Fazio Foothills Review
Golf - Resort Private Course · 18 Holes · Par 72
Austin
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Fazio Foothills Review
Review and Rating of Fazio Foothills in Austin
Fazio Foothills is one of four courses at the magnificent Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa. The Omni Resort and Fazio Foothills are consistently rated by most golf and resort magazines as the top resort and resort course in Texas. The Dallas Morning News ranked Fazio Foothills as #26 in their 2019 list of the Best Golf Courses in Texas. All four of the courses at the Omni Barton Creek are fantastic and some of the best in Texas. Read Texas Outside's Reviews to learn more about each course:
In 2018 Fazio Foothills was included as a part of the $150 million renovation and improvements at Omni Barton Creek. Some of the improvements made at Fazio Foothills included:
- a new Pro Shop
- removal of over 1000 scrub trees
- redoing several greens
- renovation of all the bunkers
- a new irrigation system
The improvements were obvious - the greens were perfect, the bunkers were the best we've seen in years, the fairways were in excellent condition, and the course was a little more playable. In addition to all of that, what makes a round of golf on Fazio Foothills fun and challenging includes: beautiful scenery with panoramic views of the Austin hills dotted with some huge stunning homes, ponds and cascading waterfalls, split fairways, significant elevation changes, doglegs, contoured fairways and berms, natural hazards, blind shots, forced carries, and narrow approaches and challenging green complexes. Thanks to all of that we added Fazio Foothills to Texas Outside's list of the Best Resort Courses in Texas.
Fazio Foothills has a reputation of being very challenging and we would agree - the tips can be a monster and the wind and elevation changes can be a huge factor on your score. However, if you can hit the ball straight and low if the wind is blowing, employ some good course management particularly on some of the approach shots and the split fairways, and avoid some of the risk-reward shots, then you will score well and have a very memorable and fun round.
Some of the holes that we found unique and really enjoyed included:
- #2 is a 377-yard par 4 with an uphill blind shot off the tee box, a tree splitting the fairway, a pond on the left, and a slightly raised green with a huge right bunker and smaller bunker next to it
- #5 is a fun 601-yard par 5 that includes a split fairway (the right side is elevated and wider but has a downhill shot to the green while the left side is tighter and riskier), a roller coaster ride to the fairway, and a creek and rock wall that crosses the fairway and guards the front of the green
- #9 made our list of the Most Scenic Holes in Texas
- #16 is a great 417-yard par 4 (#2 handicap hole) with an elevated tee shot and a challenging slight uphill approach shot across a creek with a waterfall to a small oval green with a rock garden in the back and the Resort as a backdrop
- #18 will make you want to come back and play Fazio Foothills again - a wide rolling fairway with a big pond off the left side than a very steep climb up and over a ravine to the green - all of the resort guests in the pools, restaurants, and Pavillion will be cheering your shot
The greens are about average size, gently rolling with some undulation, very true, and run at a great speed of around 10 to 11. The majority of the greens are guarded by at least one bunker and several have little to no room for error
The Fazio Foothills fairways were in also excellent condition and the first cut was well maintained and very playable - miss that and you're most likely lost. The course is well maintained and beautifully landscaped.
The bunkers were perfect - soft, white, fluffy, deep sand with manageable faces. The faces are steep but groomed and packed smooth, which means your ball may roll back to the middle of the bunker.
You have to be a member or a resort guest to play any of the four Omni Barton Creek Resort courses. The Omni has a very good stay and play package and the resort is fantastic. Read our article about a 4-day visit to the Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa.
Course Slope & Ratings
| Tee Box | Yardage | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 7,087 | 75.3 | 141 |
| Blue | 6,311 | 71.8 | 134 |
| White | 5,922 | 70.0 | 131 |
| Gold | 6,685 | 73.4 | 139 |
| Red | 5,092 | 71.3 | 126 |
Course Information
- Course Architect:
- Tom Fazio
- Greens Type:
- Championship Bent
- Greens Condition
- 9.8
- Greens Difficulty
- 8.0
- Fairway Condition
- 8.8
- Bunker Condition
- 10.0
- GPS:
- Yes
- Walkable:
- Very Hilly
- Scorecard
- Course Map
- Beware of water on 8 holes and the 63 sand traps.
Texas Outside Rating
- Overall Rating:
- 9.3 out of 10
- Beauty:
- 10.0
- Difficulty:
- 9.0
- Variety:
- 8.9
- Fun to Play:
- 10.0
- Value:
- 8.2
- Condition:
- 9.4
- Front Nine Rating:
- 9.3
- Back Nine Rating:
- 9.1
FEES & AMENITIES
Initiation Fees: $100,001 to $150,000
Service is good, the pro shop has the basics, the Resort has 5 good restaurants, and practice facilities are good
Here's How Texas Outside Determines the Scorecard RatingThe Texas Outside rating scale ranges from 1 to 10 – a perfect 10 course would be something like this: links along a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean and bordered by tall trees; lush fairways on rolling hills with lots of natural hazards; water (which is crystal clear) on most of the holes; immaculate greens (but they are undulating and tough); lots of variety and character (each hole is completely different and includes blind shots, elevation changes, doglegs, and significant challenges); perfectly manicured traps with the whitest and prettiest sand you’ve ever seen; a nice club house with great food and a 19th hole; a GPS; plenty of beverage carts or your own cooler and ice; and it only costs $40 bucks! What this means is that you probably won’t find any 10s in Texas – try Cabo San Lucas, Pebble Beach, or some of the Hawaii courses!
All of the above determines the overall score for the golf course. In other words, we like courses that are pretty, fun, very challenging with a lot of variety, and fairways and greens in excellent condition – all for $40. We also tend to play the courses that are affordable for the masses, which means in the $30 to $80 range. We rate hard and we haven’t found a 10 in Texas yet – don’t worry we haven’t given up and we’re still looking.
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About Texas Outside
Texas Outside has been alive & well since 1996 - that's ancient by today's internet standards! Texas Outside was originally developed by Lone Star Internet which is an Austin based web development company with an excellent reputation & client base. In March of 2006, we purchased Texas Outside & made a commitment to add new, exciting, & informative content on Texas outdoor activities & fun things to see & do.
