The US Open Contender Who Created His Own Highly-Rated Golf Course

Zac Blair, who is in contention at the US Open at Pinehurst No.2, has been busy over the past few years creating his own golf course in Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina. 

Along with being a PGA Tour pro, Blair also has a passion for golf courses and golf architecture, and had a dream of creating his own course that matched his golfing philosophy.

After years of work and planning, the 33-year-old achieved his dream with The Tree Farm, which bills itself as a “destination golf club” for golfers “who respect the traditions of the game, prefer to walk and play quickly, and who enjoy the camaraderie of others who share these values”.

The Tree Farm was open to members in the fall of 2023 and was based on Blair’s vision to create a “different” kind of golf course.

He described his plans to Golf Digest in 2017: “Small pro shop, simple food menu, a grillroom but no dining room and a killer practice facility. We’re talking golf the way real golfers love it, a fun, relaxed place where you won’t get arrested for wearing your hat indoors.”

That idea, initially called The Buck Club, was first intended to be built in his home state of Utah, but he would later discover the 500-acre Tree Farm property in South Carolina, which presented more geographical advantages that helped him achieve his vision.

After acquiring the land in 2020, he selected Kye Goalby as his architect, who eventually helped bring in legendary course designer Tom Doak, with the trio collaborating to bring Blair’s vision to life.

The course is laid out over sand-based rolling topography, built on land that was previously a pine nursery.

Derek Duncan of Golf Digest describes it as: “Parts Pinehurst area, parts primitive Augusta National - a gorgeously secluded site full of ridges, valleys and galleries of pine accented with scrub, sand and shades of underbrush.”

The course prides itself on quick play, with one of the club’s mottos being: “Play fast and don’t be a dick.”

The Tree Farm is already ranked 64th on Top100golfcourses.com’s latest list of the best golf courses in North America.

Blair has also received wide praise and labelled a golfing "innovator" because of The Tree Farm.

The course is often compared to Pinehurst, which could be one of the reasons why Blair has performed well so far at the US Open.

Blair, who has yet to win on the PGA Tour, was four strokes behind the lead after day two, carding rounds of 70 and 69.