The Links at Gettysburg is close to the Gettysburg Battlefield. (Tim McDonald/WorldGolf.com)

From Gettysburg to Latrobe, play some golf, enjoy history at these classic courses

By Tim McDonald,
Contributor

The Links at Gettysburg, the Ace Club, Bedford Springs Golf Course and Latrobe Country Club are just a few Pennsylvania golf courses that showcase good golf and fascinating history.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - The state of Pennsylvania has a history as rich and varied as any state in the Union, from the time when Delaware, Iroquois and other American Indians roamed its green wilds, through to the Civil War era.

A trip to the state's historic golf courses, so close to important moments in American history and often a part of it, can be fascinating. Here are some of our favorites ...

The Links at Gettysburg:

The excellent Links at Gettysburg is hauntingly close to where Confederate Gen. George Pickett led his calamitous charge up Seminary Ridge - "Pickett's Charge" - where 6,000 rebels fell in what historians generally agree was probably the turning point of the Civil War.

The site is both sad and breathtaking, even for non-Civil War aficionados, and it is one of the best-maintained portions of the Gettysburg Battlefield, part of the huge Gettysburg National Military Park.

Years later, when asked why the suicidal charge failed, Pickett said: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to do with it."

The golf course, located just north of the Mason Dixon Line on the street of the same name, is in the rolling farm country of south central Pennsylvania. As such, it has some good elevation changes, and some of the elevated tee boxes on the high ground show off the views of the countryside: distant hills, green fields and red barns and silos.

It's not too different from what those Confederate and Union soldiers might have enjoyed had they not been so busy killing each other.

The Ace Club in Lafayette Hill:

The Ace Club's history dates back even further. The golf course, along with the adjacent conference center, sits on about 310 acres of land in Whitemarsh Township, created in 1704 and consisting of land originally bought from William Penn.

About 10 miles away is Valley Forge, where George Washington survived a harsh winter with his army in 1777.

An American general from France, the Marquis de Lafayette, led his men from Valley Forge across the Schuylkill River and occupied the Barren Hill area. Lafayette placed his cannon on the hill where the Ace conference center now sits.

The private golf course is a rare treat, a sprawling work of art designed by Gary Player that manages to be both beauty and beast.

It's nearly 7,500 yards from the back tees and tops the 7,000-yard mark from the blue tees, at 7,108 yards. It isn't until you drop down to the middle white tees, where the vast majority of Hacker America dwells, that you dip to the sub-7,000-yard mark, a still healthy 6,702 yards.

And, yet, this is a very playable golf course. Player likes to design his obstacles so that they show you the line. Play smart, take some time on the tee to come up with a plan, and you can score here. The forced carries are usually easier than they appear.

Bedford Springs Golf Course in Beford:

Not many golf courses can boast the architectural heritage of Bedford Springs Golf Course in the Allegheny Mountains of south-central Pennsylvania. The Bedford Springs course has design elements of both Donald Ross and A.W. Tillinghast.

"It's got a good pedigree," said Bedford Springs Director of Golf Ron Leporati.

The Old Course at Bedford Springs dates back to 1895 from a design by Spencer Oldham, making it one of the oldest tracks in the country.

Tillinghast redesigned the Bedford Springs course in 1912, shortening it to nine holes, and then Ross came around in 1923 and re-worked it again, restoring it to its original 18 holes. At that time, it was hailed as one of the best in Pennsylvania.

Ron Forse, a well-known restoration architect, began renovating the course in 2005, using old aerial photos and his knowledge of old-school architecture, and the course re-opened in 2007 to more than a little fanfare.

Indeed, Bedford Springs Golf Course is like a green, living museum, a grand old dame refreshed from a treatment at the resort's ritzy, new spa and a dip in the healing mineral waters, first discovered by American Indians, that has drawn people to the resort since the late 1700s.

The resort itself has hosted 10 U.S. Presidents, and the first trans-Atlantic cable was received by President James Buchanan in its lobby.

Latrobe Country Club:

Latrobe Country Club has a more recent history, though perhaps more relevant to golf fans.

Latrobe, of course, is where Arnold Palmer was born and reared, right smack in the middle of Pennsylvania farm country, and the country club course is where young Arnold strode the fairways like a prince before he became The King.

The country club is a laid-back little place, set back discreetly off Arnold Palmer Drive. No big billboards advertise its presence. In fact, if you didn't know where you were going, you'd have a hard time finding it.

But, once you get inside, it's all Arnie, all the time.

Hundreds of photos adorn the walls: Arnie doing this, Arnie doing that, Arnie winning this, Arnie winning that. Arnie as a young man, Arnie as an older man. Arnie with golf greats, diginitaries, politicians, us common folk.

The country club guest houses are more of the same: Every kind of Arnold Palmer memorabilia, including Arnold Palmer salt and pepper shakers. Jerry Palmer, the general manager, is Palmer's brother.

And everyone has his or her own Arnie story.

"He's just like a regular guy," said Ron Schuster, outside a convenience store where he had just bought an Arnold Palmer beer and had it in a paper sack. "You hear that a lot about other people, but with him, it's really true. He doesn't act like some big hero or anything. You'd never know he is who he is."

Latrobe Country Club is a course that will not let you escape Palmer. You find yourself constantly thinking: What would Arnold do on this hole, from this spot? I wonder how he would have pulled off this shot? Sometimes, you find yourself doing your Arnold Palmer imitations.

Still, Latrobe is a fun golf course in its own right, even if the Palmer family name weren't stamped all over it. The elevation makes for more than a few blind shots, especially off the tee, like on Nos. 6, 8, 15 and 17.

May 5, 2009

Veteran golf writer Tim McDonald keeps one eye on the PGA Tour and another watching golf vacation hotspots and letting travelers in on the best place to vacation.