Quarry at Black Diamond Ranch

The Quarry course at Black Diamond Ranch occupies a distinctive site in Lecanto, along Florida's Nature Coast north of Tampa. Tom Fazio designed the layout in the mid-1980s with associate Andy Banfield, transforming an abandoned limestone quarry into the routing's centerpiece and most dramatic element. The course opened in 1987 and quickly established itself as one of Florida's more unusual inland designs, departing significantly from the state's typical flat, residential golf landscapes.

Fazio routed holes both around and down into the quarry itself, creating elevation changes uncommon in Florida golf. Several holes play along the quarry's rim while others descend to its floor, where exposed limestone walls and water-filled sections frame the playing corridors. The par-three 13th hole, which plays across a quarry lake to a green set against rock faces, exemplifies the property's theatrical terrain. Beyond the quarry, the course moves through rolling land with mature oaks and pines, offering a more traditional parkland character that contrasts with the excavated drama.

Black Diamond Ranch operates as a private residential community with two Fazio courses—the Quarry and the Ranch Course. The Quarry layout has hosted various regional amateur competitions and consistently appears in Florida course rankings. The club maintains a low-key, golf-focused atmosphere, and the Quarry's unusual topography and strategic design continue to distinguish it within the state's crowded golf market.