The Greenbrier Resort & Alex H. Findlay

For the very first time the PGA has set one of it’s prestigious golf venue’s at the brilliant old but now new Greenbrier Golf courses. The new PGA tournament is called the Greenbrier Classic, and it is truly a classic. Golf at the 200 year old resort has now reached it’s 100^th year. To make the resorts 2^nd century of golf many of the world’s finest professional golfers teed it up on Thursday July 29, 2010. No doubt you have heard of the many accolades of the golf course writers that extol the merits of the architects of years gone past. But, did you know that the first course at the Greenbrier was designed by Alex Findlay, the Father of American Golf.

Below are some editorials and comments from a few of the many publications available today that mention this fact. Indeed, in the pro shop at the Greenbrier you will find mention of Alex’s many accomplishments here. In fact one of the dining rooms at the resort bears the name “Findlay”. I wonder if many of the patrons who actually eat there are aware of the significance of that name and it’s place in the Greenbrier history.

 Greenbrier’s Original Golf Course

On a plaque located on the golf course at the Greenbrier Golf complex today are found these words:

Scottish professional Alex Findlay designed the first golf course at The Greenbrier, which opened in 1910. It stretched from this point over to Howards Creek. It was substantially modified in 1924 when The Greenbrier course, designed by Seth Raynor, was completed. Jack Nicklas redesigned the course in 1978 bringing it up to championship standards for the 1979 Ryder Cup matches and the 1994 Solheim Cup matches. In the distance is Greenbrier Mountain which – like this resort, nearby river and golf course – is named after a thorny vine (greenbrier) that grows in profusion along the mountainsides.

 The Meadows Course was originally a nine-hole course that was expanded into an eighteen-hole course by golf architect Dick Wilson in 1962. Much of that course – which was called the Lakeside – was built with fill dirt excavated from the site of the federal government’s Cold War bunker. That course was lengthened, rerouted and dramatically updated into today’s Meadows Course by golf architect Bob Cupp in 1999.

 The Golf Course by Cornish & Whitten Page 177 under Alexander H. Findlay says: West Virginia: Greenbrier GC, White Sulphur Springs  “9^th (Lakeside Course)” was designed by Alex Findlay in 1910.

 The Greenbrier: Style and Substance in the Allegheny Mountains by Dale Leatherman,
TravelGolf.com Staff Writer reports:

….Until 1999, the Greenbrier was probably the "must play" course if you were unfortunate enough to have time for only one of the resort's very different options. The choice became tougher when the old Dick Wilson-designed Lakeside Course was transformed by Robert Cupp into the Meadows in 1999. This was a third reincarnation for the course, which began in 1910 as nine holes designed by Alex Findlay in a stream valley always known as "the meadows."

 The Greenbrier resort is most proud of the many U.S. Presidents that have resided and played golf at the resort. Throughout Alex Findlay’s life he had the opportunity to play golf with 10 U.S. Presidents as well as heads of state from many countries.

  Well enough from me, why not do this, Google this: "Alex Findlay Greenbrier" and be prepared for a flood of articles showing Alex building the first golf course in 1910. Now, with so much support out there you need to ask yourself one question. Why did the news organizations, the golfing industry and the Greenbrier not mention Alex's involvement in golf at the Greenbrier. When you find an answer would you kindly notify me of their reasons.