Steeped in a proud and storied history, Huntington’s premier country club is celebrating its centennial.
By James E. Casto
HQ 119 | AUTUMN 2022
The beautiful Guyan Golf & Country Club that you see today is a tribute to the determination and resourcefulness of its members. This year finds the historic club celebrating its centennial.
The Cabell Country Club, which opened in 1906 at what is now St. Cloud Commons, was the community’s first golf club. Later there was the Westmoreland Country Club, located just east of Camden Park. The damaging Ohio River flood of 1913 caused officials with the Westmoreland Club to start looking for a new location that would remain high and dry.
Thus, Guyan, located on a rolling hillside tract on U.S. 60 East, was born 100 years ago, in 1922.
The course was built by famed golf architect Herbert Strong. One of the most sought-after course designers of the 1920s, Strong was often referred to as the “well-known” or “internationally famous” Herbert Strong. Strong laid out the course on land formerly known as the Ensign family farm.
Strong also built courses at Saucon Valley, Army-Navy in Arlington, Fort Pierce in Florida, Murray Bay in Canada and the Canterbury Golf Club near Cleveland, Ohio, where legendary golfing great William C. “Bill” Campbell finally won his first and only U.S. Amateur title.
Guyan is a club that had to rise from tragic fires on two occasions. In 1932, the old clubhouse, which originally had been the Ensign family home, was destroyed by fire and never rebuilt. Instead, the locker house and golf pro shop were enlarged and made into a second clubhouse that served the membership for more than 20 years.
Then, during the early morning hours of Jan. 23, 1954, fire once again struck with terrible destructiveness. Exemplifying the faith of its founders, Guyan soon rose again. The membership immediately set about the task of erecting a new clubhouse. It was built and opened in less than 18 months. The speed with which the new building was planned, designed and made a reality stands as a tribute to the character and resolve of Guyan’s membership.
In 1982, the club undertook a major remodeling project. A more modern look was given to many areas in the clubhouse, creating additional dining and cocktail facilities and allowing a new cart and golf club storage area within the main building. The result was the modern look the clubhouse exhibits today.
Guyan has a golfing heritage of which it can be proud. The club has played host to some of the country’s most outstanding golfers. The largest crowd came in 1942 when 4,000 people witnessed an exhibition between Arnold Browning and Denny Shute against Byron Nelson and Harold McSpaden. Browning was with Guyan for 50 years as caddie master and club maker and then as head golf professional.
The great Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead also appeared here in exhibition matches. Guyan has hosted the West Virginia State Open on two occasions, with Bill Campbell being the winner each time.
Guyan takes special pride in Campbell’s golfing accomplishments.
William Cammack Campbell, known as Bill to his many friends and fans, recalled he never wanted to be a professional golfer. Instead, he chose to enter the family insurance business; but as an amateur, he compiled a golfing record destined to be unequaled.
Born in Huntington in 1923, he was introduced to the game of golf by his father at the age of 3. His game flourished even though he never took a lesson. In his long golf career, Campbell amassed one of the greatest amateur resumés in history. It can easily be argued that he is the second-greatest amateur golfer of all time, behind the legendary Bobby Jones. Over the course of seven decades, he won 33 championships, including 15 West Virginia State Amateur titles, three West Virginia Opens, four North-South Amateur Championships, one U.S. Amateur Championship, one Mexican National Amateur Championship, two World Amateur Championships and back-to-back U.S. Senior Amateur titles. He was undefeated in singles matches in eight Walker Cup appearances, captaining the 1955 team. He qualified for 37 U.S. Amateurs, 11 British Amateurs, 18 Masters and 15 U.S. Opens.
He was president of the U.S. Golf Association in 1982-83; and when he captained the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, he became the first individual to head both of golf’s worldwide governing bodies.
Campbell was a member at Guyan for 87 years until his passing on Aug. 30, 2013, at age 90.
In February 2015, the West Virginia Legislature enacted House Concurrent Resolution 55, renaming the portion of U.S. Route 60 from Guyan Golf & Country Club to the Huntington city limits the “William C. Campbell Memorial Highway.”
Guyan has renamed its entrance and redesigned its logo in his honor.
Each year, Guyan’s Board of Directors selects one of its members to serve as club president. This year’s president, Jodi Biller, is the club’s first female president.
Biller is an advanced practice registered nurse at Marshall Health. She graduated from the St. Mary’s School of Nursing, completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Marshall and is slated to receive a Doctor of Nursing Practice from West Virginia University.
First as a board member and later as president, she has championed an effort to build Guyan’s membership. This year, thanks in large measure to an online membership campaign, the club has 551 memberships, its highest total in at least a decade.
In addition to golf, Biller noted the club has great tennis facilities with both clay and hard courts, pickleball, a popular pool that’s being redone this year, a junior golf program and junior tennis program, a year-round golf shop, a spacious clubhouse with several dining areas with gourmet-quality food and a ballroom for special events.
“Any community would be fortunate to have a golf and country club as fine as Guyan,” said long-time member R.O. Robertson. “I’ve been a member for more years than I care to admit, ever since my late father-in-law J. Hanley Morgan gifted us a membership as a wedding present. Over the years, the club has had its ups and downs; but right now Guyan is experiencing a resurgence with new and improved facilities and a membership that’s the largest in a decade. That’s good news for the club and for the community.”
