New Kensington

Arnold Palmer experience awaits golfers at alumni tournament

The King's course to serve as new home for Penn State New Kensington Alumni Society's annual golf outing

A creek comes into play on the 12th hole at Latrobe Country Club and a covered bridge crosses the water hazard. When Arnold Palmer was designing the back nine, he wanted to create something that was innovative, yet reflective of western Pennsylvania's rich culture and traditions – covered bridges. The red bridges that dot several holes are so popular that artists and photographers from across the United States now come to Latrobe just to capture their image.  Credit: Arnold Palmers Latrobe Country Club. All Rights Reserved.

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — Arnold Palmer’s Latrobe Country Club and Penn State New Kensington scholarships are grounds for teeing it up at 12:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1, for the 17th annual Alumni Golf Outing in Latrobe.

While football fans will be enjoying the Steelers Experience at nearby Saint Vincent College, Penn State alumni and friends will be participating in the Arnold Palmer Experience at the country club. Golfers will play the same immaculate fairways (or dense rough) and undulating greens that Palmer played while growing up and earning the mantle of The King. After the round, guests will enjoy a clubhouse that exudes a distinct Arnie ambiance. Photos of the legend with some of the game’s greatest players dominate the facility, providing a walking tour of the history of professional golf.

Even Palmer’s family tractor adds to the enjoyment. Made famous by the old Pennzoil television commercials, the tractor is traditionally parked at the first tee. The Toro is so world-renowned that Bob Hope once quipped at an awards show in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, “I know Arnie is here. I saw his tractor parked out front.”

The club was founded in 1920 and featured a nine-hole layout. In the early 1960s, a second nine was added. Arnold and his father, Deke Palmer, were key contributors to the design of the new holes. The seven-time major champion was so inured by the course that launched his love of golf that he bought the club in 1971. Modernization of the course and facilities followed, but the layout of the rolling par 72 course, which plays 6,500-yards from the tips, is still the same as it was when the 18-hole track opened in 1964.

Besides experiencing everything Arnie, golfers can take satisfaction in the fact that their drives, chips and putts are helping Penn State New Kensington students experience a tuition break. The Penn State New Kensington Alumni Society, the tournament host, uses the proceeds to grow its campus scholarship endowment and award annual scholarships to deserving students. The endowment stands at $110,000, and last year four students received a total of $5,500 from the society. The available funds for fall 2016 are expected to exceed $6,000.

The cost of the shotgun start tournament is $200, which includes green fee, cart, lunch, dinner, refreshments and awards. Locker room and shower privileges also are a part of the entry fee.

Those who would like to broaden the experience with an overnight stay can find lodging at the Springhill Suites Pittsburgh Latrobe, which is just a Dustin Johnson tee shot away from Latrobe Country Club. The alumni society is partnering with Springhill Suites to offer Penn State guests a nightly rate of $119. The special rate features breakfast and a shuttle to the golf course. Complementing the golf outing is a private tour of Palmer’s memorabilia in the hotel, and dinner at DeNunzio’s Italian Chophouse at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport on Sunday, July 31, for $50. For hotel reservations, call 724-537-7800.

Alumni and friends who don’t golf but still want to take part in the festivities are welcome to take advantage of the tour and dinner on Sunday, as well as join the golfers and volunteers at the post-tournament dinner and awards ceremony on Monday at the country club. The tournament dinner is $50.

For more information on the golf outing, contact Kary Coleman, director of development and alumni relations at the campus, at 724-334-6057 or kxc22@psu.edu

 

Last Updated July 26, 2016

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