,’’ Jim Fazio says now.

George moved back to a cottage he owned at Jupiter Hills shortly after The Legacy opened and his wife Barbara sold the course to Jack Piatt, of Pittsburgh, after her husband’s death in 1986 at the age of 73.

“With Piatt the course lost some of its pizzazz,’’ said Knebels. “George would attract the higher end amateur golfer and guys of a higher economic stature.’’

Bob Foisie, a successful entrepreneur from Connecticut, was one of the club members when Piatt was the owner. Foisie already owned a course in New Hampshire, saw possibilities with The Reserve and – most important — recognized that the golf industry was changing. He bought the club and one of his first moves was to change its name.

“The Reserve didn’t mean much to me,’’ said Foisie. “A reserve could have been almost anything.’’

He decided on The Legacy as a tribute to George Fazio and a statue, called The Faz, honors his memory in front of the pro shop.

Over the years the Fazio name became much more well known in golf architecture thanks to the efforts of Jim and Tom and their sons, Tom and Logan.
Jim Fazio has had a hand in every change made to The Legacy but — with Foisie’s guidance — he’s done much more than that at the club. Foisie, who has owned the club for 20 years, also called upon him to create an upscale practice range, a par-3 course that accommodates both walkers and riders and a lighted miniature course.

That’s all in keeping with Foisie’s realization that golf clubs need much more than a good 18-hole course to attract members these days.

“You have to have a golf course, and other things,’’ he said. “When you add ours all up, we have a good 14 different activities.’’

In addition to various dining options, The Legacy’s non-golf attractions include six tennis courts, a swimming pool, facilities for bocce ball and pickle ball, a dog park and dog agility course.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida – The World Golf Hall of Fame should be a regular stop for serious golfers. For me it’s been an annual one the last five years.

This time there were some notable changes since the winter of 2015. The menu at the delightful Caddie Shack restaurant changed three times (and is about to be changed again) in between my last two visits. The new hot entrée is the fried potato golf balls appetizer. They’re terrific.

The Hall of Fame museum continues to be freshened up, though it was surprising that no mention was made of golf’s return to the Olympic Games, which is just a few months away. The Bob Hope “Shanks for the Memories exhibit – a popular fixture since the Hall opened in America’s Oldest City in 1998 – is still going strong and that won’t change. A few months ago the late comedian’s family sent over three truckloads of more memorabilia. It’s not on display yet, but obviously a few new looks to the mainstay exhibit is in the offing.

Newest feature in the Hall is the Major Memories exhibit, which features an interactive replica of the Masters scoreboard. The 2015 winners of the four majors – Jordan Spieth (Masters and U.S. Open), Zach Johnson (British Open) and Jason Day (PGA Championship) get their recognition and the latest Hall of Fame inductees – Laura Davies, David Graham, Mark O’Meara and architect A.W. Tillinghast – have their floor space, too.

That foursome, in a departure from tradition, was inducted at St. Andrews instead of in St. Augustine but the next induction ceremony will be staged back in Florida in 2017.

All that is well and good, but most important thing the Hall has going now is in the housing market. There are 200 units under construction within the World Golf Village boundaries and three major housing communities are being created on the Village outskirts. There hasn’t been this much construction going on in the immediate area in at least five years.

Jim Hahn, in his fourth year as general manager of the Village’s Slammer & Squire and King & The Bear courses, sees the building boom as a trigger point for more good things. He admits that golf memberships and rounds played haven’t shown much improvement yet and the retail shops have basically been converted to office space. All that, though, could change as the homes now under construction are sold and their owners move in.

There’s already been talk of a significant competition – the Web.com Tour Championship — being played on the Village courses. That’s not a done deal yet, but at least it’s under consideration.

This regular visitor felt the World Golf Hall of Fame never looked better. It’s always been a pleasant place to visit, whether you’re a serious golfer or one who has had little exposure to the game. There seems to be something for everyone there, and more will likely discover that in the next few months. March is always the busiest month at World Golf Village and May will be big, too, with the PGA Tour’s Players Championship coming to nearby TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, FL.

OCALA, Florida – The ingenuity of golf course architects never ceases to amaze me, but Tom Lehman – a player first and designer a distant second – has outdone all his architectural counterparts for the time being.

Lehman — a two-time major championship winner, former Ryder Cup captain and a regular on the Champions Tour – has unveiled a radical new design. Working with Tripp Davis, an architect with roots in Oklahoma, Lehman created a full-fledged 18-hole course on just 50 acres.

And, actually, the course is much more than that. It can be played as a six-hole par-3 layout, a six-hole executive course (one par-3, four par-4s and one par-5), an 18-hole par-54 short course or a full 18-hole par-72 layout that measures over 6,600 yards.

This mind-blowing creation is at the Trilogy Golf Club at Ocala Preserve in Florida, just three miles down the road from Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club – home of the Coates Championship on the LPGA Tour.

According to Brian Woodruff, who left a club job at Vistancia in Arizona to become The Trilogy’s head professional a month before the course’s February 2 grand opening, the highly innovative design was Lehman’s idea and Davis helped him bring it to fruition.

Lehman lists Verrado and Encanterra in Arizona as his two main golf architectural efforts and he also is planning an 18-holer at the Prairie Club in Nebraska. The Trilogy, though, is better proof that his creative juices are flowing big-time.

Trilogy is actually four courses. Two are 18-holers. The short Skills is a par-54 with holes ranging from 63 to just over 200 yards and the Players will stretch over 6,600. It’s a par-72 and includes two tee complexes and two hole locations per hole.

Also available are two six-hole loops – the Gallery which is a par-3 layout and the Players, which is a par-24 with one par-3, four par-4s and one par-5. Players with limited time will be accommodated on those holes.

Mixed into all that is the possibility of a Horse Course, one in which players can have a match much like the classic version of a basketball game of the same name. The Horse Course isn’t completely new. The Prairie Club in Valentine, Neb., has a 10-hole version designed by Gil Hanse, architect of the Olympic Games venue in Brazil, and Geoff Shackelford. I’ve played it and found it lots of fun.

Getting players around The Trilogy sounds complicated (and it is, believe me), but Woodruff – sounding only somewhat confident – said “I don’t believe players will get confused.’’

Well, we’ll see. The course won’t be fully open until Feb. 12, when public players get their first crack at it. Then it’ll be a case of deciding what players can play which of the four courses and at what times. One thing that will help is the use of different colored flags. They’ll be blue on the Skills Course and red on the Players Course.

For starters the courses will be open to members only Sunday to Thursday and the public can play Fridays and Saturdays. Members will pay $7 for use of the course for a whole day. The public rate will be $35 in the current tourist season and $20 out of season.

The Trilogy will be a walking-only course with push carts and a Golf Skate Caddy available for those who don’t want to carry their own bag.

One other unique thing of note: there’ll be only one tee marker per hole. A player can tee off within a yard in front, behind or to either side of the marker. Lehman wanted to create different lies, even from the tees.

There’s a bit of history to this new concept. The land on which The Trilogy was built was once a golf course – an 18-holer called Ashley Farms. Its owners went bankrupt and the land sat idle for six years. Lehman and Davis built their course in nine months and it’ll eventually have a boathouse and clubhouse with all the amenities. The surrounding housing community is targeted for 1,700 homes, about 50 of which are in various stages of construction.

I thought I’d seen everything when I walked over The Loop, a Tom Doak design in Roscommon, Mich., when it was in the early stages of construction. Planned as a second course to complement play at the adjoining Forest Dunes, The Loop layout enables players to go 18 holes in one direction on one day and then play 18 in the other direction the next. And I thought that was radical.

As is the case with The Trilogy, I’ll have to see The Loop in operation before I can judge it. The Loop is expected to open this summer. Woodruff promised me a chance to play The Trilogy once its deemed ready for play. You can bet I’ll take him up on it.

ROME, Wis. – Given the popularity of Bandon Dunes, Mike Keiser’s venture into Oregon, it was inevitable that golfers would be closely watching the progress at Sand Valley in this somewhat remote corner of Wisconsin. I know. I was one of them.

Now I’ve visited the place, a much-anticipated stop before the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Golf won’t be played here until probably late next summer, and then it’ll basically be done by the Founders – those who stepped forward early to help in the financing of the first of what could eventually be five courses on the 1,700-acre property.

Michael Keiser Jr. project manager at Sand Valley and Mike’s son, is targeting a grand opening of the first course the day after Wisconsin’s first-ever U.S. Open is played at Erin Hills – a course not far away – in June of 2017. And then, look out!

The Keiser involvement understandably created immediate excitement in the project, but now you can see the first course taking shape. It was designed by the well-respected architectural team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. Seven holes have been grassed and at lest six more will be before the fall is over.

In the early days it might have been difficult to envision what the place would look like, but that’s not the case now. A walk of the first nine holes – much of it still through the sand that dominates the property – is enticing. This course will be good.

No. 4 is going to be a never-ending par-5. No. 8 looks like the best hole at this point – a tricky uphill par-3 with a big, big green. Beyond that you have to use your imagination, just as Coore and Crenshaw already have.

Keiser’s initial purchase was for 1,500 acres, and he had the option to acquire 800 more. Even before the first course design was completed Keiser acquired 200 more acres because the Coore-Crenshaw team felt a certain chunk of the property was needed to create the course that team wanted.

It took some time to uncover this property, and the Keisers weren’t even looking for it.

“We didn’t seek a project in Wisconsin,’’ said Michael Keiser Jr. “The search for this took eight years.’’

Craig Haltom did the searching and called it to the Keisers’ attention. Josh Lesnik, of Chicago-based KemperSports, checked it out on Keiser’s behalf. The project took off from there.

“Then our search took about five minutes,’’ said Keiser. “We’re here for the terrain and the landscapes. They’re as good as anything we’ve seen. It’s really a heathland in the heartland of America. It makes our project different. And we have all the space in the world.’’

Haltom, who works for Oliphant Golf – the managing firm for eight Wisconsin courses, had been looking for awhile. He explained how he found what is now Sand Valley.

“It came at the end of a dozen sites,’’ he said. “You could tell right away that it might work with its 100-foot tall dunes. Then it was all covered in trees. You couldn’t see very far. We cleared 750 acres of trees (for the Coore-Crenshaw course). There were trees every four-five feet.’’

The tree clearing started in late February of 2014. Then Coore-Crenshaw got creative.

Haltom took over management of Lawsonia, a long-established course in Green Lake while still spending considerable time managing the construction effort at San Valley. Chicago’s Jens Jensen is the landscape architect for the project and Chicago’s Field Museum is also involved in it. Rob Duhm moved from Michigan’s Kingsley Club to become the course superintendent. They have already shown how nicely grass can grow on sand. The tees and fairways have varieties of fescue and the greens a bentgrass.

A couple things to note: there is no natural water on the property – there is a four-acre man-made lake beside the No. 9 green – and there won’t be any cart paths. No need for them, because – like Bandon Dunes – Sand Valley will have only walking-only courses. There’ll be caddies and pull carts.

That’s the same policy that’s in effect at both Whistling Straits and Erin Hills. Keiser doesn’t think the hike will be a brutal one. It figures to be less taxing that Erin Hills, for sure, and probably less demanding than Whistling Straits as well.

“From tee to green it’s tight,’’ said Keiser. “The distance is four and a half miles. It’s a 6,800-yard walk with undulations. We think it’ll be a very pleasant walk.’’

There’s zero chance the walking-only policy will be changed. Keiser is adamant about that.

“Golf was meant, as a sport, to be walking with your friends,’’ he said. `We love speed-walking, going around in two and a half hours. That’s how we’re supposed to enjoy golf, and we have the luxury of not having to design around cart paths. You’d have to factor them into the design and that can handcuff architects somewhat.’’

Sand Valley won’t be a one-course wonder. That was assured when David Kidd began work on a second course. It isn’t expected to open until a year after the Coore-Crenshaw layout is completed.

“What Erin Hills and Kohler have done for the state of Wisconsin is just amazing,’’ said Keiser. “We’re thrilled just to be part of that.’’

THOMPSONVILLE, Mich. – Crystal Mountain Resort started as a community ski area in 1956. Golf didn’t come until 1977 when one of the owners, Bob Meyer, designed the first nine holes of what is now the Benzie Valley course.

That course became an 18-holer a year later, and Bill Newcomb, a well-established Midwest course designer from Indiana, started work on the Mountain Ridge course 15 years later . It was also built nine holes at a time, and the 18-hole layout opened in 1994.

It’s understandable that skiing would come first at such Michigan locations. Even now, golf staffers at Crystal Mountain point out that the resort can get 4,000 skiers through in one day compared to only 400 golfers. The numbers speak for themselves.

Still, while Crystal Mountain has maintained its status as one of Michigan’s top ski areas, its golf has not been neglected by any means. That was underscored when owners Jim and Chris MacInnes were among the leaders in forming America’s Golf Capital – a conglomeration of the top golf destinations in the state.

Twelve Michigan resorts are involved in America’s Golf Capital, and some of the others have ski facilities, too. Their golf courses, though, are outstanding. That’s what’s important now.

In addition to Crystal Mountain, the other resorts in America’s Golf Capital are Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs, Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls, Forest Dunes in Roscommon, Grand Traverse in Acme, the Inn at Bay Harbor, LochenHeath in Williamsburg, Manistee National, Otsego Club in Gaylord, Shanty Creek in Bellaire, Treetops in Gaylord, and Tullymore in Stanwood. Their properties include 33 top-notch courses. They are among the best of the over 800 public courses in Michigan. All have lodging on site except for LochenHeath, which has many such options nearby.

AGC is a marketing association that is working in collaboration with Fairways Golf to promote the facilities to international golf tour operators through a wide range of marketing efforts and technology initiatives. A new website, www.AmericasGolfCapital.com, has been launched with online booking tools and a global marketing campaign.

The concept of marketing this array of golf facilities beyond their traditional markets has been tried twice before, but never with this vigor, and there’s bound to be some controversy involved. In declaring itself America’s Golf Capital the Michigan golf destinations are challenging the warm weather destinations in Florida, California and Arizona.

I take the stance that longer seasons don’t necessarily translate into better golf experiences. Michigan certainly belongs in the conversation when it comes to choosing a golf destination, and I haven’t found a better one yet when it comes to seeking a variety of quality courses within close proximity of each other.

Each of the AGC courses presents their own unique golf experiences. Take the two at Crystal Mountain, for instance.

Benzie Valley doesn’t have a famous designer but it does have the toughest opening hole I’ve ever played – a double dogleg par-5 with water and woods left and right – and fronting the green as well. It may be the only opening hole in the country that is also that course’s No. 1 handicap hole.

Brad Dean, who has been director of golf at Crystal Mountain for 21 years, says there had been thought given to switching the nines in an effort to ease golfers into the round but No. 10 is no piece of cake, either. It’s a long par-4 with a demanding uphill tee shot.

Don’t get the idea that Benzie Valley is one of those brutal tests, though. It’s a fun layout kept in great condition (especially the greens) by superintendent Jason Farah, whose work resume includes a stint at Oakland Hills – Michigan’s most famous tournament venue.

Crystal Mountain’s other course, Mountain Ridge, is its preferred tournament course. It’s been the long-time home of the Michigan Women’s Open, one of the very best events in the country of that type for top level pros and amateurs.

An especially nice feature of Crystal Mountain is the proximity of the lodging to the golf. Our stay at Kinlochen was in the same building that housed the pro shop servicing both courses.

Another plus in going after the golf options that a ski facility offers is the availability of more dining and other entertainment or recreational options on site. Thistle Pub & Grill, also located at Kinlochen, provides a unique — and very tasty — menu while Wild Tomato is a breakfast hotspot.

Crystal Mountain. In addition to the usual golf amenities, offers packages for fishermen and the Michigan Legacy Art Park is worth – at the very least – a casual walk for the sightseeing. There’s also a strong family atmosphere with such activities as mountain biking, Paintball, Disc Golf, basketball, a climbing wall, zip line, alpine slide and water sports available.

Not only that, but Crystal Mountain is moving ahead with a $10 million expansion project that includes a 27,000 square foot addition to the Inn at the Mountain.

When you visit the SentryWorld course in Stevens Point, WI., there’s always the temptation to get overwhelmed by its world-renowned Flower Hole. I’ve seen lots of beautiful golf holes, but No. 16 at SentryWorld remains my choice as the most beautiful.

The course opened in 1982 and was recently renovated by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in collaboration with Bruce Charlton and Jay Blasi. I’d planned to make the unveiling of the renovated layout, but it was rained out.

Still, I can report that the Flower Hole hasn’t lost a thing in the changes. Never the most difficult hole in golf with tee placements ranging from 97 to 176 yards, it now is adorned with over 50,000 flowers. The hole had about 42,000 before the renovation.

Long respected for his architectural work, Robert Trent Jones Jr. has created a mini-controversy with his assessment of new No. 5 hole, a par-5. He calls that hole “one of the most beautiful holes at SentryWorld and, for that matter, in all of golf.’’