Tom Fazio and Discovery Land go all in with new Summit project

Like a postal worker, master golf course architect Tom Fazio didn’t let rain or thunder get in the way of his appointed rounds. Fazio and his team were in stormy Las Vegas this week for a visit to the new Summit course in Summerlin. It is the first course built in Southern Nevada since 2008.

The layout is the crown jewel of an exclusive 555-acre ultraluxury living community developed by Discovery Land in a joint venture with The Howard Hughes Corp. The course is scheduled to open in the spring of 2017, and the first custom home is expected to be ready in late 2017.

Sales reportedly are brisk, and 85 percent of buyers who have purchased lots priced from $2 million to $10 million are locals.

Fazio first saw the Summit plot of land in the southern area of Summerlin in February 2014 and was stunned by the dramatic topography. He quickly realized how imposing the challenge would be.

“My first impression was certainly a ‘wow’ and that the area was very distinctive,” Fazio said. “Then I thought I’m glad Discovery Land is involved because this is the big leagues and a huge deal.

”This is an extremely massive undertaking and financially a big risk. It takes a company like Discovery to have the resources, the guts and the vision to make this a reality.”

Fazio looked at 16 nearly completed holes during his visit, but his main focus was on the final two. While he spoke, a bulldozer operator was busy shaping an area to the specs Fazio provided. The next morning, he approved the work.

“We don’t ‘change’ anything because we don’t finalize anything until we actually do the work,” said Fazio, still excited about the process after five decades of designing courses. “It’s all handcrafted. Creating a golf course is an art form, and it isn’t an exact science. It’s a lot of personal preference and how you like things to look. It’s like a living, breathing organism.”

The Summit marks the 13th time Fazio has designed a course for Discovery Land. The company portfolio includes communities in Mexico, the Bahamas, New York, California and other locales. Discovery Land recently was approved by members to purchase the Las Vegas Country Club.

PROFILE OF CHAMPIONS

On Tuesday, Faith Lutheran Chapel will be the site of a public evening with several PGA Tour players who will share their experiences on the tour and their individual faith. Among those cheduled to attend are Aaron Baddeley and Zach Johnson.

CCSD DAY AT SHRINERS

Monday is Clark County School District Day at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin. Several allied golf associations are working with tournament management to offer golf instruction to about 200 students.

Among the organizations are the Southern Nevada Golf Association, Southwest Section, PGA of America, Southern Nevada Chapter and the UNLV Professional Golf Management program.

The day at the Shriners Open is one of several “grow the game” initiatives the associations are working on.

For more information, visit SouthernNevadaJuniorGolf.com.

DEAL OF THE WEEK

UNLV students, alumni and staff can gain free admission to the Shriners Open by showing a valid UNLV identification.

JUNIOR GOLF BORDER SKIRMISH

Members of the Utah Junior Golf Association defeated a team from the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association to win the Jay Don Blake Border Wars last weekend. Utah won 214.5-163.5 at SouthGate Golf Club in St. George, Utah.

STARS ON, OFF COURSE

Andre Agassi had lunch recently at Flight Deck Bar and Grill at TaylorMade Golf Experience. Agassi and owner Ron Boreta are longtime friends.

The golf notebook appears each Thursday. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @LVGolfInsider.