Guyan Golf & Country Club

Overview: Guyan Golf & Country Club in Huntington is a Herbert Strong design with a long connection to West Virginia golf. The 6,523-yard, par-71 parkland course uses tree-lined fairways, mature ground and firm greens to create a traditional test in the eastern section of the city. Ball placement matters, and the course’s quick putting surfaces reward players who approach from the correct side. Its history is competitive, but the layout remains a coherent everyday course rather than a tournament installation.

History: Herbert Strong completed the course in 1922 on land formerly known as the Ensign Farm. Guyan soon became a regular venue for state and national competition, including West Virginia Opens, amateur championships, USGA qualifiers and the Marshall Invitational. Sam Snead won the West Virginia Open at Guyan in 1936 and qualified for his first U.S. Open there the following year, giving the course an early connection to major American golf.

Did You Know? William C. Campbell developed his game at Guyan and later won the 1964 U.S. Amateur, served as USGA president and became captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. The club’s history also records a 1942 exhibition that drew about 4,000 spectators to see Byron Nelson and Harold McSpahen face Arnold Browning and Denny Shute.