A visionary peace

Driving into Hot Springs, Virginia, on Route 220, also known as Sam Snead Highway, the land rolls and mesmerizes right up into the Allegheny Mountains. Anyone who dreams about course architecture will see nothing but golf holes on the land they pass. Infinite combinations of holes could be draped across the terrain in so many creative routings. About the time your heart is lulled into a happy, visionary peace, a sentimental resort appears on the horizon — and it feels like it was always meant to be here. Indeed, friendly accommodation has been here since 1766.

The property is working its way through a renaissance, with Omni Hotels & Resorts taking ownership in 2013 and investing more than $170 million into the facility. The hotel was renovated; an event venue and housing for seasonal staff were added; the demographics are demonstrating popularity with younger guests after 2020; and Tyler Minamyer was hired, working as director of agronomy.

With an extensive background in identifying talent and building teams, and more than 30 years of experience including his previous work with International Golf Maintenance, Minamyer and the course superintendents, John Chaplin on The Old Course and Dylan Brinkley on The Cascades course, are continuing the tradition of providing premier playing conditions on these historic layouts.

The Old Course was built in 1892 and expanded to 18 holes by Donald Ross in 1913. It has been worked on by William Flynn and Rees Jones, among others, and now plays at 6,099 yards from the tips. There are six par 3s, six 4s and six par 5s. The Old Course is closed on Mondays for maintenance; The Cascades, which gets more attention, is closed on Tuesdays. Together, the courses host approximately 22,000 rounds annually and the first tee time available at either course is 8 a.m.

“Most people might not realize just how beautiful The Old Course really is,” Chaplin says. “Even on the rough weather days, there’s still something special to see in every direction. The Old Course gives you these great views of the mountains, the hotel and the woodlands that make every day feel a little different.”

With a crew of 10 on The Old Course possessing 150 years of combined experience, they are putting out a great product that makes them feel proud. “It’s a group that knows their jobs, loves the work, and puts their heart into it,” Chaplin says. “What I enjoy most is that my work directly impacts people’s enjoyment of the game. When golfers comment on how good the course looks or plays, it is rewarding because I know the work and planning that we put into it.”

The Cascades course is more rugged and mountainous, though both courses have significant elevation changes that will test your swing from multiple stances. While The Old Course is cozied up to the resort, The Cascades is 3½ miles away, so they each have their own maintenance facility. The maintenance facility at The Old Course is charmingly known as Reese’s Plaza, in honor of Fred Reese, who has significantly contributed to the maintenance team.

There is no lift at either shop, and most of the equipment is covered, though garage space is limited. Leadership is working to refine a long-term plan for investment in the maintenance facilities, and recently, prior to hosting the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in September 2025, Wi-Fi was installed across The Cascades property to improve connectivity for safety and efficiency. Five new tees were also built for the event. Tree work and drainage projects are fall norms.

“The event went great,” Brinkley says. “It was a learning experience that will better us for future championships.” The next one is already scheduled for 2029 — the U.S. Senior Amateur. It will be the 10th USGA championship to be contested at the resort, which is continually investing in its courses.

“The Cascades driving range tee was converted to ryegrass for quicker recovery and germination,” Brinkley says. “Concrete pads were installed to hold 12 artificial mats, and we are in the process of converting our native areas to more manageable and playable grasses. In the spring, the natives will be seeded to fine and red fescues and little and big bluestem.”

The driving range is on a slope, so golfers hit up into a mountain. Not only is the range visually interesting, but the range picker must have four-wheel drive. Supporting the physical changes across the resort are the shifts in operation and management.

The guiding trilogy

Driving excellence throughout The Omni Homestead is the Omni Hotels Trilogy. The trilogy represents guests, associates and ownership. “If an idea or initiative doesn’t positively impact all three of these things, it is not likely to be implemented,” Minamyer says.

When Minamyer arrived, the course maintenance staff was open to leadership and guidance, and as they became familiar with one another, together they adopted one rule: “No one can say, ‘We’ve never done it that way before,’” Minamyer says. “We have to try things.”

The resort mentality leads, and there are two days of training for working at the resort itself before a crew member can start with the agronomy team. If a guest has an issue, every associate is empowered to fix that problem, regardless of department, from comping a meal to leaving a task to seek help, to doing whatever is necessary to deliver exceptional service and experience.

The campus is seven miles wide in total, with 11 different sites available for weddings. The location of Hot Springs is remote, but in so many ways, everything anyone needs is available. Near the resort there are a few small shops. The resort is so picturesque — it feels like it was dropped ready-made into this beautiful mountain setting.

Being part of the resort, the golf and grounds teams also field requests to transfer in recruits from other departments. New, younger staff typically want to work on The Cascades with Brinkley, and more experienced workers prefer The Old Course with Chaplin. The teams share large equipment, knowledge and the desire to achieve.

There is a significant difference between the courses, both bisected by Route 220 and maintained by about 20 full-time staff in total. Having people who work at both courses or with the grounds team provides depth. The different courses receive different amounts of rain, and it’s not close. There can be a 50 percent difference some years in how much rain is received, and the same course doesn’t always get more. Isn’t that fascinating? The superintendents track their numbers with dedicated weather stations, use the USGA GS3 ball and Deacon, and compare notes.

Minamyer says the environment and culture of The Homestead and Omni overall are the best things about his job. “The Omni Trilogy drives decision making,” he says. “It is the core cultural philosophy which balances the needs of three groups equally: guests, associates and ownership. This strategy focuses on creating a positive and sustainable environment for everyone involved with the brand. It’s not a tagline used in managing perception. We really operate that way, and it is incredibly refreshing and rewarding.”

Employees are thinking in the same direction, as proved by a recent employee survey that covered much more than compensation.

“Me, Tyler and Johnny manage with good empathy,” Brinkley says. “We don’t put people doing what they are not comfortable with. We work hard and we don’t do things that are bad for morale. I truly enjoy our team and management. It’s amazing being a part of producing a championship-quality golf course for our guests and I love helping our team learn new skills while they teach me new skills. We learn together. Our crew is outstanding and life in Hot Springs is unique and rewarding. The Cascades course is a gem, and we take pride in maintaining its character.”

There are fun runs that traipse down the holes, and picnics on the course during Fourth of July fireworks. A ski lodge sits above No. 18 on The Old Course, which is open all year, so people can actually golf and ski on the same day, if they have that temperament. The pump station is off No. 10, pumping across the valley and up the mountain to make snow when necessary.

Aerifying can pose a challenge. “We aerify annually, usually in the fall after the Cascades has closed,” Brinkley says. “Rocks are an issue in fairways and rough, causing us to use a ground driven spoon tine that goes to a 2- to 3-inches depth over a PTO-driven that would be 5-plus inches depth but causing damage to the turf and equipment.”

There is always a way forward.

“I enjoy leading and coaching the team,” Minamyer says. “In most situations, you come into a position with job No. 1 to train and recruit. In this case, I walked into a great group with many members with long tenures that know the job and really care about the results. My job is to make their jobs easier, more productive and ultimately as enjoyable as ‘work’ can be. We'll never stop training but with the talent and commitment of our team, it is rewarding to see the consistent level of improvement in the operation and the product we provide.”

Time changes everything, golf courses, too, though some places hold their history better than others. Visions and realities for golf holes change, and that’s part of what makes the work so dynamic. Are any two days the same? Thankfully, we can appreciate the diversity of courses, towns, management styles and people throughout the world. As you can imagine, there is no place quite like The Omni Homestead.

Lee Carr is a northeast Ohio-based writer and senior Golf Course Industry contributor.