|
 The
Greenbrier course was originally built in 1924, and
redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 1977 in preparation for
the 1979 Ryder Cup—which, incidentally, was won
17-11 by a United States side led by Nicklaus himself.
The course’s rich tournament history does not end
there. The Solheim Cup was played here in 1994, making
the Greenbrier Course the first course anywhere to
hold both of these prestigious international matches.
The Greenbrier has the good fortune of
having been built on a fantastic parcel of land, and
it is generally considered to be the best of the three
courses at the resort. The course plays over
undulating lands and through think hardwood forest,
and water comes into play on several holes.
The Greenbrier course gives players
little time to warm up; the 403-yard par-four second
is the best on the course. From the tee, a drive must
be threaded between trees down the left side and a
large pond along the right edge of the fairway. Water
protects the tricky green short on the approach, and a
large, deep bunker long will catch approaches that err
on the side of safety.
Following a short but steep uphill par
five, the 177-yard par-three fourth also features
dramatic changes in elevation. Playing across a deep
valley, two steep-faced bunkers guard the front of the
green, and can be impossible to recover from. But the
severe slope behind the green is no lesser an evil.
Therefore, play cautiously to the center of the green,
and try to hole out on one of the hardest green to be
found on the course. A steady succession of long holes
close out the front nine, with the eighth, at 490
yards, the best opportunity for a birdie on the front
half
The back nine opens with the short
par-four 10th, measuring only 339 yards
from the back tees. The stream fronting the green is
banked with a trademark stone wall, and bunkers and
trees frame the green on all sides. The trick off the
tee is to play a long iron or fairway wood to the left
side of the fairway, which opens up the approach. Too
far right off the tee can block out the approach.
A second short par four on the back
nine presents an interesting variety of options. The
14th, at 304 yards from the back tee, can
be driven by the longest hitters, but the green is
small and extremely well-protected. A huge bunker that
begins 70 yards short of the green protects the left
side, and juts in front of the putting surface. Even
with a safe and well-placed tee shot, the green is
tough to hold with a short iron.
16, at 406 yards, plays downhill from
the tee to one of the widest fairways on the course,
encouraging a big drive. The approach is over a small
pond to a green that slopes severely from back to
front.
The closing hole at the Greenbrier is
a monster, a 554-yard par five that climbs steadily
uphill to a double green it shares with the Meadows
Course finishing hole. Three well-played shots will
give one a chance to finish with a birdie in the
shadows of the clubhouse. |
