WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — With fall and winter months ahead, The Greenbrier is about to embark on work that will upgrade The Old White golf course.

The improvements on the site of The Greenbrier Classic will bring the PGA TOUR event in 2011 and beyond up to par.

“We’re going to close Old White at the end of September,” said Tim McNeely, The Greenbrier Classic tournament director. “The first project, based on the player comments, is to firm up the greens a little bit. We’re going to get them a little harder and a little faster.

“That’s not to say that they didn’t have a great time on this golf course,” he added. “I got a lot of player feedback about the play of the golf course, about how much fun they were having making birdies. And certainly, they appreciated the history and the integrity of the Macdonald/Raynor design.

“To get it to that championship level, where it putts consistently like all of the other greens on the tTour, it’s necessary to take this step.”

Getting it right is the main concern, McNeely said.

“The Greenbrier does everything in a five-star way,” he said. “The Justice family does everything in a five-star way. There’s no other option. When (The Greenbrier CEO and chairman) Mr. (Jim) Justice brought us here to manage this event, our mandate was very clear. We are going to become the premier event on the PGA TOUR. By all estimations, we’ve put a notch in that standard. We’re very pleased. Mr. Justice is very pleased. There are some things that we’re going to tweak for next year from an operations standpoint and from a spectator enjoyment standpoint. Some of them are things that most people won’t see or even recognize. But we want to make this experience, not just for the players, their families and the caddies, but for the spectators, volunteers and sponsors — a true Greenbrier experience.”

The greens were considered soft by most when the tournament was played there July 27 through Aug. 1.

“There still are some decisions to be made by Mr. Justice and the PGA TOUR, but they’re contemplating stripping the sod off the greens and re-seeding them with a newer, more resilient type of grass that fosters that hard, fast putting green,” McNeely revealed.

The work will take place on all 18 greens on Old White. 

But the labor may not stop at the greens. Other upgrades are also under consideration.

“There are several things being discussed,” McNeely said. “Slugger White, Cal Roth and Steve Winzloff were all here last week and met with Mr. Justice. They’re looking at a couple of things. There very well may be a couple of tees added. We’re not absolutely certain yet. But it’s being considered.

“It’s not so much to generically lengthen the course, but maybe lengthen the course in a couple strategic areas,” McNeely added. “At the same time, and possibly more importantly, doing it while protecting the integrity of the historic design, without impeding on it.”

Roth is the senior vice president of agronomy for the PGA TOUR and Wenzloff also works in the PGA design services office.

White, a native of Beckley, is the PGA TOUR rules official.

Low scores were talked about before, during and after the inaugural Greenbrier Classic, because of its overall shorter course that measures just 7,031 yards.

But it was the soft greens that aided the players as they approached from the fairways, most agreed.

“I turned on the TV recently and some of the guys were six under after just eight holes,” McNeely said. “This time of year, especially given the weather on the east coast, in order to keep the greens alive you have to keep them pretty wet. A lot of good courses are losing greens right now.”

“Obviously, these guys are very good, too.” 

Players reactions to Old White and The Greenbrier in general were overwhelmingly positive, McNeely said.

“I’ll go back to what (The Greenbrier Classic 2010 champion) Stuart Appleby told me,” said McNeely. “He said that he had so much fun. They played on a historic design at America’s Resort, making birdies, having fun, seeing the huge crowds and hearing the cheers.

“We did a players survey after the tournament. Every player was extremely positive about the golf course. There were some indications where it might help to speed up and harden some of the greens. But they had a good time.

“It’s the oldest, most historic course on the tour. They don’t get to do that very often.”  

The downside of doing the renovations is having to close Old White to resort guests. The Greenbrier still hosts two other 18-hole championship golf courses — the Meadows and the Greenbrier.

“It was considered,” said McNeely. “Mr. Justice is fully aware of what this might mean to the visitor of The Greenbrier. It was under full consideration. But this step has to be taken. Once this happens, it will strengthen not only the golf course, but The Greenbrier for many years to come.”

— E-mail: jworkman@

register-herald.com