George Fazio

George Fazio (1912 -1986) had a decorated career in golf, from the PGA Tour to designing some of the top golf courses in the country. The Jupiter, Florida, native played on the Tour in the 1930s and 1940s, winning the Canadian Open and finishing runner-up to Ben Hogan in the 1950 U.S. Open. When he was not touring across the country, Fazio was a resident professional at several clubs, including Pine Valley Golf Club. 

After Fazio had finished his time on Tour, he entered the world of golf architecture after helping out a friend in routing a golf course. Fazio developed a series of courses that received national attention, including Jupiter Hills, which received a spot in Golf Digest's list of America's 100 Greatest Courses. 

For a course architect who didn't realize his calling until he was in his mid-40s, Fazio has an impressive resume of 64 designs that include Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head Island, S.C., Jupiter Hills, Edgewood on Lake Tahoe, Butler National, Hershey East, and Pinehurst No. 6. He also redesigned the major championship duo of Inverness in Ohio and Oak Hill in New York.  

George Fazio was a Regular member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects for 16 years until his death in 1986. He also acted as a mentor to nephews and eventual ASGCA member, Tom, and Jim Fazio, during their own formative years as a course architect. 

Website: https://asgca.org/architect/gfazio/