The Greenbrier: America's First Luxury Resort!

The Greenbrier is built on a sprawling landscape consisting of three championship golf courses, 802 guest rooms, outdoor tennis courts and a spa that is bigger than some of its neighboring towns. The resort, which is located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, is a national landmark that is over 227 years. The first luxury hotel, the Grand Central Hotel, was built in 1858, closed during the Civil War, and reopened after the war.

The Greenbrier Course was originally laid out in 1924. In 1977 Jack Nicklaus redesigned the course. It was the site of the Ryder Cup in 1979 and the Solheim Cup in 1994. The Greenbrier, in conjunction with the Golf Channel, is hosting the Golf Channel Viewer's Cup Championship in 2006 and 2007. This year's tournament is July 12-16, 2006. The Tom Watson Fall Golf Classic will be played on September 17-20, 2006. The 36-hole, pro-am tournament will be played on two of the resort's golf courses.

The Meadows Course began as nine-hole course but was substantially upgraded in 1999, by architects Dick Wilson and Bob Cupp, to a par-71 of 6,795 yards. Regional and state tourneys are frequently held on it. The Old White Course, which opened in 1913, is the resort's first course. The eighth hole is styled after the Redan at North Berwick; the 13th after the Alps at Prestwick; and the 15th after the Eden at St. Andrews. President Woodrow Wilson is one of the first players to golf on the Old White Course. All three courses conclude at the Greenbrier's acclaimed Golf Club. The late Sam Snead, who passed in 1992, is the golfer most responsible for bringing national recognition to the Greenbrier Resort as a world-class golf complex.

Check out the resort's website for all the details of this charming resort's rich history. Please note that the Greenbrier does have an enforced dress code. Knickers, clubs, shirts, ties and jackets, please.

For LxM James Rothaar