The moment you arrive you’ll sense why the Homestead, a resort in the Allegheny Mountains, has been luring guests for more than 200 years. The long, columned porch with white rockers is inviting and peaceful. Step into the grand hall, where afternoon tea is served, and you’ll find an old-world charm that’s not stuffy.
There are activities for everyone: a luxurious spa, tennis, a shooting club in a new mountaintop lodge, a wonderful indoor pool plus outdoor pools, horseback and carriage rides, fly-fishing, falconry lessons, and bowling.
And golf—two good courses and one great one. The challenge begins on the Old Course, where contouring gives most shots sidehill, uphill, or downhill lies. The Lower Cascades Course journeys through the valley. The crown jewel is the Cascades Course. Winding through the mountains, it has long, narrow fairways, lots of trees, and as much challenge as any golfer could want.
Bottom line: Some of the best golf anywhere.
The Homestead, 540-839-1766; thehomestead.com. Summer rates begin at $390 a night including dinner and a lavish breakfast buffet.
This article first appeared in the April 2005 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.
