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Penn State Golf Courses and Facilities
• www.pennstategolfcourses.com Finding a more complete set of on-campus golf facilities that surpass what Penn State has to offer is pretty difficult. With two 18-hole courses and an array of practice facilities, it's easy to see why Penn State golfers have the opportunity to develop their games. The University's Blue and White Courses, Toftrees Resort, Centre Hills Country Club and Elks Country Club are conveniently situated within 10 minutes of campus. "Although we play a bulk of rounds at the University, being able to practice on other courses that match up well with upcoming sites really helps our overall preparation," says head coach Greg Nye. "Having all of the golf courses we play so close to campus helps our student athletes manage their time with relative ease."
Penn State's Blue and White courses have recently undergone renovation with the majority of the changes occurring on the Blue Course. The Penn State Blue Course has gone from a 6,500 yards to a challenging 7,228 yards in its first renovation/redesign since 1994. Additionally, the championship course underwent a major redesign on the 7th & 8th holes. The 7th hole has gone from a 190-yard Par 3 to a challenging 465-yard Par 4. The 8th hole was changed from a 360-yard Par 4 to an uphill 217-yard Par 3. To stiffen the overall challenge, water hazards were added that stiffen the challenge on holes 2, 3, 5 and 15. Plans have been made to add 20-plus strategic bunkers throughout the layout. The Big Ten Conference is well known for the outstanding calibre of its university-owned golf courses, and, with these updates and improvements, the Penn State Blue Course sits proudly in that group. The Blue Course annually hosts Penn State's Rutherford Invitational every spring. The Blue Course has hosted over 20 Rutherford Intercollegiates, the 1995 Northern Intercollegiate, the 1996 Big Ten Championship and the Pennsylvania High School Championship from 1982-2001. The PGA Junior Series as well as the FCWT annually host events at the Blue Course, giving junior golfers an opportunity to see the Nittany Lion facilities. The White Course provides a challenging alternative to the newer Blue Course. With holes dating back to 1922, the shorter White Course will test even the most skilled player. The older course provides smaller crowned greens, adding to the character and demanding a creative short game. The sculpted bunkering that was done in the 1920s has been photographed and studied by some of today's top architects.
The practice areas used by the Nittany Lions have also been upgraded. The ample grass range located at the opposite end of the public range has been expanded to provide an area for the Lions to practice just about any shot in the bag. The area has three, tiered bent & blue grass practice areas, two ample fairway bunkers adjacent to tee, as well as a rolling fairway for players to work on un-even lies. A small pitching green and bunker are attached to the undulated fairway. The undulated fairway will bring a unique quality to Penn State's practice opportunities. The newest practice area for the Nittany Lions that opened in August 2007 is a quiet two-acre short-game facility built behind the 14th green of the Blue Course, adjacent to two water hazards on the 18th hole. Two large greens were built with several bunkers, level and un-level lies, uphill and downhill shots, and two different practice fairways of 50 and 100 yards. One green will be used for non-impact shots like putting and chipping, and the second, with the two connected fairways, will be for pitching, bunker play and all types of creative short game shots. "The short game practice area is a dream come true," Nye says. "I see this area as a virtual playground for our players as they build their short fundamentals, touch and creative shot making daily in practice. We think we may have the finest and most 'on course' looking short game facility in all of collegiate golf."
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