Old White TPC - Hole #1

Watson's Favorite Starting Hole in Golf - Old White TPC

Do Not Take My Word For It

By Brian Weis

While on a recent golf trip to The Greenbrier, I had the pleasure of dining at Sam Snead's with Lynn Swann, Director of Public Relations, and Robert Conte, resident Historian. My goal was simple - to uncover some of the rich golf history of the property. The two were an absolute wealth of information and frankly looking at my notes I could write a book. I realize at this point, it might be best to just to recommend one - The History of the Greenbrier.

My notebook is filled with dates of course openings and redesigns, legends who played the course and a recap of Stuart Appleby's history-making 59 shot at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic. The one story that stood out to me was the one introduced as Watson's quote about TPC Old White.

In 2006, The Greenbrier's Old White Course re-opened after a four-year restoration by architect Lester George. The ceremonial event started with drives from Beth Daniel, LPGA, and Tom Watson, The Greenbrier's Golf Professional Emeritus. Before he hit his drive, Watson dubbed the first hole on The Old White TPC his favorite opening shot in all of golf.

After hearing the story, I made a comment to the effect that this was a quote you should use for marketing purposes. Robert chuckled, "we thought the same thing. Matter of fact, after Tom said it, I recall Lynn running back to her office in high heels to record his words."

The following morning I had a chance to play The Old White TPC. Standing on the first tee was a surreal experience knowing golf greats like Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead have all teed it up here. Not to mention that one of the very first rounds was played by President Woodrow Wilson.

Lynn followed up a few days later with an email containing the press release from the 2006 re-opening. Watson's quote appeared in the opening line.

"This is my favorite opening shot in all of golf."
~ Tom Watson.

For Tee Times and More Information:
The Greenbrier
300 W. Main Street
White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986
304-536-1110

Revised: 10/20/2011 - Article Viewed 35,871 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.