Click here for our press archive of the golf course renovation!
Finding a more complete set of on-campus golf facilities that surpasses 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. Penn State sits at the center of what may be the finest group of golf courses near any campus. 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. Coach Nye relates, "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. Having all of the golf courses we play so close to campus helps our student athletes manage their time with relative ease."
| The Blue course. |
Penn State??s Blue and White courses have recently undergone renovation with the majority of the changes occurring on the Blue. Penn State is adding approximately 600 yards to the Blue Course bringing the total yardage to approximately 7150 yards. Additionally the championship course is undergoing a major redesigning the 7th & 8th holes. To stiffen the overall challenge 20+ strategic bunkers will be placed in the layout as well as three new water hazards. The Big Ten Conference is well know for the outstanding caliber of its university owned golf courses, and with these updates and improvements the Penn State will sit proudly in that group. This is the first renovation/redesign to the course since 1994. The Blue course annually hosts Penn State??s Rutherford Invitational. The Blue course has hosted over 20 Rutherford Invitational??s, 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 State College as well as 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 20??s has been photographed and studied and by some of today??s top architects.
The practice areas used by the Nittany Lions are also being upgraded. The ample grass range located at the opposite end of the public range is being expanded to provide an area for the Lions to practice just about any shot in the bag. The area will have three tiered 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 also being put into place with the undulated fairway. This undulating fairway will bring a unique quality to Penn State??s practice opportunities.
The newest practice area for the Nittany Lions is a quiet 1 acre short-game facility being built behind the 14th green. Two large greens are being built with several bunkers, level & un-level lies, up-hill & down-hill 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. 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.??
The hitting area in Holuba Hall.
During the winter months, the golf team takes up residence in spacious Holuba Hall. Within the 118,000-square-foot artificial turf practice area, players can work on the fine points of their entire game. With a ceiling height of 75 feet, they can use every club in the bag and observe their full flight with the use of low compression "Cayman" golf balls. These are the same golf balls that were used at the PGA's 2000 Teaching & Coaching Summit. The field is brand new field turf with imitation grass and subsurface. Nye notes, "We feel very fortunate to have such an outstanding facility for winter practice. The vastness of our facility allows us to study full flight shots and make error correction. We also wedge or pitch shot within the outdoor ball up to about 90 yards. All these shots are much more real when hit from our new indoor surface.??
The gym in Rec Hall.