From today’s Golfobserver.com:
Geoff Shakelford has written the first in a series of three articles about how USGA and Tom Fazio messed up Riviera and are now trying to find a way to fix it.
Interesting, the story says the owner of the course, who spent more than US$100-million when he bought it, is working hard at trying to secure Tom Doak to repair the damage Fazio has done.
Let’s face it — using Tom Fazio to create or rework a golf course is kind of like eating at an Outback Steakhouse in the U.S. or a Keg in Canada. The food will be fine — good, even — but it will never be the greatest meal you’ve had. Occasionally the restaurant may even screw it up.
The only reason I can think of that people still use Fazio is that they don’t really understand what makes a great golf course — which is the case with a vast majority of course owners out there.
The tragedy of Riviera is the club made its Fazio changes in the hope of attracting a U.S. Open — and now won’t get one until at least 2014.
Here’s Geoff’s story:
http://www.golfobserver.com/features/geoff/geoff_riviera1.html
