Oakhurst Golf Links

Russell Montague moved to the White Sulpher Springs area from Boston to be near healing springs to treat his illnesses. He ended up building the first golf course in the United States, the Oakhurst Links in 1884. The links were popular in the area for a number of years eventually went dormant in the early 1910's. A gentleman amateur of some renown, Lewis Keller purchased the property in 1959 knowing there was a golf course on the property. Years later at the urging of his friend Sam Snead and others, Keller hire Bob Cupp, a known golf course architect to help resurrect the course. The course is now owned by Jim Justice, who also owns the nearby Greenbrier with plans to preserve the course. The redesign was done over a few years, they were able to locate the original tees and greens, and determine the routing, and properly restored the course to its 2,235 yards. If you're fortunate to play here, you're provided with wood shafted clubs, gutta percha balls, and instruction in creating the sand tees to play the course, which is now tended by a small herd of sheep keeping the grass down. If you're a golf purist, this may be the only course in the US where you can play a course designed for hickory clubs with hickory clubs!

Published by: paulb