The Ashford Opens at The Greenbrier Sporting Club

Photo Credit: Mike Wyatt, The Greenbrier

(RELEASE) - The Ashford Short Course has officially opened at The Greenbrier Sporting Club. The new 9-hole, par 3 walking course is available for members of The Greenbrier Sporting Club, and for limited use by guest at America's Resort, The Greenbrier.

During today's Opening Day, ceremonial first shots were hit at the No. 6 tee, which will serve as the members' tee, by Kelly Shumate, The Greenbrier Director of Golf Maintenance, who served as the designer of The Ashford, Patrick Murphy, The Greenbrier Sporting Club Golf Course Superintendent, whose team takes care of the new course on a daily basis, and Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz, a member of The Greenbrier Sporting Club, who recently competed in the U.S. Senior Open. Larry Klein, Vice President and General Manager at The Greenbrier Sporting Club, then christened the course by sabring a bottle of wine to mark the occasion. The first tee times on the new course began at 11 a.m.

Quotes
John Smoltz
"I need to commit to working on my short game instead of always trying to hit the ball as far as I can. So this is perfect. The terrain of the golf courses out here have so much challenge to them, and obviously they're beautiful. It's like a little slice of heaven."

"For me, getting away and getting into a different part of the country is neat. I wish I could get here more. For my wife and I, we just relax and have a great time. We bring couples here a lot, and it's about the restaurants, the golf and the quiet. It gets us away from my crazy lifestyle, where every where I go my time is needed."

"It's weird, because you're never prepared for a 60-yard shot teed up. I didn't want to take a lot of turf. That was my biggest concern."

Larry Klein
"Today is a great day for The Greenbrier Sporting Club. We're really proud of what Kelly Shumate and his team have done with The Ashford, and it provided another great amenity for our members. We know people are going to love it."

Website: greenbrier.com