A Century of Penn State Golf
Happy Valley’s Historic Connection to Willie Park Jr.
Penn State’s Blue Course #14
The state of Pennsylvania has a proud and historic golf past. The storied Oakmont and Merion courses have hosted so many major events that USGA might consider a satellite office in the Keystone State. However, it isn’t just the infamous “Church Pews” and “Wicker Baskets,” that help tell the origins of the grand game in Pennsylvania.
Penn State University is located in the central mountains of the state. It was founded in 1855, as an agricultural college focused on farming improvements through science. The university has evolved into a diverse centre of higher learning that is the epicenter of life in the city of State College. It is best known for the unmistakably iconic blue and white uniforms proudly worn by those athletes that will forever be known as Nittany Lions. Over the decades of its existence, the university has not only been an athletic behemoth, but is one of the most highly regarded academic schools in the nation.
The university has one of the elite turf management programs in the country which continually churns out superintendents who care for some of the most hallowed canvases in golf. It is also home to its own 36 hole championship facility. The semi-private club offers a stern challenge to the varsity players representing the school and provides a wonderfully playable and historic test to the rest of the region’s golfing brethren. With roots dating back to 1921, golfers have enjoyed the rolling hills of Happy Valley for the past century.
Willie Park Jr.:
Historic plaque set in the 6th hole fairway of the White Course.
World Golf Hall of Famer Willie Park Jr. laid out the first holes of what is now the Penn State Golf Courses. The World Golf Hall of Fame inductee is one of the many Scotsmen who were instrumental in the growth of golf in North America. His father Willie Sr. is a Hall of Famer himself, having won the The Open for the first of his four titles when young Willie Jr. was only four years old. It should be no surprise that Willie Jr. was immersed into golf at a very early age. He became a professional, club builder, exporter of golf equipment, writer and course designer. His playing skills allowed him to triumph, becoming Open Champion himself twice in the late 19th Century. Later in his career was the time his architecture business flourished.
The Old course at Sunningdale in the UK is one of his most acclaimed European efforts. Park Jr. is also known for his work creating top calibre courses in North America. U.S. designs like Maidstone, New Haven, Olympia Fields and Hot Springs ( Hot Springs blog here) are just a few of his American courses held in high regard. Park Jr. was busy throughout Canada as well with a number of his courses still considered amongst the country’s finest. Weston, Calgary, Ottawa Hunt, and Laval sur-le-Lac all had their origins at the hands of the talented Scotsmen. In our research for “A Century of Sault Golf,” we also found an unexpected connection between Park Jr. and 19th Century Sault Industrialist Francis Clergue. Clergue was instrumental in the founding of two Park Jr. courses, Montreal’s highly acclaimed Mt. Bruno and Maine’s charming Castine Club, a recent mention as one of the top nine hole courses in the world.
The Historic White Course:
Willie Park Jr. is recognized by a plaque in the middle of Hole 6, identifying his role in the design of the original layout built for the Pennsylvania College of Agriculture. Opened in 1921, as a nine hole design by a couple professors, Park was enlisted to add a further nine holes of his own in 1922. Changing some of the greens to fit his style Park is credited with the 18 holes known as the College Golf Course that served the campus admirably until the 1960's. After a considerable number of renovations and merging the course into an expanded facility with the sister Blue Course, pieces of Park's design are still evident on the stretch of holes 6 - 14. The layout is a great blend of old and new holes and presents a fun, challenging parkland layout that is playable to all.
The Blue Course:
Golf had always been popular at Penn State from the early beginnings, but by the late 60's the need for expanded facilities had arisen. The Blue Course opened in 1970 designed to be a stern test of golf for the varsity teams and community alike. Both the White and Blue underwent a major redesign in 1992 to route both courses out of the same facility. The resulting efforts created a true championship calibre layout at Penn State. The older front nine is framed by stately hardwoods, routed over a hilltop creating stark elevation changes with many uneven lies. Designed by Tom Clark, the back nine opened in 1994 and features a collection of holes that demand precise distance control and must navigate water on five of the holes. With fewer trees, this finishing side is at the mercy of the elements when the wind blows.
The heart of the Appalachian mountains isn’t one of those places mentioned when discussing elite golf destinations. The Penn State Golf Courses won’t be found on many “Best in State,” lists considering the competition in Pennsylvania. What the facility does provide is a great value where a 36 hole day will be less than $100. The blend of contemporary challenge on the Blue mixed with a collection of historic holes designed by a World Golf Hall of Fame member on the White, offers a memorable and reasonably priced option whether spending a weekend in Happy Valley to see a football game, or passing through to places beyond.
To check out the facility or to plan a trip to play this historic club, check out their website here
The article originally published by On The Tee magazine has been updated to reflect the significance of the facility’s 100 year anniversary.
