Congaree Golf Club

Tom Fazio has designed many compelling golf courses on sites that weren't great. But at Congaree, 30 minutes inland from Beaufort, S.C., Fazio at least had great material: sand, in the form of two deep sections of it separated by a lowcountry wetland area. The sand made it easy to scoop and shape long ridgelines, creating significant movement across an otherwise level property—and dozens of stately live oaks, carefully transplanted for effect—further outline the design. Finely edged Melbourne-style bunkers sweep up to the edges of fairways and against greens, catching shots that drift too far and leading to challenging hi-lo recovery situations.