I just got back from The Greenbrier and thought the restoration of the Old White course was terrific. I have been going there since 1989, but have not been there since 2003. The course certainly was harder for the good player, but a lot harder for the average player.
The first hole is still the best opening hole in golf. If you have not been there you need to trust me, it is awesome. Years ago it was like Merion's first hole as people dined under an awning right next to the tee, but this was enclosed for Sam Snead's nightclub a few years back. It is an elevated tee shot with the mountains in the background. 450 from the tips.
#2 had the hog's back feature of the fairway extended all of the way to the green. My playing partners thought it was too hard, but I liked the challenge. The green was now very difficult from what it was in the past.
#3 is now a full Biarritz green. Thursday I hit 4 iron to a back pin and the next day it was 8 iron to a front pin.
#5 had the biggest change as they added mounds to the left of the green. It was my favorite green site of the weekend. One of my playing partners lost his putter in the mounds, but fortunately it was found the next day.
#18 had a huge "horse shoe" ridge added to the green which I thought was cool. Again, my high handicapped friends thought it was too much, but I thought it added to the challenge. My question to them was on a 130 yard hole do you just want a big flat green so you can make a par and go home? On a short hole I thought the horse shoe was great. Add 50 yards and maybe not, but I thought it was good.
All in all I think Lester George did a terrific job with the restoration. I always thought I liked The Cascades Course at The Homestead the best of the two resorts, but not anymore. The Old White Course is well worth the trip and any MacDonald fan will appreciate what Lester did.