Guyan Golf & Country Club continues a proud tradition of providing families the chance to spend time together in the scenic hills of West Virginia
By Dan Londeree
HQ 54 | WINTER 2005
It’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon – the kind of afternoon when it seems nature is searching for a companion. A young boy, about 9-years-old, makes his way to his room to gather the things he’ll need for hours of activity with his family. He reaches into his closet and grasps the handle on his golf bag – he’s been looking forward to this for days. He packs a bag for the pool, just in case.
Today, Guyan Golf and Country Club is known as a place for families. And, in listening to stories from Bill Campbell’s childhood, it quickly becomes apparent that Guyan has long been a place for families. The 1964 U.S. Amateur champion recently recounted how he was introduced to golf, and Guyan.
“My father was a very hard-working lawyer who played on Saturday afternoons, if he could, with the men, and on Sunday afternoons with the family,” Campbell said. “That is how I got around the course as young as age three. We started at Guyan playing as a family, just the four of us.
“As we grew, my brother being three years older, he wouldn’t last very long and would want to go to the pool to check out the girls. I would eventually get tired after nine or twelve holes and would go check on my brother. And then our mother would worry about the boys, and she wouldn’t finish the round to come check on us, and dad finished by himself.”
Campbell said Guyan offered an atmosphere that allowed his game to flourish, even at an early age.
“I grew up in golf at Guyan, and I was very fortunate to have professionals take an interest in me,” he said. “A fellow named Jack Curley was the club professional first, and was very helpful to children, just by letting us play.
“I played here and was inspired to play. Other members of the course were good to me – older men who would tolerate me and also help me. Several of them would ask me to play, which of course was a great treat for me. I played in the club championship from age 13 and qualified for the U.S. Amateur at age 15. I had many opportunities to see some golf and play it under what you would call cordial circumstances.”
With a rich history as a place that is home to families, great golf and other activities, Guyan Golf and Country Club continues to flourish today. The clubhouse is located in the middle of the course, and its elevation offers a breath-taking view of wooded areas, fairways and greens.
Designed by Herbert Strong and completed in 1922, the course is a challenging 6,400 yards requiring accurate tee shots and consistent approaches. Strong was known for designing courses around the basic features of the land, making Guyan a natural part of its West Virginia landscape. Pat Carter, an 11-time West Virginia Amateur champion and member at Guyan, described the course as a unique golf experience.
“I think Guyan is one of the top courses in our state,” Carter said. “It’s a very fun golf course to play on a daily basis, and it presents new challenges. It’s a course that you’ll never get tired of playing.
“It’s always in great shape – the conditions at the course are top notch. For most people that play, it’s not extremely demanding where you’re hitting long shot after long shot. There are opportunities for pars and birdies on just about every hole. It’s always more rewarding if you’re hitting it longer, and Guyan is not a course where you feel extremely nervous about pulling out your driver. The practice facilities are a huge plus, and the opportunity to play the course at my leisure is a great benefit.”
As an avid golfer, it’s clear why Carter was drawn to Guyan Golf and Country Club several years ago. But as a husband and father, he said his club membership extends far beyond his golf game.
“If I want to take my four-year-old son out in the evening for two or three holes, I can do that without having to worry about holding people up,” he said. “And then there’s the pool, tennis, and club atmosphere. You can sit down for dinner on a Friday evening without having to wait an hour and enjoy a high-quality meal.”
This aspect of the club is one that has become increasingly popular among members, and is now drawing new members who are seeking a place to make family memories. Tish Littlehales, membership coordinator at Guyan, said the club’s tradition, heritage and family atmosphere come together to make the club what it is today.
“Guyan Golf and Country club is a place to make friendships and memories to last a lifetime,” Littlehales said. “The club offers members the chance to learn and participate in activities with the best facilities and equipment, and spending time together is the best way to keep families connected. Guyan is a place about tradition, heritage and family.”
In listening to Littlehales describe her family’s experience at the club, it’s apparent that the atmosphere enjoyed by Bill Campbell as a teenager in the 1930s still exists today. “The gentlemen here are such mentors,” she said. “I have a son who plays golf here, and now works in the cart room. These gentlemen have taken such an interest in him, and they want to know where he’s going to go to college and how he’s doing.
“Children can come out here in the summer and start their day with tennis lessons. From there, they can go to the pool, and then have lunch. And from there, they can go to the golf course and spend the afternoon. How many places do you know where your child can spend an entire day, and spend it outside involved in sports and other activities? The club is a family-oriented place, and a wonderful place for your children to grow.”
Littlehales said the club is not resting on its laurels, and continues to develop new offerings for families.
“On Friday nights, we have complimentary childcare available,” she said. “The children have their own buffet, and parents can go and have a peaceful romantic dinner and know that their children are safe and only a handful of steps away.
“We added a slide at the pool, we have organized volleyball games, and basketball. In the summer, the kids have tennis clinics every morning and some afternoons, and they have match play with other clubs in the area. Children have many opportunities to participate in activities.”
In fact, the club offers junior programs in golf and tennis, and the pool hosts swimming lessons during the summer. Junior golf activities include golf camps, the junior club championship, a parent/junior championship and a drive, pitch and putt tournament. Guyan boasts several West Virginia Junior Amateur champions in both boys’ and girls’ flights. The junior tennis program includes the clinics, traveling team, ladder play and match play.
Gary Adams, president of the club’s board of trustees, said Guyan also is moving forward with respect to facilities and grounds.
“In an effort to accommodate families and stay current with nationwide trends, we are now undertaking a renovation to the club’s dining facilities,” Adams said. “Across the nation, more clubs are finding their members prefer an informal dining atmosphere, and we’ve found that to be true here, as well.
“We recently began a project that will turn our formal dining room, which is the largest dining room, into the informal dining room; and the formal dining room will be moved to where the informal room is located.
“Regarding the grounds, like most organizations, we review things each year to look for areas of improvement,” Adams said. “While there is no immediate major work scheduled for the course or other areas, we are constantly making sure that Guyan Golf and Country Club retains its reputation as having some of the finest facilities in the region.”
Today, golf clubs are made with composite metals and graphite. But while the equipment has changed and the facilities have been modernized, there are still Sunday afternoons – those when nature is searching for a companion. And the rolling hills and woodlands of Guyan still welcome grandparents, parents and aspiring young players to take it all in together. As a family.
