{"product_id":"oakhurst-the-birth-and-rebirth-of-america-s-first-golf-course-walker-books","title":"Oakhurst: The Birth and Rebirth of America’s First Golf Course | Walker Books","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"seo-description\"\u003e\n  \u003ch2\u003eDiscover Oakhurst: America's First Golf Course Reborn\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003eGolf arrived in America in 1884, when five leisure-minded neighbors in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, helped a Harvard-educated lawyer named Russell Montague lay out a nine-hole course. They played for pleasure, unaware that their simple greens would mark the origin story of a national pastime.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003eOakhurst documents this early chapter with color, detail, and context. It traces the course from its brief first life—fifteen years of quiet play—to its miraculous rebirth a century later. The authors weave in the evolving equipment, the birth of course design, and the memorable matches that locals once doubted would ever appeal to Americans. Feel the hush of dawn on the greens and the weight of a hickory shaft in your hands, as the past meets the present. Walker Books presents this narrative, blending founder voices with the broader arc of golf history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003ch3\u003eWhat makes this story compelling\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eThe land once hosted America’s first nine-hole course, quietly growing into legend.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eA restoration led by Sam Snead and Lewis Keller, with Bob Cupp guiding the rediscovery of dorman t holes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003ePlayers today observe nineteenth-century rules and can only use period gear such as gutta-percha balls and hickory shafts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003ch3\u003eWhat you might experience on a visit\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eA chance to step back in time on a historic layout in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eOpportunities to imagine early matches and hear stories that shaped American golf culture.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eA thoughtfully preserved setting where the pace and feel echo the sport’s roots.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003eBeyond the greens, the book blends colorful founder stories with a broader look at how golf evolved—from equipment to design—and why the simple pleasures of early play still resonate with today’s enthusiasts. It offers a nostalgic, Americana-driven narrative that invites readers to explore a sport’s origins without prescriptive promises—only the possibilities of connection and curiosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"product-faq-snippet\"\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFAQ\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"faq-item\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"faq-q\"\u003eQ: What is Oakhurst and why is it notable?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"faq-a\"\u003eA: It marks America's first nine-hole golf course and its careful restoration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"faq-item\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"faq-q\"\u003eQ: What can visitors expect from Oakhurst today?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"faq-a\"\u003eA: A historic layout where period rules and gear shape a nostalgic, educational golf experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"WALKER BOOKS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53081217433711,"sku":"0802713718","price":33.14,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/7354\/2767\/files\/walker-books-oakhurst-historic-golf-course.jpg?v=1778583394","url":"https:\/\/golfavero.com\/products\/oakhurst-the-birth-and-rebirth-of-america-s-first-golf-course-walker-books","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}