One of the grande dames of American golf resorts, The Homestead was built in 1766 as an inn in the Allegheny foothills of western Virginia. Because of the area's warm springs (which still feed the historic indoor swimming pool), it grew into a popular spa resort during the 1800s. Destroyed by fire, the hotel was rebuilt of red brick, with east and west wings flanking a clock tower.

That's the stately edifice visitors still see today as they approach via a winding, shady drive. But

One of the grande dames of American golf resorts, The Homestead was built in 1766 as an inn in the Allegheny foothills of western Virginia. Because of the area's warm springs (which still feed the historic indoor swimming pool), it grew into a popular spa resort during the 1800s. Destroyed by fire, the hotel was rebuilt of red brick, with east and west wings flanking a clock tower.

That's the stately edifice visitors still see today as they approach via a winding, shady drive. But there's no grand entrance, just tall screen doors opening from a porch lined with rocking chairs. It's your first clue that this is a laidback resort, elegant but inviting. You can even bring your dog.

Sure, there's afternoon tea and chamber music in the Great Hall, a 200-foot-long room lined with pillars, but you can enjoy it in your golf duds. You can get gussied up for a formal dinner in the chandeliered main dining room or the 1766 Grill, or walk across the street to the casual Sam Snead's Tavern, a lively place decorated in Snead memorabilia.

Wherever you go on the 15,000-acre resort, a sense of history will follow you—maybe even ghosts. The original hotel served as a hospital during the Civil War. At the "request" of the State Department, some 400 Japanese diplomats and their families, along with the Japanese press corps and some important Japanese businessmen were held here during World War II. Guests have included 22 U.S. Presidents and various royals. Even the golf is historic. The country's oldest first tee in continuous use (since 1892) is on the Old Course.

This is also where Sam Snead began his golf career, and he played the Cascades well into his 80s. One of the country's top mountain courses, the Cascades Course was built in 1923 by William Flynn without the benefit of modern earth-movers. Fortunately, the terrain provided every natural nuance for a varied and challenging layout, and the holes evolved with eerie synchronicity. Constants are slanted lies, narrow fairways lined with trees, heavy rough, and slick greens. The course builds to an unforgettable final three holes with a cascading stream and pond threatening every shot. Eighteen is a nerve-wracking par 3 over a pond to an elevated green.

The Old Course is a Donald Ross classic deftly upgraded by Rees Jones in 1994. The rolling fairways seem generous but there are few level spots, and elevation changes fool the eye when club selection is critical. Ross' trademark small greens, cleverly positioned, are humbling. Nothing is as easy as it looks. The hole configuration is unusual—six par 3s, six par 4s, and six par 5s.

The Lower Cascades is a Robert Trent Jones, Sr. creation trailing a stream through a pretty mountain valley. The fairways are wide and inviting, and the bunkering is not overly penal. But there's a catch befitting RTJ—heavily contoured greens.

The Homestead is also home to an outstanding golf academy that originated at Pinehurst, a sister resort under KSL management.

For more than 20 years freelancer Dale Leatherman has specialized in golf and adventure travel. Assignments take her all over the world, but she's always happy to be back home playing mountain courses in West Virginia. She is president-elect of the Society of American Travel Writers.