The Greenbrier – West Virginia’s Presidential Resort |
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While the latter is an unproven misconception fueled by word-of-mouth heresy spouted from the lips of the uneducated and uniformed, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that luxury, elegance and opulence are adjectives seldom used when describing the Mountain State. A trip to the state's fabled Greenbrier Golf Resort can change those negative opinions in country minute. The history of the Greenbrier is also interwoven into the fabric of our great nation's past and runs parallel to some of the most significant events of our time and includes many of our country's top leaders and top golfers. It is rumored that every U.S. President since Dwight D. Eisenhower has stayed at the resort's presidential suite, although not necessarily while in office. Golf courses at The Greenbrier have hosted a litany of professional and amateur matches throughout the resort's storied history that have featured iconic figures such as Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Jimmy Demaret, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Bing Crosby.
In 1979 The Greenbrier was the site of the biennial Ryder Cup competition between the United States and Europe. It marked the first time that golfers from continental Europe took part in the Ryder Cup, with Team Europe replacing Team Great Britain and Ireland. The American side emerged victorious that year as Lanny Wadkins, Hale Irwin, Lee Trevino and Tom Kite led the U.S. to a 17-11 win. The Solheim Cup, the female equivalent of the Ryder Cup, was contested for just the third time in its history at The Greenbrier in 1994. The U.S. team won 13-7. The Champions Tour also had an event, The Greenbrier American Express Championship, at the resort from 1985 to 1987. The Greenbrier has also been at the center of two contemptuous conflicts during U.S. History. During the Civil War the property was passed back and forth like a hot potato between Confederate and Union forces and was almost burned to the ground by the Union Army. After the bloody conflict reached a conclusion, the Greenbrier became a sort of middle ground for many Southerners and Northerners alike. The resort was a popular vacation destination and the setting for many famous post-war reconciliations, including the White Sulphur Manifesto, which was the only political position issued by Robert E. Lee after the Civil War that advocated the merging of the two societies. The resort would eventually become the center of post-war society, especially after the arrival of the railroad. The Greenbrier also achieved notoriety when a 1992 Washington Post report revealed that the Golf Resort was set to double as a bomb shelter if the need has arisen during the Cold War. The resort has been site of a "bunker", the Emergency Relocation Center, which was intended to house and protect the U.S. Congress in the event of a nuclear attack. Today, golf is the main attraction at The Greenbrier and has been for some time. The first course opened 46 years after the American Civil War ended and at least 35 years before the Cold War would reach its early stages.
Greenbrier Course Of the 54 holes available for play, the championship 18 that make up the Greenbrier Golf Course are the most famous. Originally designed by Seth Raynor in 1924, The Greenbrier Course made its resort one of only a handful to offer 45 holes of golf at the time. In preparation for the 1979 Ryder Cup, 18-time Major Champion Jack Nicklaus was brought in to redesign the course. When the Greenbrier Course officially reopened, it was Nicklaus who teamed with sports great Joe DiMaggio and shot a par 72 as the first player to test the revamped course. Measuring 6,675 yards from its longest tees, the Greenbrier demands accuracy both from the tee, and on your approach to the well-bunkered greens. Players who choose to challenge the famed Greenbrier Course will be tested early by the course's signature hole. "Cape" is a 403-yard par 4 from the back tees featuring the most difficult tee shot on the course with trees left and a pond to the right. The approach shot is all carry to a green surrounded by water with bunkers in front and behind. The first of the course's par 3's is "Redan", a 177-yard hole guarded on the front right of the green by the course's deepest bunker. Club selection is difficult because of the uphill carry to a very small two-tiered green. The back nine is highlighted by back-to-back par 4's that are relatively short but deceptively difficult. Thirteen, named "Punch Bowl" plays 404 yards from the tips and is all about placement off the tee. Your tee shot should skirt the right edge of the fairway bunker, setting up a second shot to a three-level green. The ensuing hole is the shortest par 4 on the course. "Sahara" is just 305 yards from the back tees and requires a fairway wood or long iron followed by a pinpoint wedge shot in order to reach a heavily bunkered green. Old White Course Opened in 1914, The Old White Course was The Greenbrier's first 18-hole golf course. More recently the course underwent a four-year restoration under the direction of Virginia-based golf architect Lester George of George Golf Design. Originally designed by Charles Blair Macdonald, the course features several holes that are modeled after some of the most famous European holes. Old White's No. 8 was styled after the Redan at North Berwick, No. 13 for the Alps at Prestwick and No. 15 for Eden at St. Andrews. One of the first golfers to play the course was President Woodrow Wilson in April 1914.
It all started in 1911 when Scottish golf professional Alex Findlay built the first course at the Greenbrier - the 9-hole Lakeside Course. In 1962, the course was rebuilt and enlarged to 18 holes by architect Dick Wilson. Robert Cupp modernized the course in 1998 and the course reopened as The Meadows Course. Now Happening at The Greenbrier The renowned resort has taken another step to further enhance a visitors' experience with the recent introduction of The Greenbrier Golf Academy in addition to personalized clinics and packages being offered for the remainder of summer and the fall season. These new offerings combined with championship-level facilities make The Greenbrier an ideal location for recreational and serious golfers alike. The Greenbrier Golf Academy provides both beginning and advanced golfers with a private golf learning experience complete with tailored classes, PGA-certified instructors, Video Swing Analysis Software and Callaway Golf Opti-Fit club fitting system. Currently the Greenbrier is offering two Golf Academy packages; the Midweek Golf Academy Package and The Tune Up and Tee Up. Both can be booked by calling 1-800-453-4858 or by visiting www.greenbrier.com/golf. This fall, golfers can take advantage of a legendary tournament taking place at the resort, the 36-hole Pro-Am Tom Watson Fall Golf Classic, being held September 7 - 10. On Sept. 8th and 9th, guests will be given the opportunity to interact and learn from the legendary Tom Watson, who was named as the resort's second Golf Emeritus in April 2005, following in the footsteps of the late great Sam Snead. For more information or to register for the tournament, call 1-800-908-0740 or visit www.greenbrier.com. |
West Virginia - A geographically stunning collection of
mountains, lakes and lookouts known simply as God's country to some but
stereotyped by outsiders as the land where a man is as likely to marry his sister
as he is his high school sweetheart.
It was the late Snead whose name became synonymous with
Greenbrier golf. In 1936, at just 23 years of age, Snead came to the Greenbrier
for his first professional job. Snead's long relationship with The Greenbrier,
as resident professional and later as professional emeritus, continued until
his death in May 2002. In 1959 Snead turned in a memorable moment when he shot
a 59 on the Greenbrier Course during the annual Spring Festival Pro-Am.
Golf Courses
The Meadows Course
