Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, will renovate its West course and rename it the Fazio course after golf course architect Tom Fazio.

The project will be led by Fazio Golf Design and includes the removal of 18 bunkers and the renovation of the remaining 51. Several bunkers will be reshaped, with the Better Billy Bunker system used throughout to improve drainage and reduce washout during bad weather. Bunkers will be filled with Best Signature 720 sand.

The course was originally designed by Geoffrey Cornish and Brian Silva and opened in 1989, becoming the third at the club following the South (1929) and North (1969). Fazio redesigned the West, which lies alongside the club’s South course, in 2001.

“The bunker renovation is a major investment back into the Fazio course and emphasises our initiative to maintain our world-class golf courses and facilities,” says Jay Walkinshaw, general manager. “This project will greatly enhance the golf experience at Firestone, both aesthetically and from a playability standpoint.”

The project started in early October, and completion is scheduled for spring 2021.