Bunker enhancement commences on renamed course at Firestone Country Club

Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, has embarked on a project to enhance its West Course and renaming the layout the Fazio Course.

 

Spearheaded by Fazio Design, the project will include the removal of 18 bunkers and renovating the remaining 51. Several bunkers will be reshaped, and the Better Billy Bunker system will be employed in all for optimal drainage and reduction of washouts during inclement weather. New white sand will also be installed in bunkers. 

 

The bunker enhancement project started earlier this month, and completion is slated for spring 2021. Tom Marzolf of Fazio Design and a construction crew from Aspen Corporation are working with Firestone director of golf course operations Larry Napora and Fazio Course superintendent Renee Geyer on the project. 

 

The West Course will also be renamed the Fazio Course in honor of famed architect Tom Fazio, who redesigned the layout in 2001. A links-style design that boasts striking views of the club and surrounding landscape, the Fazio Course is built around the perimeter of Firestone’s famed South Course and is the home of the Ohio Senior Open.

 

“The bunker renovation is a major investment back into the Fazio Course and emphasizes our initiative to maintain our world-class golf courses and facilities,” Firestone general manager Jay Walkinshaw said. “This project will greatly enhance the golf experience at Firestone, both aesthetically and from a playability standpoint.”

 

Since the 1950s, the club and its famed South Course has annually hosted the biggest names in professional golf. In addition to being site of three PGA Championships, Firestone was the long-time venue for the PGA TOUR’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and its predecessor, the World Series of Golf. It currently hosts the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship on the Champions Tour.