Penn State Golf Courses
 |
|
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location |
State College, Pennsylvania, United States 
|
| Established | 1926 |
| Operated by | Pennsylvania State University |
| Total holes | 36 |
| Website | pennstategolfcourses.com |
| Blue Course | |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,172 yards (6,558 m) |
| Course rating | 75.2 |
| White Course | |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,344 yards (5,801 m) |
| Course rating | 70.5 |
The Penn State Golf Courses are two 18-hole courses located in State College, Pennsylvania, USA, operated by The Pennsylvania State University. The individual 18-hole courses are named after the school colors (blue and white). They, along with their practice facilities, are the home of the men's and women's golf team and all intramural golf activities of the university. The practice facilities include a double-sided driving range with both natural grass and artificial teeing areas, and several putting greens located throughout the facility.
Golf has been played at the university since the first rise in popularity of the sport in the United States in the latter half of the 19th century. However, the sport was not popular enough to merit a formalized golf course until 1921 when two professors, Bob Rutherford and R.D. Pryde, laid out nine holes on the west end of campus. The sport apparently became quite popular as nine additional holes were laid out in 1922 by noted golf course architect Willie Park, Jr., with the work being completed in 1926. While keeping the general layout of the initial nine holes, Park significantly altered the greens and bunkers to match his own style of design.
The Willie Park course came to be known as the College Golf Course, since the school had yet to be named a full-fledged university. The course featured large push-up style greens and some dramatic bunkering much like those found at Park's Sunningdale (Old) Course. Wide fairways and closely mown areas around the green integrated the features together and provided a diverse play field for Penn State golfers.
Two notable changes were made to the golf course during this beginning era. Sometime between the opening of the course in 1926 and 1939, the first hole was abandoned. The first tee had been located near the golf pro shop in Rec Hall, however, the site also doubled as the dirt road that would become Atherton Street (U.S. Highway 322). This not only presented a logistical problem, but a safety issue as well, and a new hole would be needed. The new hole was constructed near the old hole, but as a par-3 with a new greensite. The old first green is still used to this day (in vastly different design) as a practice putting green.
Having a par-3 as an opening hole proved to be unpopular and it was during this time that the order of holes was switched, with the 10th hole becoming the 1st hole. The new par-3 served as the tenth and the nines were flipped from there.
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