The Greenbrier: An historic host for a PGA Tour event in 2010

Mike Dudurich

Posted 2009-09-15

Players on the PGA Tour get the opportunity to compete on historic courses in a lot of spectacular places. Do Augusta National, Pebble Beach, Oakmont, Winged Foot, Oakland Hills, Olympic Hills ring any bells?

There are a lot of other great places, too, and starting in 2010, the PGA Tour will be stopping off at one of them: The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

Believe it or not, there are 230 years of history associated with this beautiful 6,500-acre resort which is situated high in the Allegheny Mountains not far from Interstate 64.

The focus during the Greenbrier Classic, will be on the Old White Course, a classic layout designed by Charles Blair MacDonald in 1913. The course was later restored to its original design during a four-year project by Lester George.

But that course – one of three at Greenbrier – and the tournament are just one part of what’s available for visitors throughout the year.

Try these numbers on for size:

-- There are 630 rooms, including 33 suites and 71 guest and estate houses.

-- The Greenbrier has 10 lobbies, more than 40 meeting rooms and a complete conference center facility.

-- There are more than 50 recreational activities, including indoor and outdoor tennis courts and a 40,000 square-foot spa.

A little history is required to accompany those numbers.

In the 1700s, sulphur springs were discovered as a medicinal miracle and as that knowledge spread, more and more travelers made the trek into the mountains and by the early 1800s, a cottage community had sprung up.

The predecessor to the current Greenbrier Hotel, the magnificent centerpiece to the resort, was built in 1858, torn down in 1922. The current hotel was constructed in 1913 and hosted 26 presidents, royalty, business leaders, politicians and celebrities.

You’d never know it by looking at the classic architecture, exquisite interior design and carefully sculpted landscape, but underneath that magnificent structure is an area that could have played a key role in the history of the United States, but thankfully didn’t.

In the late 1950s, as the Cold War began to heat up, the federal government came to the Greenbrier and asked for its assistance in creating a secret emergency relocation center to house Congress if a nuclear holocaust ever occurred.

The facility was built and for 30 years, “the bunker” was ready and waiting for a day that never came. It had a dormitory, kitchen, hospital and a broadcast center for members of Congress. The Washington Post published a story acknowledging the existence of the bunker in 1992 and immediately after that the facility was decommissioned.

Visitors to the Greenbrier can now tour the facility and it’s one of the most popular attractions there.

There’s no doubt that golf drives the whirlwind of activities and that makes sense since one of golf’s legends, Sam Snead, was associated with the facility for many years. He was the resort’s official pro for years and, in 1994, was as the resort’s Golf Professional Emeritus, a position he held until his death in 2002.

Sam Snead’s at the Golf Club and Slammin’ Sammy’s are two of the dining facilities on site. Pictures and memorabilia of Snead can be found all around the resort.

The Greenbrier also has two other courses, each with its own quality pedigree.

The Greenbrier Course was built in 1924 and renovated in 1977 by Jack Nicklaus. The 1979 Ryder Cup was held there and, in 1994 it hosted the Solheim Cup.

The Meadows Course, formerly known as the Lakeside Course, reopened in 1999 after a complete redesign by Robert Cupp.

Traditionally, The Greenbrier has been an annual award winner and has been a top of the line destination. But in an era of tough economic times, the resort had a year of heavy losses in 2008. CSX Corporation, whose predecessor Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, owned The Greenbrier throughout most of its history, placed the entity into bankruptcy earlier this year.

Local businessman Jim Justice came to the rescue, buying the property, guaranteeing all the debts and pulling it out of bankruptcy. He has promised to return the hotel to a five-star resort and by the spring of 2010, will have "tasteful" gambling for guests as a revenue enhancer.

For more information about this little bit of heaven, go to their website at www.greenbrier.com.

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About Mike...
As a sports writer for over 35 years, Mike Dudurich has seen a lot of great things, covered spectacular events, but his passion is, and has been golf. He recently ended a 29-year career at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and will now be a frequent contributor on GolfGearReview.com. Mike hosts a weekly golf radio show on 1250 ESPN in Pittsburgh from the beginning of April through the end of August. The show airs Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. and can be heard online at http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/espnradio1250/show?showId=insidepghgolf - Listen to Mike Here!.

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