Written By Len Ziehm with Pictures By Joy Sarver
We first visited the Omni Homestead Resort in 2014, but a lot has changed at America’s first resort since then.
Golf legend, Sam Snead grew up near the resort and began his golf career at the Homestead.
The Omni Homestead first opened in 1766 and underwent a massive restoration just two years ago. Twenty-four U.S. Presidents have visited the Homestead, starting with George Washington. Thomas Jefferson, the third president, loved the hot springs, which he felt alleviated his problems with “rheumatism.’’
The first president to play golf there was William McKinley in 1899. William Howard Taft, one of the most avid golfers among the early presidents, had a three-month stay in 1908. Woodrow Wilson, played there with his second wife while on their honeymoon. The last president to visit was George W. Bush in 2015, who played both courses, the Cascades and Old Course, during his stay.
In 2018 the resort undertook an impressive $170 million dollar restoration that touched every phase of the resort, the Great Hall, the guest rooms and the bath houses were all transformed.
Along with the 483-room resort, the Homestead features a two-acre water park, eight restaurants, skiing facilities for winter guests, as well as equestrian activities. More unusual amenities include axe-throwing, falconry, shooting club, fly-fishing and the ever-popular Cascade Gorge hikes.
The resort spans over 2,000 acres and its breath-taking views are plentiful throughout. A National Historic Landmark, the restoration meticulously revitalized the grandeur of its rich past.
The courses saw minimal renovation. The pro shop at The Old Course was moved and downsized. The historic first tee area was expanded and the commemorative marker upgraded, a favorite of golf history buffs.
The tee was part of an original six-hole course, in 1892 and it was not touched when the course was expanded to nine holes in 1896. Architect Donald Ross later redesigned the course in 1913 to create an 18-hole championship course, later Rees Jones refined his work in 1994. The original No. 1, however, has always remained the starting hole.
Cascades, originally designed by William S. Flynn is regularly ranked among the country’s top public courses. It will host the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in September this year and the men’s U.S. Senior Amateur, in 2029. After those events the course will have been the site of 10 U.S. Golf Association national championships. Only 11 courses have hosted more than that.
Snead was a fixture at Cascades when he was developing his extraordinary golf skills. He worked at the Old Course starting in 1929, then moved to Cascades as the head professional until becoming a touring pro in 1934.
Later in his life, Snead moved over to the nearby Greenbrier Resort, but Homestead’s resort address is still on Sam Snead Highway.
Lee Peery, who grew up in Hot Springs and has worked at the Cascades for 45 years, wrote the book, “The Cascades…If Only The Greens Could Talk’’ and it includes more than a few anecdotes from Snead’s years spent there. As soon as we left the resort we ordered the book.
The Omni Homestead has been modernized, but the elegance and deep sense of history remain in this timeless treasure.
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