WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS. W.Va. — Five days after he was offered the post of golf pro emeritus at The Greenbrier, and five days after accepting without a blink, Lee Trevino gushed enthusiasm about the resort and the summers he plans to spend there.
Perhaps the most gregarious champion ever to roam a clubhouse, Trevino met local media Monday, flanked by Nick Faldo and resort owner Jim Justice, to plug the upcoming PGA Greenbrier Classic. Even at age 75, Trevino said he remains “all about golf 24/7,” whether it’s playing daily rounds, tweaking swings of his friends or hitting practice putts on the carpet at home most nights.
“This is what I like. This is what I do. I love people. I love to entertain. I love working with people on the golf course or on the practice area or bunker shots,” said Trevino.
“All the time that I’ve gone to church—and I’m a religious guy—I thought I was going to heaven. And I told my wife last night, I don’t know where I’m going when I’m dead, because I’m in heaven now.”
The six-time major champion, who resides in Dallas and spends winters in Palm Springs, insisted he wasn’t looking for a job, evidenced by declining analyst gigs with NBC and Fox. But when Greenbrier reps approached him last week about replacing Tom Watson as the resort’s legendary instructor, Trevino jumped. With 36 hours, he was tossing slacks in a suitcase and aboard an eastbound red-eye to White Sulphur Springs, where he plans to savor 70 days each summer.
“I’m going to be here two-and-a-half months,” he said, “and I predict it’s going to pass very quickly, because when you’re having a good time it goes quickly.”
Having first visited the Greenbrier during the 1979 Ryder Cup, Trevino lauded the recent turnaround Justice orchestrated after rescuing the resort from bankruptcy in 2009. The addition of a $100-million casino, a $20-million NFL training facility and the soon-to-open tennis stadium all followed Justice landing a PGA event.
“Jim comes along and bought it at a very good price. But regardless what he paid for it, look at what he’s put in it,” Trevino said. “Jim spared nothing to get this back.”
The Classic has lured a smattering of household names during its first five years, and Trevino anticipates the amenities soon will make it a more popular draw.
“They’ve got babysitting, the casino, restaurants, horseriding—players like that,” he said. “They like the accommodations. They don’t have to jump in a car and drive to some hotel. The wife’s happy, the kids are happy and (players) can practice.
“Eventually word of mouth will get around to all the players. If they come here once they will never stop coming here.”
Tiger in question: Though Tiger Woods committed in April to appearing at the Greenbrier this year, his brutal 14-over, last-place finish at last weekend’s Memorial casts doubt on whether he’ll skip events to regroup.
“He’s moving on the ball badly. He’s lifting, he’s dipping, he’s not smooth,” Trevino said. “I hope he doesn’t decide he’s not playing well enough to come. That would be a big loss for us. But we’ve got a guy here with the most talent in the world. His name’s Bubba.”
Bubba Watson, that is, who owns a home at the resort and plays with the same self-taught flair as Trevino.
Trevino vs. Justice: There’s a limit to how many tips the Greenbrier’s new golf pro is willing to share. Case in point, his matches against Justice.
“No, we play for money. I’m not teaching nothing,” Trevino cracked. “The first time I played the Old White I beat the boss out of $20.”
Informed that Justice has recorded 29 holes in one, Trevino zinged: “Not with me, he hasn’t had any. He hasn’t hit a green yet when I’ve played with him.”
Political contingency: Given his just-launched campaign for governor, Justice addressed the future of the Classic should he be elected in 2016.
“One plan would be to make all this growth happen all over the state. That would tickle me to death,” he said. “And absolutely you can bet your boots there’s plenty, plenty, plenty of people here —way beyond my family— who can keep this thing running very well. Very qualified people.”