Our Creative Team

Since 1994 Maverick Golf Course Design has worked exclusively with award winning architect Mike Strantz designing courses bestowed with golf’s highest honors in design. Our team of shapers, specialized laborers and operators, drainage, and irrigation professionals has been working together for over 10 years. Together our passionate team of perfectionists has created some of the nation’s most notable golf courses.   

President of Maverick Golf Course Design, Forrest Fezler has been a member of the PGA Tour since 1972. Growing up in California and playing golf throughout his youth, Forrest won the California Amateur in 1969. Since Qualifying school in 1972 Forrest had eight 2^nd place finishes between 1972-1983, with a Championship win in 1974 at Green Island Golf Course at the Southern Open (now known more commonly as the Buick Challenge) and two weeks later finished second in the U.S Open at Winged Foot behind Hale Irwin.

Owning his own golf course in Tallahassee, Florida, Golden Eagle, where he worked with Mike Strantz for the first time, Forrest’s passion for design was peaked. His experience as a course owner and developer has proved invaluable over the years as he works with various course owners. And in 1994 Forrest changed careers from golf competition and ownership to golf course construction and design.

Since 1994 Forrest has served as design consultant with award wining architect Mike Strantz heading up the construction crew and working closely with Mike as his design associate on playability issues, budgets, logistics, design and construction. Forrest believes that to create truly unique and beautiful golf courses you must wholly dedicate your time and energy to the process.

Joe Rice, principal and managing member of Maverick Golf Course Design, is an attorney that actively practices for the law firm of Motley Rice, LLC in Charleston, South Carolina.  Joe participates actively in litigation of complex matters, including extensive involvement in the asbestos litigation and representing the states in the litigation against the tobacco industry.

For the last five years, Joe has been involved in the establishment and building of golf courses.  He is a principal in Raspberry Falls Golf and Hunt Club in Leesburg, Virginia.  Raspberry Falls is a Gary Player Signature Course that operates as a daily fee course in Leesburg. In addition, Joe is the principal in Bull's Bay Golf Club in Awendaw, South Carolina.  Bull's Bay is a Mike Strantz design course in the lowcountry of South Carolina, located approximately 10 miles North of Charleston, South Carolina.

Frank Antonelli, partner grew up on Long Island and graduated from Columbia University in New York City with a degree in Economics. After working as a financial examiner for the NASDAQ markets, Frank returned to earn a Masters degree in Sports Administration from Ohio University’s acclaimed program in 1988.

Frank began his career in golf at Muirfield Village Golf Club in 1988, working for Jack Nicklaus overseeing the club management and tournament marketing/operations for the Memorial Tournament. In 1992 Frank was named vice-president and general manager of Country Club of the North in Dayton, where he was responsible for overseeing the construction and management operations of the golf club and LPGA event.

In 1999 Frank formed Empire Sports Management with Maverick Golf partner Joe Rice, to manage televised celebrity golf tournaments and develop golf courses. ESM currently oversees Bulls Bay Golf Club and manages several televised Celebrity golf tournaments, including the Monday after the Masters Hootie and the Blowfish Celebrity Pro Am and The Kiawah Pro Celebrity Challenge.

Frank currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina and is married to women’s basketball television analyst, Debbie Antonelli. They have three boys Joey, Frankie, and Patrick.

Barry D. Gumb, partner and chief financial officer of Maverick Golf Course Design, is a certified public accountant, accredited business valuation analyst, and expert litigation consultant with over three decades of experience in the financial community. 

Barry has been involved in the economic feasibility, establishment and development aspects of golf courses over the last five years.  He is additionally an active principal with Pratt-Thomas, Gumb, and Company,
P.A., a local public accounting firm, with offices in Charleston, S.C.

Brooke Fezler, marketing director for Maverick Golf Course Design, has worked in marketing for five years. Since graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in journalism and marketing Brooke worked as account manager and media planner in Washington State and San Francisco, CA managing the marketing efforts for companies such as eBay.com, Saturn, AT&T Wireless, Helzberg Diamonds, Southwestern Bell Company and Discover Card. Brooke currently resides in San Francisco, CA.

Michael Jones, shaper began his career in construction in 1981 in Plymouth, North Carolina.  Always fascinated by golf course design, he was thrilled in 1994 when given the opportunity to work for Mike Strantz while designing Stonehouse and Royal New Kent in Williamsburg, Virginia.  There he learned the unique art of shaping golf holes and has served as a proud member of the Maverick Golf Design team for every golf course designed by Strantz since that time. 

Michael, a native of Brunswick County, North Carolina, often says that he is very fortunate because he gets paid to do something he truly loves. He resides in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina with his wife, Daphne.  Michael is a first-class shaper who is highly regarded as an expert in his field and is a tremendous asset to the Maverick Golf Design family.

At age 19, Jeff Jones, shaper, a native of Brunswick County, North Carolina left the family tobacco farm and started working as a laborer for a construction company in Myrtle Beach, SC. In 1988 he worked on building the first Legends course in Conway, SC where he quickly progressed from an equipment operator to a golf course shaper and a passion was born.

In 1994 he was introduced to Mike Strantz and Forrest Fezler in Williamsburg, VA. Under the direction of Mike and Forrest, Jeff’s passion for Golf Course Construction grew tremendously. He learned the ropes of not only building golf courses, but building true works of art. Realizing he could not ignore his desire to shape golf courses he has continued to work with Maverick since 1994 relocating his family based on the course construction. His passion for course design and love for his family are the two mainstays of his life. 

Jeff spends his free time in Mt. Pleasant, SC, where he resides with his wife of 20 years and three beautiful daughters, Megan, Sable & Samantha.

Bill Nelson, Irrigation Specialist has been with Maverick Golf Course Design since 1999 and continues to enhance the design and efficiency of each course. Bill started working in the golf course industry at the age of 15. His professional experience began as the Superintendent of The Country Club Estates, in Fontana, WI for four years. During college Bill studied mechanics, and taught at Horry Georgetown Technical College where he also received his degree in Golf Course Technology.  He then served as a foreman over two crews for Mike Roach Inc, Irrigation Contractor in South Carolina.

After 10 years of hands-on experience, Bill decided to start his own company.  He has since completed over 70 golf courses throughout the U.S. with precision and passion.  Bill brings to Maverick over 25 years of experience and continues to suggest new and innovative ways to make each course stunning.