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 The
Meadows Course at the Greenbrier is a pleasant mix of
old and new for the venerable Greenbrier. Originally a
nine-hole layout built by Alex Findlay in 1910, Dick
Wilson, a popular architect from the late stages of
the 20th century, took what was then known
as the Lakeside Course and expanded it to 18 holes in
1962.
In 1998-1999, noted architect Bob Cupp
was hired to renovate the Lakeside course, and the
improved product, with three new holes and countless
aesthetical upgrades to greens, bunkers, and tees, was
renamed the Meadows Course.
"The entire course was
re-strategized," said Cupp of his redesign. The
16th and 17th holes at Lakeside
were removed, and the new 17th made use of
the old 15th hole. A new 11th
and 12th hole were built around a lake, and
Cupp alleviated the worry that these modern holes
wouldn’t mesh with the classic designs by facing the
riverbanks with stone walls and leaving the new
putting surfaces relatively free of tiers and sharp
undulations. The strategy was a success, perhaps
largely because of the architects’ history. Cupp
studied under Wilson, and consulted the original
architect with his plans for renovation.
The par-71 Meadows Course plays to
more than 6,800 yards now, and may be the most
challenging course at the Greenbrier.
The highlights begin at the fifth
hole, an uphill par four that plays much longer than
the 404 yards listed on the scorecard. The fairway
bunker left tends to steer players to the right,
though a giant pine greenside will block out
approaches coming in from the right rough.
The front nine ends with a beautiful
downhill par four, which drops steadily from tee to
green. The elevation shortens this 377-yard hole
significantly, but the short approach must be accurate
to a green surrounded by bunkers left and right and
dense forest long.
The halfway house is a treat, a
miniature rendition of the grand hotel itself.
The back nine opens strongly with the
179-yard par-three 10th, which plays
steeply downhill in front of a beautiful backdrop. The
tabletop green is tough to hold, and is protected by
bunkers right and left.
The halfway point on the back nine is
the heroic 579-yard 14th, which plays
straightaway. Anything right is likely lost, while a
thinner stretch of trees guard the left edge of the
fairway. With just a handful of bunkers in the landing
areas, there are no secrets or tricks to 14. The
challenge is laid out plainly in front of you.
The new 17th is an super
par five, measuring 537 yards from the back tee. There
is a large tree on the left side of the fairway off
the tee, and any player with ambitions of getting
close to the green in two must play safely away from
it. The water left comes into play on the approach,
and guards the entire left side of the green. There
are bunkers long and right as well, which makes for a
demanding third into the green.
The Meadows Course experience ends
with a 433-yard, uphill par four that shares its green
with the 18th at the Greenbrier.
Half-a-dozen bunkers around the green demand that the
approach be flown all the way to the hole, as anything
short will leave a tricky up-and-down.
The Greenbrier’s hiring of Cupp in
1998 has transformed what was once an enjoyable yet
overshadowed course at the resort into a key member of
the trio that makes golf at America’s Resort such a
memorable experience.
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