TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS

The Greenbrier’s stunning new luxury residential community

Written by Jeffrey Cohen

Late last fall, my wife, our two teenage children and I were delighted to be guests at The Greenbrier Sporting Club, where we were fortunate to spend a few nights in one of the luxurious custom-built homes that now populate the hillsides of this magnificent country estate. Set within the grounds of The Greenbrier, The Sporting Club is located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia–a historic town tucked into the rolling hills and valleys of the southern Alleghenies. Built into the mountainside that forms some of the resort’s 11,000 acres of pristine landscape, The Sporting Club is a residential community of distinctive neighborhoods offering creekside, mountain, fairway and wooded luxury homesites that saw its first phase developed and immediately sell out in 2000.

Ranging in style from cottage to lodge to colonial French, over 300 homes now occupy prime sites up the mountain, with room for more. Constructed in collaboration with approved architects and builders, the community of mostly second homes must rank as one of the most singular in the country. Those who purchase property at The Sporting Club are not required to build on their lots, but upon going under contract, are obliged to join the club, whose services are available to members only, as distinct from the main resort, which is open to the public. Drawn by the property’s history and unique character, many individuals have purchased sites purely to become members of The Sporting Club.

Famous for its world-class golf, tennis, fine dining, more than 55 activities, designer boutiques, a world-renowned mineral spa, and the only private casino in the U.S., The Greenbrier is unique among resort destinations. In addition to these luxury leisure pursuits, members of The Sporting Club enjoy private amenities unavailable to resort guests, such as two distinct lodges featuring what some members have called “a resort within a resort,” with infinity pools, restaurants, lounges and a sport and fitness center. Members also enjoy exclusive access to the club’s Tom Fazio-designed golf course, The Snead, their own spectacular tennis facilities, and a host of outdoor activities including personally guided hunting and shooting, world-class fly fishing, horseback riding and more.

On a previous visit to The Greenbrier, we stayed in an historic home (one of the resort’s Estate Homes available for short-term rental) that over the centuries had hosted dignitaries and luminaries of every stripe. Our dining table alone sat twenty-two; one can only imagine the conversations that took place in that room after the brandy started to flow. If walls could talk… This time, we opted for a modern and quite beautiful private residence across the road, charmingly nestled in the woods beside a creek at the foot of the mountain. As a family of tennis enthusiasts, we were excited to have arrived in time for the annual Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic, which celebrated its 10th anniversary by once again playing host to a number of the biggest names in tennis. The event was held at Center Court at Creekside, the resort’s 2,500-seat stadium. This was a real treat for the entire family, and the day also included a catered lunch and question-and-answer session with the players, moderated by The Tennis Channel’s Brett Haber.

As the weather was still quite balmy, we settled into a somewhat active daily routine that included tennis, swimming, cycling and a round of golf. I began each morning at The Sporting Club’s Fitness Center, followed by coffee at the Greenbrier Gourmet and Coffee Bar, or a more substantial breakfast with the family in The Main Dining Room at the resort; we also availed ourselves of the beautiful kitchen in our home and made breakfast occasionally. Our son and daughter especially enjoyed having an entire house at their disposable, making full use of the amenities and even taking the occasional opportunity to simply relax and hang out together.

Dinner our first night was at The Summit, an exclusive membersonly lodge located 3,300 feet up, at the top of the mountain. This splendid establishment is Adirondack in style, with stunning views of the valley below, an outdoor fireplace and nearby fire pit adding to the pastoral ambiance. A massive, double-sided fireplace of locally quarried stone is the centerpiece of this rustic, elegant space that features dining on one side and a lounge and full-service bar on the other. My wife and daughter dined on perfectly prepared filet, and our son, fried chicken, while I opted for the Chilean sea bass. From the concise and well-designed wine list, we chose a refreshing rose from the Amador Foothills, hoping to evoke a bit of summer in the glass before the sun went down over the distant hills.

The following morning, while my son and I cast flies at some particularly recalcitrant trout, my wife and daughter enjoyed a peaceful morning at the Ananda Spa, another members’ exclusive. Having eventually coaxed a couple of decent-sized rainbows to take the bait, we returned home to cook up a quick trout almondine for lunch. There is nothing quite like a fresh fish straight out of the river, and I am sure that my son felt vindicated after having filled approximately half our trunk with his fishing tackle on the trip down.

Early that evening, a resort shuttle picked us up at our house and took us to The Greenbrier’s Creekside Gardens on the banks of Howard’s Creek for a one-of-a-kind wine dinner, providing the opportunity to dine in a picturesque outdoor setting and enjoy a gourmet meal featuring locally grown ingredients. This impressive farm-to-fork affair began outdoors, but was hurriedly moved inside by the extraordinarily industrious staff when it began to rain, a Herculean feat to be sure. Our meal, especially the trout native to the Greenbrier Valley, and the locally raised beef, chicken and pork, was absolutely wonderful despite the apparent chaos. It was clear that the expert staff at the Creekside had everything under control.

As this is our daughter’s last year at home before she heads off to college, it seemed fitting that we should all enjoy a steak dinner together; she is emphatically carnivorous, the redder the meat the better. Fortunately, Jerry West’s Prime 44 in the hotel was more than up to the task of catering to her needs. I hope she has a long memory, because this kind of meal will be well beyond her means at college.

A piece of heaven in the wilds of West Virginia, The Greenbrier Sporting Club offers a beautifully bucolic resort lifestyle at one of the world’s most stunning retreats. Our brief stay gave us a glimpse of what homeowners there enjoy regularly–the feeling that life is a vacation. For my part, I’m happy to visit whenever they will have me.

For more information, visit greenbrierliving.com