August 27, 2024
A Historic Look at Fazio’s Signature 37th Hole in Pinehurst
When Harvie Ward, one of the greatest amateur golfers of all time, aced his final hole at Forest Creek Golf Club while playing one day with club founder Terry Brown, it was because Ward and his partner chose to go “whole hog” on the club’s unique 37th hole.
And while it is rare for a golfer to reach the heights of success Ward seemed to effortlessly enjoy – competing against and often besting greats from Sam Snead to Arnold Palmer – everyone who plays Forest Creek has the opportunity to be like Harvie Ward and enjoy the tradition of going double-or-nothing, winner-take-all on what is known at Forest Creek as the “Hog Hole”.
The inside story of how the Hog Hole got its name is one of many ways the great game of golf is at the heart of the member experience at Forest Creek.
The hole is a championship-caliber par three that demands a carry across water. Tom Fazio’s 2024 renovation of the Hog Hole adds even more interest and strategy from the tee and on the green.
Nestled below the original Clubhouse (now the newly renovated Ladies Locker Room) the Club’s 37th hole is part of one of the best clubhouse views in the Sandhills, and it’s beloved by the members. Through the past three decades at Forest Creek, the Hog Hole has capped off a perfect day of golf among friends and hosted countless closest to the pin contests during weddings, events, and member-guest tournaments. Even the FCGC junior golfers have a Hog Hole tradition, getting to try skipping golf balls across the lake as a reward from the pros following junior golf clinics.
The original concept to add this iconic playoff hole came from club founder Terry Brown, who worked closely with renowned course architect and Colony 9 partner Tom Fazio to create the two championship golf courses and close-knit private club community that is Forest Creek Golf Club. Brown made certain Tom Fazio had carte blanche to choose the best routing for 36 championship-caliber golf holes among the available 1,260 acres of rolling virgin forest.
Fazio identified the ideal topography and vistas, then proceeded to design one signature hole after another. Nearing the end of the process, he determined that his original vision for a par five closing hole that required a mid-iron shot over water would be too penal. So, he redesigned the South Course’s No. 18 as a par four.
For Terry Brown this meant there would be additional yards nestled close to the elevated site identified for the clubhouse. He perceived that this acreage could be used for a 19th hole with a unique twist. When the North Course was completed close to a decade later, the routing allowed the Hog Hole to serve as a bonus closing hole there as well.
Fazio designed this unique par three, and Terry Brown dubbed it the Hog Hole. The idea, says Brown, “just rolled out of my mouth as an expression to indicate that we were, in fact, going to double the bet and play for it all on this last hole”. Going “whole hog” is the prerogative of the losing twosome. They have the option, as Brown says, “to hog someone. To hog or not to hog, to play the hole or not play the hole.”
This summer, Tom Fazio is leading a renovation of the Hog Hole. The project scope includes leveling and reshaping the tee, reshaping the green and reshaping the two greenside bunkers. Additional drainage will be added behind and beside the green.
For Fazio, an active partner in the Forest Creek ownership group Colony 9, “adding drama and strategy to the Hog Hole … will enhance this iconic hole to match all the other great golf holes Forest Creek offers.”
From the very start, the Hog Hole has been a cornerstone of the club’s culture, and the tradition of experiencing this signature hole will long continue to be a highlight of the Forest Creek membership experience.
Forest Creek Golf Club.