Landscape Information
In 1878, a Boston born descendant of William the Conqueror named Russell Montague moved to West Virginia where he became enamored with a piece of cascading hills known as Oakhurst. By chance, a neighbor was the cousin of a Scottish golfing aristocrat named Lionel Torin, who was due to visit, and together with two other recent Scottish transplants to the area, they laid out a nine hole course on Montague’s land. Clubs were made by Montague’s carpenter. By 1884, the five men had established a golf tournament named the Oakhurst Challenge Medal and enjoyed their golf course until around 1910, when the Scots returned to their homeland. By the time Sam Snead was born nearby in 1912, the old course had grown over into scruffy pastureland. One of Snead’s friends, Lewis E. Keller, bought the land in 1959 from Montague’s last surviving heir and raised horses there for several decades. Snead, who had hit balls on the property during his youth, convinced Keller to bring back the course. Together with golf architect Bob Cupp, they found old records of the course’s routing and were able to unearth the original tees and greens. The resulting 2,235 yard course reopened in 1994 and closely replicated the pre 1900 conditions. Club makers in St. Andrews, Scotland provided replica clubs and balls for use on the course. In 1998, the inaugural National Hickory Championship was contested and continues to be held annually. “The sheep are in play” is one of the local rules.