Omni Homestead Resort
Located in the Allegheny Mountains in Virginia you’ll find a historic American destination known as The Omni Homestead Resort.
This incredible resort has served as host to 23 U.S. Presidents through the years, and the resort has undergone a $150 million renovation that is aimed to improve the guest experience all while maintaining the historic charm that this amazing destination has to offer.
This massive renovation will be completed in the fall of 2023, and some of the updates have included renovating all 483 guest rooms on property, updating the Great Hall that you enter upon arrival, redesigning the 28 meeting rooms onsite, and updating dining options onsite to maximize the guest experience.
These updates combined with the other amenities on property that include their famous luxury spa and salon, family pool that includes a lazy river and water slides, fitness center, fly fishing, horseback riding, and a kid’s club that are just some of the many features that you can enjoy at The Omni Homestead Resort.
And as incredible as this property is, there is one set of amenities that will make you want to move this up your target getaway list: the golf. With 36 holes of golf onsite including the longest continuously used first tee in the country, these classically designed beauties provide an exceptional golf experience that you won’t soon forget. And don’t just take our word for it as the U.S.G.A. just announced that The Omni Homestead Resort will serve as the home of the 2025 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur as well as the 2029 U.S. Senior Amateur Championships, making this the 9th and 10th time that this property has hosted a U.S.G.A. Championship putting it in rarified air among the nation’s best golf resorts.
The Cascades Course
As 2023 serves as the Centennial Celebration of The Cascades, it’s hard to believe that this incredible course almost didn’t exist. Fay Ingalls, the then owner of The Homestead, originally brought in some of the most renowned golf course architects of the time to preview the site for building a course here including the likes of A.W. Tillinghast, Seth Raynor, Blair MacDonald, and Peter Lees. All these mighty designers ended up turning down the job saying that could not foresee a golf course being built on this particular plot of land. Luckily for us, William Flynn was not so easily deterred from the challenge and with a request to buy an additional ¼ acre plot of land where the 4th hole sits today, he accepted the job and ended up creating one of the best mountain golf courses in America.
As you’ll see in the drone footage that we have exclusively captured for you here, the course provides you with wonderful elevation changes, sloping fairways, and wonderful water features that are not only visually appealing but also provide blissful audio stimulation as you can hear them throughout your round in this tranquil setting.
The Old Course
When you don a name as sacred as the Old Course, you better be sure to deliver an experience that golfers won’t soon forget. And that’s exactly what you can expect from the Old Course at The Omni Homestead Resort that serves as the longest running continuously used first tee in the United States. This course originally opened as a 6-hole design in 1892, and it later received updates by William Flynn and Donald Ross, and eventually a little help from Rees Jones, to help mold it into the masterpiece that it stands as today.
As you’ll see in the drone footage provided here that gives you a full overview of all 18 holes at the Old Course, this course is about as natural as they come with a ton of elevation changes, perfectly manicured, striped fairways with natural slopes, and small greens placing a premium on your approach shots.
Recommendation
When it comes to a relaxing golf getaway with exceptional greens that is perfect for a group of friends, a family, or a couple’s retreat, then The Omni Homestead Resort needs to be in your consideration set. The recent renovation was exceptionally well done, and the well-appointed rooms and upgraded amenities have elevated the experience here to a new level all while still being well priced giving you incredible value at a top-tier resort.
It’s an absolute must to play both courses here, and we recommend making sure you include some time to explore the surrounding areas as there are some amazing hikes and other various outdoors activities so be sure to stay for multiple nights in order to see it all.