Must Be Nice to Have “I’ll Have Tom Fazio Build Me A Course” Money

Every once in a while, I read a story that reminds me that there are some people out there who have an unimaginable amount of money. Yes, I work in golf. Yes, I cover athletes who are very, very wealthy. But I’m talking about folks who can literally do whatever they want, whenever they want.

This is one of those stories.

David Halbert’s biotech company, Caris Life Sciences, went public in March and surged to a $10.3 billion market cap. His ownership stake of 44% is worth a cool $4.9 billion. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about.

Over the years, Halbert became a member of several Tom Fazio-designed golf courses. The two eventually met in 2022, and that’s when Halbert came to Fazio with an idea. He wanted the golf architect to build a course on his property alongside Lake Granbury, about 60 miles from the Dallas Fort Worth Airport.

After some convincing—Halbert brought Fazio to the land several times via his private plane—the golf legend eventually agreed after Halbert told him that a budget wasn’t a problem. Fazio could do whatever he pleased. And $50 million later, Halbert had himself a golf course.

“I want it to be nicer than Augusta,” Halbert told Forbes. After he finishes the property with a lodge and purchases a few neighboring lots, the all-in cost will be around $70 million.

Although it’s his little slice of paradise, Halbert would like to see it played by some of the game’s best. More specifically, fellow Dallas National members Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, and Bryson DeChambeau. And the big names don’t stop there. Halbert’s son, Patrick, is business partners with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Jimmy Iovine. I’m sure they’d enjoy a stroll around the place.

What started as his wife wanting a short par-3 course where she didn’t have to worry about slow play and could “swing like an idiot,” ended up as a par-72, 7,500-yard championship track.

“The most fun thing I think I’ve ever done was to build that course,” Halbert told Forbes.

Forbes' Christopher Helman did a wonderful job telling this story, and you can watch its interview with Halbert here.