Leap into the New Year & Celebrate Forever at the Omni Homestead Resort!

I was excited to visit the Omni Homestead Resort during the 2015 East Coast Golf Journey.

I knew the Homestead has been around for a long time, longer than golfing legend Sam Snead‘s time on this earth, but I never imagined it originated in 1766, ten years before the beginning of the United States of America.

Next year our country will celebrate the 40th anniversary of our 1976 bicentennial celebration. That’s 240 years of liberty. Next year the Omni Homestead Resort, will celebrate its Semiquincentennial, its 250th anniversary. And they are doing it in style with a celebration every day of the year. Even then it will be bigger than big since 2016 is a Leap Year and there will be one extra day to celebrate!

Why not leap into 2016 and celebrate forever at the Omni Homestead Resort?

My visit to America’s Resort was extraordinary! Many say that the thirty activities, ranging from the traditional—like golf and spa, to the unique—like falconry and a 13 waterfall Cascades Gorge walk, are the cherry on the cake at the Homestead. I have to disagree. Resident Historian Keene Byrd’s two-hour magical mystery history tour that takes you through those nearly 250 years of history to the days of Thomas Jefferson visits to the Homestead was the golf ball upon my tee. Truly an exciting and amazing trek figuratively through American history and literally through a grand old, yet modern, resort.

Being a golf and travel diary I can’t help but mention the thrilling range of golfing experiences available at the Omni Homestead Resort. With Donald Ross’ 1892 Old Course literally outside your door to the William S. Flynn 1923 Cascades Golf Club just a couple of Sam Snead drives down the valley, golf and competitive golf, as Bobby Jones would say can all be found right where Snead first came to the game he would dominate as a young lad of 17 making hickory-shafted golf clubs outside the Casino Building.

Slammin’ Sammy Snead turned professional at the age of 22 when he became the very first Golf Professional at the Cascades Golf Club in 1934. The next year the tour came to the Cascades Course and he nearly won it after leading by three strokes after two rounds. Still single at the time, a lady by the name of Mildred ‘Babe’ Didrickson became the first girl ever to enter a men’s open event according to the local newspaper. She would go on to become the first and only woman to date to make the cut in a regular PGA TOUR event ten years later in the L.A. Open. Sam Snead would go on to win 185 times including a record 82 PGA TOUR victories.

CLICK here for a VIDEO INTERVIEW with Justin Doyle, Assistant PGA Golf Professional

As Justin points out in his interview, there is a legacy of longtime local Golf Professionals at the Homestead going back to Sam Snead. Director of Golf Don Ryder recently retired after 40-plus years at the Homestead. His cousin and replacement Barry Ryder has served the members and guests at the Homestead for over 30 years. The Head Golf Professional at the Cascades is Mark Fry and he has been working at the Homestead for 20-plus years. Justin is the young pup with 12 years. I could go on and on about their competitive golf careers too but suffice it to say Sam Snead’s legacy of being a pro’s pro and a member’s pro too continues on in the sloped valleys of the Allegheny Mountains in western Virginia.

CLICK here for a VIDEO INTERVIEW with the Homestead Resident Historian Keene Byrd

I so liked the historical tour and the historian that conducted it that I convinced Keene to join me for a round at the Cascades. There is no better way to thoroughly become knowledgeable about the history of a golf course than to play a round with the resident historian. I forgot to ask the unstumpable human Homestead encyclopedia who hit the very first tee shot off America’s oldest First Tee in continuous operation on the Old Course. I did take note of the Sam Snead plaque with his assertion that “if you can play the Cascades, you can play anywhere,” any remembered to question Keene after we finished putting on the 18th green. So when are we going to play the Augusta National Golf Club? Hey, I played the Cascades and Mr. Snead said if I did than I could play anywhere!

CLICK here for a HIGHLIGHT VIDEO of Keene Byrd Describing Sam Snead’s Vertical Leap at Age 65

I would be remiss if I didn’t include my interactions with Lee Perry, one of the outside golf operations guy at the Cascades. Like the golf professionals, the golf staff, as well as the resort staff, have many longtime employees. I don’t even think they call them employees at the Homestead, they just call them and treat them like family which is the way I felt they treated me. Three amigos greeted me at the Cascades Golf Club—Lee with 35 years of service, Loren with 26, and Scott the young pup only in his second year. I could have hung out with them for days but then would have never completed the seven-week East Coast Golf Journey. Actually that is my fear of finding a home and never leaving and the Homestead could likely be the place. I think that is where the name comes from.

Lee was a good buddy of Sam for a long time. The kind of buddy that could stop by his ranch, just open the front door and yell “anybody home?” In fact over the years he took a few guests along with him to meet the golfing legend. Quoted in many articles and books on Sam (this one included), I should have taken better notes and written a book of my own. I do remember one story where Sam played in a Ryder Cup across the Big Pond and caught a four-pound bass while waiting on the 18th tee to finish off a match. Probably the only one to do so in history and win a point for the old country too.

I stopped by the Cascades the next morning on my way out of town to say good bye to Lee and the boys and thank them for making my visit so enjoyable and this article so easy to write. Lee had brought in the program and a pairing sheet from the 1988 United States Amateur contested on the Cascades Course and won by Eric Meeks. Also, a signed scorecard from Sam’s 80th Birthday Celebration and Golf Tournament in 1992. Plus the Summer 2002 issue of Virginia Golfer with Sam and “Golf Misses You Mr. Snead” on the cover. For me? You gotta be kidding. I do have pandering limits my friends and insisted Lee keep the signed 80th birthday magazine cover.

Speaking of the family feeling of the Homestead the first night I was there I walked over to Sam Snead’s Tavern which is part of the Omni operation but located just off property across the Main Street (Sam Snead Highway) in Hot Springs. It was late so I caught them at closing time. Knowing I was interested in the memorabilia a nice lady named Mimi  turned all the lights back on so I could take pictures, downstairs and upstairs. Turned out she is Keene’s sister. When Keene mentioned the possibility of meeting Sam’s son Samuel Jackson Snead Jr. a.k.a Jackie at the Tavern we made plans to meet there for dinner at 7 pm. Unfortunately I arrived a few minutes late and Jackie had left early for another engagement so I missed meeting him but dinner with Keene with Mimi behind the bar was tasty and fun. One missed opportunity out of a dozen direct hits, all the more reason to return to the Omni Homestead Resort on next year’s East Coast Golf Journey.

CLICK here for a VIDEO INTERVIEW with Lynn Swann, Director of Communications & Marketing

Enough of the golf, it is fabulous, you know that. I can tell you the resort experience is fabulous too! I love staying in historic places in historic rooms that are comfortable, functional and luxurious in a modern sense. My room was perfect and room service that first night was better than 90% of the restaurants I have been to in my life. The presidential suite in the East Wing that Lynn showed me was well the difference between me and a president. Speaking of presidents, twenty-two have visited the Homestead and their portraits line the walls of The Lobby Bar. I enjoyed the Breakfast Buffet in the Main Dining Room and it was overwhelmingly scrumptious!

In terms of luxurious resorts and historical golfing experiences, set amid nature at its finest, the Omni Homestead Resort is a must do for sure. Why not leap into 2016 and celebrate forever at the Omni Homestead Resort? I hope to be right there with you!