Champion Lakes GC
Bolivar, PA (near Ligonier)
1964, Grote & Lynch
Long 6608, 71.7, 133, 71
Medium 6205, 70.6, 128, 71
Directions from Johnstown: 219 to 56 to 403. 22W to 259S? From Route 30 going E, make a left at the second traffic signal onto Hwy 711 going N for approximately 7 miles, the course is just up the road on the left.
Fees: ~$29 plus cart
Golfcourse.com Review: This is a challenging course with tree-lined fairways and fast greens. "Golf Digest" rated this course as the 8th "Best Public Course" in the state for 1996. Water hazards come into play on 7 of the back 9 holes. In addition, numerous greenside bunkers have been incorporated into the course's design. Former Pittsburgh Pirates Dick Groat and Jerry Lynch own the course.
Where To Booze & Grub, Ligoneer: My dad recommends this great little Mexican restaurant just off the square in Ligonier, Casa Chapala (122 N Market, 724-238-7399).
Further Distractions: The town of Ligonier is a quaint throw back to the days where there was one Main Street and a town square. Somehow Ligonier has survived, with the old stone bank building now converted to a spa and many of the Victorian homes converted to bed-n-breakfasts. Fort Ligonier right in 'downtown' has been restored to it's original configuration from I believe the French & Indian war. Check out the recreated battles there, then hit nearby Idlewild Park. Rated #2 Most Kid-Friendly Park In the Country by somebody-or-other, it's where yesteryear meets yesterday. The core of the park is nearly exactly the same as it was when I was a kid decades ago. Some of the rides (including a classic carousel and wooden-rollercoaster) are probably approaching 60-70 years old, but have been impeccably maintained. The original wooden roller-coaster is a short, neck-whipping thrill that even your smaller kids will enjoy. That simple feel is complimented by a few newer sections, including the extensive Splash Zone Waterpark. The Splash Zone features tube slides, a whimsical pirate-themed kid's area with random squirting stations, bridges, and slides. There's also a huge pool, and one of those enormous buckets that dump out a flood of water every few minutes. Other newer sections include the Jumpin' Jungle, with massive rope climbs, swinging rope bridges, zip swings, a big ball pit, and a bunch of other stuff that'll wear the little tikes out while you sit on a bench and wait for dusk. Check out the Mineshaft Café's BBQ stand for decent ribs and pulled pork sandwiches, and don't miss the funnel cake shop, which also offers other deep-fried delectables such as fried cheesecake, fried Oreos, and a new one on me, fried chocolate chip cookie dough. For those Dad's who can only take so much of this kind of thing, there's a wood-lined little 9-hole course across the street called Timberline Golf Course if you wanna sneak away for a couple hours.
Growing up nearby, we all thought Ligonier was a hoighty-toighty town where the rich folks from Pittsburgh used to summer. By contrast, here's an article from an NFL.com writer who stayed in Ligoneer for Steelers training camp:
"It's finally happened, I have found that place I venture into each training camp that reminds me of Deliverance. In fact, Banjo Boy could probably be a CPA in this joint.
The bar? Joe's. That's it. Simple, non-descript, the perfect place to step into one day and never get let out -- like one of those messed up bars in Mexico in some wild Tarantino movie.
The town? Ligonier, PA.
Let me set the scene. I stayed in a wonderful B&B in town named Campbell House, circa 1868, run by the lovely Patti Campbell. She has always treated me like a son in years past. The suite she puts me up in is fantastic, the type of room I would never see in 30 years in NYC -- queen-sized sleigh bed, breakfast at my beck 'n call, honeymoon written all over it.
Considering how much I enjoy mingling with the locals, I found the only place within walking distance of Patti's. That would be Joe's.
The door opened but the sunlight barely made a dent in the darkened, dank, stanky joint. Sure the beer was cheap, but Large Marge behind the bar gave me that oh-so-friendly, what-you-doin'-in-here-new-meat look. I ordered a Mic Ultra, thinking my finski could buy her affection. But before I tell her to keep the change, something gruesome caught my eye directly to my right.
Not 20 feet from the bar were ... heads. There were skulls, hides, body parts of animals, animals I had never seen. It seemed as if there were hundreds of 'em, from a giraffe's torso to an elephant head. There was a full-length polar bear, gazelles and ... oh no, mother of ... sure enough, right below the dead chimp was ... a human skull, sans skin.
The final straw? A sign that hung 2 feet from the human skull that proclaimed, 'Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of the people I had to kill because they pissed me off. Amen.'
Yeah, OK, Joe.
I jumped back in my car, made sure I had no bite marks on my neck and headed a few miles away to The Hollow. The wings were awesome, Joy and the rest of the bar staff were terrific, and none of them wanted to kill me."