The Fazio Course at Barefoot Resort and Golf

Posted On February 14, 2019

Introduction

On the second morning of the trip we played the Fazio course at Barefoot Resort and Golf. We played the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort and Golf the day before and played the Love course later that afternoon.

Playing mid week, just a few days after New Year’s, there were not many on the golf course. The Fazio course at Barefoot Resort and Golf did not play as long as the Dye Club, but is still a formidable course playing to a 71 par and 6834 yards from the back tees. It plays a bit easier, rated only at 73.2 but has a slop of 145. The course runs out and then back in, so you will not be back at the clubhouse at the turn.

The Range and Practice Area

The range and practice area is not near the clubhouse. To get there, you must get into an old tram car pulled by a small pickup. It definitely did not feel to be the safest thing I have ever been on, but it did get me there and back. I would advise you to park at the range before your round and warm up and then go to the clubhouse and course afterwards using your own transportation. They did not allow carts to go over there while I was there.

With all that being said, the range is rather large (with 3 courses it would need to be) with the look of fairways and multiple targets or flags. There is also a restaurant that had some very good reviews and a lot of people suggested to eat lunch there. This would be a great place to work on a swing after a round, or hit the range with a group of buddies if you wanted to.

The Front 9

Hole 1 is a good start for a player that moves the ball left to right. Just avoid the bunker on the right. If you don’t mind a longer approach, you can hit fairway wood of this tee as well. You will find there are not too many places to miss with your approach shots. Most greens are elevated. Anything long into this green will hit the down slope off the back and into the woods, which again, is a common theme.

Hole 2 is a monster of a par 4 at 458 yards. The tee shot looks like it is right to left but you will have to send it well over 300 yards to get past the corner. The further right in the fairway you are, the longer approach shot you will have. Be short if anything with your approach shot into the green. Anything long will be gone into the woods.

Hole 3 is mid distance par 3 without too much trouble. There is water short right, and bunkers short left. Anything a touch long or left will be fine. Avoid the bunker on the right.

Hole 4 is the first par 5 on the course. Longer hitters could get there in 2, but this plays as a 3 hole par 5 in my opinion. Just keep your tee shot out of the sand trap on the left and in the fairway. With your second shot you can do one of two things. You can advance it to the number you want, but that will probably be between two sand traps. If you don’t trust that, then you can send it, leaving yourself with a short pitch shot. Just be sure to clear the sand trap on the right. I suggest hitting the number to the front of the green, which will give you a straight forward pitch.

Hole 5 is another monster at 499 yards. While it isn’t the hardest hole by handicap on the scorecard, it darn should be. You must fit your drive into the fairway short of the bunker on the left, but long of the water and lone bunker on the right. If you do that, you will have an uphill approach so add half a club. Just make sure to clear the bunkers in the front. Anything long shouldn’t bounce too far.

Hole 6 is the second par 3 of the front, and plays slight back downhill to a large peninsula green. There is plenty of room, so aim small miss small. Just make sure to be below the hole as the green slopes back towards the water.

Hole 7 is a reachable par 5. Put a good tee shot into the fairway avoiding the bunkers on either side of the fairway. You can make this tee shot easier with a fairway wood staying short of the bunkers, but will make it a 3 shot hole. If you’re going for the green, short right is the miss. If laying up, aim for the far bunker on the right and be just short if it for the best angle into the green.

Hole 8 is the 3rd par 3 on the front making a par 35. Whether you draw or fade the ball, both will work for this hole. Just make sure your miss is left and not short.

Hole 9 is a pretty good par 4 finishing hole. Just stay out of the waste area that’s on the right off the tee. There isn’t much guarding the green except for the bunker on the left, so attack this green.

The Back 9

Hole 10 starts the back 9 off with a daring par 5. Put a good drive into the fairway, staying just left of the trees that look like they are at the end of the fairway. If you decide to go for it, a miss long is fine. In fact, if you don’t mind hitting from bunkers, the bunker long left is just fine. If you decide to lay up, try to be even with the fairway bunker on the left. If you are a good pitcher of the ball, you can send one just short of the green about 50 yards out and avoid all the hazards.

Hole 11 is a long par 3 playing at 197 yards. Pretty straight forward here, as the miss is short right. Just don’t be too long and you will be fine.

Hole 12 is the shortest par 5 but plays longer as it dog legs slightly to the right. With a lot of penal areas on this hole, it was a 3 shot hole for me. Make sure you hit the fairway, was just a fairway wood off the tee for me. Avoid the bunkers along the right side. Lay up with a number that will be short of the further fairway bunker along the right side. With your approach, just left of the green is where you want to be. Anything right will more than likely bounce into the water.

Hole 13 is a shorter par 4 but has trouble near the green. Keep your tee shot down the left hand side for the best angle into the green. Avoid the water on the left which is the only hazard around the green. Long is also not very good here. If the pin is over the water on the left, the middle of the fairway is the best option. A little bit long is into this green is fine.

Hole 14 is another shorter par 4 that bends slightly to the left. The best angle into the green is down the right side of the fairway, but will also make it a bit longer approach. Allow your miss to be just short or right of the green, avoiding the bunker that runs from the fairway to the green on the left.

Hole 15 is the shortest par 4 on the course. Hit your most consist long club that will put you in the fairway and avoid the water on the right. Deep left is the miss into this green, obviously avoiding the water on the right.

Hole 16 is the last par 3 on the course and plays long at 198 yards. Avoid the bunkers that run all the way up the right hand side. Anything short left or just left will be fine.

Hole 17 is a longer par 4. Avoid the bunkers on the left off the tee. You will probably have a longer approach here, and anything short is an easy pitch onto the green. Just avoid the penal bunkers on the right. Long here may also see your ball bounce into the woods off the back slope of the green.

Hole 18 is a nice finishing hole, with water running up the left side of the fairway, up to and around the backside of the green. This hole honestly reminded me of 18 at Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster 18th hole. Hit your tee shot down the fairway, just avoiding the water mention above that runs down the left. With your approach, make sure your miss is right or short right. Anything left or long will likely bounce or roll into the water.

Conclusion

The Fazio course at Barefoot Resort and Golf has a good mix of tough and easier holes that are both long at times and then shorter. Although the front 9 is only about 40 yards shorter than the back, it plays much tougher and longer than the back due to it having three par 3’s. It has only one par 4 under 400 and that’s at 390. The back is very different, only having the last two holes playing more than 400.

I really enjoyed the Fazio course at Barefoot Resort and Golf. I would put it on my list of courses to play in Myrtle Beach!