WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- When he was playing golf, Peter Oosterhuis didn't get that much into the course construction side of the game. He was more concerned about shooting the lowest score possible wherever he happened to be playing.

Oosterhuis, one of the top pros on the European Tour and PGA Tour during his career, now works as an analyst for CBS and The Golf Channel. He's at The Greenbrier Resort this week calling the action in The Greenbrier Classic on the renovated par-70 Old White course. He pays more attention now to what golf architects bring to the table and tells viewers about the features.

"I didn't think architecture then. I was playing," said Oosterhuis, who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz. "I was very impressed with what I saw (Old White). I didn't realize the significance of the renovations of the course at first. It's excellent. There's a lot of similarities."

Oosterhuis was referring to the similarities of Old White to Forsgate Country Club in Jamesburg, N.J., where he served as director of golf for six years. Forsgate Country Club was designed by Charles Banks who once worked for C.B. McDonald and Seth Raynor, the men who brought Old White to life in 1914.

Old White and Forsgate both feature many European touches.

The par-3 third hole on Old White is known as "Biarritz" and fashioned after the third hole at the former Biarritz Golf Club in France with a deep swale in the middle of the green. The par-3 eighth at Old White is "Redan." It's copied after the 15th hole at North Berwick in Scotland. A miss left brings the "Dragon's Teeth" bunkers into play.

Old White is the oldest course the PGA Tour visits this season. It's also yielding low scores as expected. That doesn't surprise Oosterhuis as red sub-par numbers on the scoreboard are prevalent each week unless it's a U.S. Open.

"They're protecting the architecture," he said. "It's just the guys hit the ball so far these days. They're fit and strong. When I came out, Gary Player was the only player who worked out."

Oosterhuis is no stranger to The Greenbrier. In 1979, he played in the Ryder Cup on the resort's Greenbrier Course which had been renovated by Jack Nicklaus. That year was the first for Team Europe. That team had been known as Great Britain/Ireland, but the number of good players in Europe led to the expansion. The Americans won the match, 17-11.

"The resort is beautiful and has so much to offer," Oosterhuis said. "This is a place I'd want to be."

DAY OFF: Floyd Harlow had planned to be at work Friday at his office in the Somervile Building in Huntington, but when the CPA found out friend Linda Burns had two passes, he and his son, Adam, took them and headed to The Greenbrier.

"Can't pass that up," Harlow said as he and Adam watched the action on the par-5 12th hole. "The last time Adam was here he was 8."

The Barboursville resident has played Old White several times. He admires the way the pros are taking the course apart.

"I come and watch the guys play a course I've played," he said. "They eat it up and it kills me. It's unbelievable what these guys do."

BUSY WOMAN: Tish Littlehales, director of the Marshall University Alumni Association, is working as a tournament volunteer. She also makes a dash now and then to the Alumni Hospitality Tent.

Alumni and fans from Marshall, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Virginia bought tournament badges and receive admission to the tent and tickets to the three concerts. Schools get 30 percent of the proceeds from the $495 badges.

"We have had several hundred volunteers in the area each day to showcase our area and university," she said.

WVU football coach Bill Stewart was on the grounds Friday along with former WVU basketball assistant Gary McPherson. Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick. Thundering Herd football coach Doc Holliday is due in Saturday.

WELCOME BACK: Dallas Blankenship, former assistant superintendent of Cabell County schools, is a tournament volunteer with wife, Helen. Blankenship, an avid golfer, left Huntington in 1992 to become superintendent of Scott County (Ky.) schools. He is now retired.

Blankenship, 63, said he and Helen make it back to Huntington to see some Thundering Herd football and basketball games. The big attraction for him, though, is University of Kentucky basketball and football.

"This is awesome," Blankenship said of being able to work a pro golf tournament. "I've seen a lot of people here that I know. I know this means a lot to the area and West Virginia. This is quite a sight."

MUSIC: The third and final concert is Saturday night at the State Fairgrounds in Fairlea. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood headline the show.

ON THE JOB: Johnny Thompson, son of former West Virginia Amateur and Open champion Barney Thompson, is here as a Callaway golf equipment rep. He makes sure all his staff members are up to date on what's available and have what they want when they head out. On Monday, he was on the putting green with three bags full of putters.

"You know what they want," said Thompson, who caddied for his dad in the State Open two weeks ago at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Hurricane. "You make sure it works for them."

That means adjustments in many areas such as shaft, grip, loft, etc.

This is Thompson's third year with Callaway. He said he'll be at a Nationwide Tour event next week.

"It's fun and you work with great people," he said.

David Walsh is a reporter for The Herald-Dispatch. Contact him at 304-526-2759 or dwalsh@herald-dispatch.com.

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