WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (WOAY) – On the fairways of The Greenbrier, history doesn’t whisper, it swings. Nestled in the Mountain State, this legendary resort has long served as both a proving ground for elite golfers and a sanctuary for amateurs in search of timeless courses. With three distinct courses and a heritage that stretches back over 100 years, The Greenbrier isn’t just a golf destination, it’s a tradition.
The resort is closing in on a century of West Virginia Amateur Championships, which Director of Golf Hill Herrick has looked over for four decades.
“It was our 98th West Virginia amateur played at the Greenbrier,” Herrick said. “I mean, this is on everyone’s bucket list to come because our golf courses are fabulous. They’re beautiful, they’re all challenging, and they’re all very different.”
After over four decades at the Greenbrier Golf Club, Herrick has watched the faces of West Virginia golf change, but not disappear.
“I think the great players that we saw in the eighties and nineties, when I was here, now they’re in their fifties and sixties, their time has passed. But you’re seeing some wonderful college players or the mid-amateur range. Even though we’re not a large state and there aren’t a lot of golf courses, we have a lot of terrific players.”
Three Courses, One Story
The Greenbrier’s golf legacy has been shaped by its three unique courses that span over 1000 acres: the Greenbrier, the Meadows, and the Old White, each one offering something distinct, yet unforgettable.
“We have three very, very different golf courses,” Herrick said. “We have the Greenbrier course, which is the site of the Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup. Then we have the Meadows golf course, which is completely different, more in the open. It’s kind of in the center of the property.”
The Greenbrier course, redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 1977, challenges players with elevation changes and unique bunkers. The Meadows boasts panoramic views, stone-lined creeks, and stacked bunkers that resemble ones you might see in Scotland. And you can’t talk about gold at the Greenbrier without mentioning the Old White, the crown jewel.
“Opened in 1914, it is a classic C.B. McDonald design and even after a bad flood hit in 2007, it was the best redesigned golf course in the country,” Herrick said. “We had another horrible flood here in 2016 where we basically had to redo everything… and again, won the Golf Digest best redesign 2017.”
For decades, the Old White hosted the PGA Tour. In recent years, it became home to LIV Golf. “We had a PGA Tour event here for ten years. We had LIV golf in 2023 and 2024,” Herrick said. “And like I said, we’ve been playing the state amateur on it probably since the 1930s.”
A Home Course for Locals and Legends
For Madison Erskine, The Greenbrier’s lead golf instructor, this is more than a workplace. “Yeah, I mean, this is home for me,” he said. “Whenever you see somebody who comes here and they tell you how beautiful it is, it really makes you understand what a beautiful part of the world we live in.”
Erskine has been playing here since his early teens, first introduced to the course by his grandfather. Today, he offers private lessons, half-day clinics, and on-course sessions for guests on every course.
“They all have their different characteristics,” he said. “I think the Greenbrier is probably the most challenging of the three. It’s a little tighter off the tee, it’s more tree-lined… The Meadows has its own characteristics with the Scottish-style bunkers, and then of course we have the Old White as well.”
Beyond the layout, it is just classic mountain golf, where every lie is surrounded by beautiful views, yet still provides a challenge.
“You’re definitely going to have different lies that you’re going to have on the course,” he said. “You know, ball below your feet, above your feet, hitting uphill, downhill. You have to take all that into consideration… It’s hard to beat good mountain golf.”
The Invisible Hand Behind the Greens
Before the sun comes up, the team at Greenbrier Golf Maintenance is already working. Led by Kelly Shumate, the crew oversees nearly 1,000 acres of pristine golf terrain, a balancing act between beauty and the unpredictability of Mountain State weather.
“Typically, a normal day here is us mowing the greens, mowing fairways, raking sand traps, setting up the course in advance before players get here,” Shumate said. “Usually, play starts at eight in the morning. And so we get here usually at five or six in the morning to try to get out in front of that.”
What makes the operation work is consistency and accountability.
“I don’t have to tell the crew when we’re looking bad or when we’re looking good,” he said. “They know. They’ve been here a long time, and we set our standards pretty high as well. I don’t want to have to rely on the guests to tell us that we’re good, I want to know if we’re good before that guest gets out on the property.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Erskine. “Kelly and his team are out here early every morning,” he said. “It takes a lot of manpower and hands on deck to make that work, so hats off to his team. That’s why this place is so beautiful.”
A Resort That Keeps Its Promise
Beyond the fairways and mountain views, it’s the returning smiles that define the season. “Our favorite part is once summer hits and we see all the guests that come back,” Shumate said. “I’ve been here 15 years now, and some of the guests come back each and every year. I know them by name now.”
And for those that haven’t been, the experience begins the moment they arrive.
“I would say not only is the golf course fun to play, but the customer service here is next to none,” Herrick said. “You’re going to have an enjoyable experience. From the time you arrive to the time you finish, service is first class.”
