With a lineage that predates the Declaration of Independence, the Omni Homestead Resort has long been a place where historical figures have lived and played.
Courtesy of Omni Homestead Resort
As the President Cup approaches, we are reminded of the connection between our favorite sport and the highest office in our country.
The tie goes deep.
William Taft was the OG of golfers in the Oval Office. Elected to office in 1908, Taft played golf so often that his predecessor and political adviser, Theodore Roosevelt, urged his protégé to put away his clubs.
Taft refused.
Among his favorite places was a stately homestead in the Allegheny Mountains of Virginia that began life as the Homestead and today is known as the Omni Homestead Resort. Many of Taft’s successors followed his path. In the last century, 24 US Presidents have lived in the Omni Homestead. A good number of them, including Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton and both Bushes, remained again is played.
VIPs of other stripes have been permanent. Of all the famous names, few are more active in the area than the native son, Sam Snead. Born in nearby Ashwood, Va., Snead began caddying at the resort at age 7, later working as an assistant pro and becoming head pro in 1934.
By then, Omni Homestead had established itself as one of the country’s marquee golf courses. Its original course, which opened in 1891 and was later redesigned by Donald Ross, is aptly called the Old Course, and is said to have the longest-running first course in the US.
It also has a younger sibling, the Cascades Course, old enough to date back to the Golden Age. It was designed by William Flynn, in the early 1920s, and has hosted eight USGA national championships, including the US Women’s Open.
Image of Grace
Last year, the Cascades celebrated their centennial. But at the resort, much of what was old is new again, thanks to a recently completed $150 million renovation that includes updating and restoring everything from guest rooms and the famed Hall of Fame to the resort’s hot tubs. Meanwhile, new history is often being made. In 2025, the Cascades Course will host the 2025 US Senior Women’s Amateur, followed by the 2029 US Senior Amateur.
Just last month, another momentous moment occurred at the site, when maintenance crews clearing trees from the Old Course made a surprising discovery: Embedded in the trunk of a broken oak was a rubber-coated golf ball with a dimpled pitching pattern. until now in the early 1900s.
Although the provenance of the ball has not been identified, it may have once belonged to POTUS.
As Omni director of golf Mark Fry told GOLF.com: “You can let your imagination go to all kinds of possibilities. Maybe this ball was hit by President Taft.”
To find out more about Omni Homestead Resort or to book your stay, click here.
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