Firestone Country Club to renovate, rename West Course

Firestone Country Club’s West Course will be renamed to the Fazio Course. (Photo: Firestone Country Club)

Firestone Country Club is embarking on a project to enhance its West Course and renaming the layout the Fazio Course.

Spearheaded by Fazio Golf Design, the project will include the removal of 18 bunkers and renovating the remaining 51. Several bunkers will be reshaped, and the course will use the Better Billy Bunker system to improve drainage and reduce washouts.

Highlights of the Better Billy Bunker method include the removal of the existing sand and liners in each bunker to subgrade; installation of a 2-inch gravel layer placed over the subgrade; spraying the layer with a polymer to bind the gravel together; and creation of a durable liner that swiftly drains and minimizes washouts during heavy rains.

Once treated, the bunkers will be filled with Best Signature 720, a white sand used on the most exclusive clubs in the U.S. The angular sand adheres to steep bunker faces and promotes more favorable lies in the hazards.

The bunker enhancement project is slated for completion in spring 2021.

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,” said Jay Walkinshaw, general manager. “This project will greatly enhance the golf experience at Firestone, both aesthetically and from a playability standpoint.”