When BYU graduate Zac Blair hit the PGA Tour in 2014, he was a bit different than your average early 20s professional. Fascinated by the greatest golf courses in the world, Blair would regularly visit the best courses in town during tournament weeks. Throughout these explorations, the idea of building his own course began to percolate, and he dreamed of building the greatest course in his native Utah, The Buck Club.

Over the years, that dream became more of a reality. But instead of just looking in Utah where high-quality land is hard to find, Blair set out to find a great property anywhere in the United States. He discovered it just outside of Aiken, South Carolina, the week COVID-19 swept across the country. That plot of land would become what we now know as The Tree Farm.

Blair took a collaborative approach to the design and hired Kye Goalby as the lead shaper and designer. He also enlisted Tom Doak for his insight and to help with the routing. This process produced a course that allows the stellar property’s dramatic and varied land to shine. The routing, which jumps over, along, and into different valleys and hills, is amplified by Goalby and Blair’s restraint on employing bunkers and does a masterful job highlighting the course’s contours. The Tree Farm opened for preview play in 2023, and its lodging and food offerings opened in late 2024. 

The standout stretch of the golf course is on the way home. The par-5 13th plays around a massive ravine before the 14th dives down into the valley on the next tee shot. The 15th is a photo-worthy redan hole, and the 16th features some of the most dramatic land on the course with a punchbowl green accent. The par-3 17th and short par-4 18th offer scoring opportunities and chances to swing a match as the round comes to a close.

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