The Greenbrier Old White TPC
The oldest course at one of America's grand resorts, the Old White is C.B. Macdonald's 1914 homage to the great holes of Britain, a Redan, an Alps and an Eden among them. A par 70 of about 7,246 yards in an Allegheny valley, restored and once a PGA Tour host, it is template golf at its most accessible and the round to build a Greenbrier trip around.
Photograph: The Greenbrier Golf Club, via Google
The verdict
The Old White is a piece of American golf history you can play. Charles Blair Macdonald, the father of American golf course architecture, laid it out with his associate Seth Raynor and opened it for play in 1914, modeling several holes on the great holes of Britain that had inspired him. The eighth is a Redan after North Berwick, the 13th an Alps after Prestwick, the 15th an Eden after St Andrews, and the result is one of the finest collections of template holes on a course the public can actually book. Raynor returned in the 1920s to refine it, and the course has been restored in modern times to protect that template character.
For the traveling golfer this is the heart of a stay at The Greenbrier, the storied West Virginia resort tucked into a valley of the Allegheny Mountains. The Old White carried the suffix TPC after a renovation and hosted the PGA Tour for a decade, so the strategy that challenges the resort guest is the same that tested the professionals. It rewards the player who understands the templates, the right side for the Redan, the carry on the Alps, the slope of the Eden green, and folded into a Greenbrier week it makes for a classic American resort golf trip with genuine architectural pedigree.
The Greenbrier Old White TPC at a glance
- Opened
- 1914
- Designer
- C.B. Macdonald, with Seth Raynor
- Type
- Mountain valley template
- Par
- 70
- Yardage
- About 7,246 yds
- Access
- Resort, public tee times
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from The Greenbrier and course databases. The Old White was designed by C.B. Macdonald with Seth Raynor and opened in 1914, a par 70 of about 7,246 yards. Indicative resort green fees in 2026 high season have run from roughly the mid three hundreds up to the high hundreds at peak times, with resort guests receiving a discount. Rates change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The template holes are the reason to play the Old White, and the par 3 eighth is the headline, a Redan modeled on the famous hole at North Berwick where the green runs away from front right to back left and the smart play feeds a long iron in from the right. Get the line and the slope does the work; miss it and the recovery is brutal. It is one of the best examples of the template on any resort course in America, and it sets the tone for a round that rewards understanding over raw power.
The Alps at the 13th and the Eden at the 15th complete the set. The Alps asks for a blind approach over a ridge to a green hidden behind it, a thrilling and old fashioned shot that demands trust, while the Eden, after the famous 11th at St Andrews, plays to a green defended by deep bunkering where the wrong tier leaves an impossible putt. Around these signature holes Macdonald and Raynor laid out a procession of strong par 4s through the valley, where position off the tee determines the angle into greens full of strategic movement.
From the back tees at about 7,246 yards the Old White is a real championship test, as the PGA Tour found for a decade, yet the par 70 and the multiple tees make it a pleasure for the resort guest. The defense is the templates, the slopes and the firm greens rather than length or water, which is exactly why it has endured for over a century. Play it knowing the holes it is modeled on and the round becomes a lesson in the origins of American golf design.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A resort course at The Greenbrier, open to resort guests and the visiting public by advance tee time |
| Green fee | Indicative 2026 high season rates run from roughly the mid three hundreds up to the high hundreds at peak times, with resort guests receiving a discount; always confirm directly before booking |
| Booking | Book through the resort golf shop or as part of a stay and play package; the Old White is the flagship of the resort's courses and books up in season |
| On the day | A traditional golf dress code applies; caddies and carts are available, and the course walks well in its valley setting |
| Best months | May to October, when the Allegheny valley is firmest and the template greens are at their fastest |
| Getting there | In White Sulphur Springs in the Allegheny Mountains, with its own Amtrak stop and about an hour from Lewisburg and Roanoke airports |
Access and fee information verified June 2026 from resort and course sources; resort rates change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking. Ask about Greenbrier tee times.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base is The Greenbrier itself, the grand old resort that has welcomed presidents and statesmen for generations and surrounds the Old White with lodging, dining, a famous spa and a whole estate of activities. A stay here is an experience in its own right, and the resort makes an easy anchor for a relaxed golf trip with plenty for non golfers in the group.
Most visiting golfers fold the Old White into a wider Allegheny and Blue Ridge golf trip, given the scenic mountain setting. Pair it with the historic mountain golf of the Homestead Cascades Course just over the line in Virginia and the dramatic ridgetop golf of the Primland Highland Course for a tour of the great courses of the southern mountains.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near White Sulphur Springs.
Build a Greenbrier golf trip
We secure tee times on the Old White TPC, pair them with the best mountain golf of West Virginia and Virginia and handle the lodging, caddies and order of play. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
The Greenbrier Old White TPC questions
Can the public play the Old White TPC?
Yes. The Old White TPC is a resort course at The Greenbrier, open to resort guests and the visiting public by advance tee time. Indicative green fees have run from roughly the mid three hundreds up to the high hundreds at peak times in 2026 high season, with resort guests receiving a discount. Always confirm the current rate and availability directly before booking.
Who designed the Old White TPC?
The Old White was designed by Charles Blair Macdonald, the father of American golf course architecture, with his associate Seth Raynor, and opened in 1914. Macdonald modeled several holes on the great holes of Britain, and the course has been restored over the years to protect its template character.
What is the par and yardage of the Old White TPC?
The Old White TPC plays as a par 70 of about 7,246 yards from the back tees, set in a valley of the Allegheny Mountains and defended by its strategic template greens rather than by heavy rough or water everywhere.
What are the template holes at the Old White TPC?
The Old White features classic template holes drawn from Britain, including the par 3 8th styled after the Redan at North Berwick, the 13th after the Alps at Prestwick and the 15th after the Eden at St Andrews, making it one of the finest collections of Macdonald and Raynor template holes in resort golf.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and access verified June 2026; fees indicative for the 2026 season. Last reviewed June 2026.