No detail was left to chance, no expense spared during the construction of Hasentree – right down to grains of sand used in the golf course’s 88 strategically placed bunkers. Golfers almost “enjoy” playing out of the bunker sand called SP-55, a pristine product mined in the western North Carolina town of Spruce Pine.

“If you’re out in California sitting around a cocktail table with your buddies and you ask yourself what is memorable about Hasentree it would have to be the bunkering,” said architect Tom Fazio. “It gives the course so much form and character. We created a distinctive look with the bunkering.”

SP-55 is the same sand used at Augusta National and at just six prestigious golf courses across the state of North Carolina – all Fazio designs. Hasentree’s bunkers are outlined with Zoysia grass, which offers a striking visual contrast between the sugar-white sand and various green hues.

Fazio’s numerous fairway bunkers provide framing and the steep-pitched greenside hazards are a constant reminder that good shots will be rewarded while poor approaches will challenge yet again. “The bunkering was really well done,” said Hasentree member and three-time PGA Tour champion Carl Pettersson. “There weren’t too many holes where I could cut the corners.”

“These bunkers are all art forms,” added Fazio. “And they become the frame for one beautiful picture at Hasentree.”