Bush visits, golfs at Bedford Springs
By the Gazette staff (bedfordgazette.com)
Former President George W. Bush made a stop at Omni Bedford Springs Thursday.
The president flew into the Bedford County Airport in a Gulfstream 450 owned by the Omni hotel chain, according to H. Ray Jennings, airport manager.
The jet was expected at 10 a.m. but arrived about 11:20 a.m., Jennings said. Bush was to fly in last year but poor weather prevented that trip, Jennings said.
Eric Wise, owner of E.W. Wise Hardscaping and Excavating, said he was tipped off that the president was coming. He was out on a job near the airport and when he saw the jet flying over he knew it was true.
“He was a heckuva nice guy. He was going to get into a Suburban and go the Springs,” Wise said. Instead, he got out of the vehicle and walked toward a small crowd of about 15 people to shake hands, talk briefly and pose for photos.
“I knew he was going to play at the Springs,” Wise said. He told the president that he played at the Springs golf course recently and that it was in great shape. And he said he was excited to go there.”
“He said he was the 13th president to stay at the Springs,” Wise said.
Jennings said youngsters made up a couple signs reading, “We miss you.”
It made an impression on both Wise and Jennings that Bush took his own golf bag out of the jet and loaded it into the vehicle himself.
“He was probably there about 10 minutes and shook all of our hands, every one of us,” Wise said. “I wrapped my arm around him and he wrapped his arm around me,” to take a once-in-a-lifetime photo for Wise.
“He seemed like a very good guy,” Wise said.
Bush also was spotted on the golf course later in the day. Several local residents of the Springs area spotted the entourage and either waved or greeted Bush. He was accompanied by Mark Langdale, the fellow Texan who was the Springs developer and now is president of the George W. Bush Foundation.
The Springs made Travel & Leisure’s Top 500 Resorts for 2011 and 12; and the magazine’s top 10 for World’s Best Values and Best Value Overall in the U.S. and Canada.
In 2010, the golf course was named to Golfweek’s best resort courses list for 2010.
The Springs not only has received accolades for its resort, spa and golfing but it is also a National Historic Landmark.
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I’ve linked the photo of Pres. Bush arriving at the Bedford County airport since there’s a watermark on it.
