Latrobe Country Club: Arnold Palmer's Kingdom is a blast from the past in rural Pennsylvania

LATROBE, Pa. -- Latrobe Country Club plays a big part in golf's lore.

The private club, hidden in the rolling hills of rural Pennsylvania an hour southeast of Pittsburgh, is where Arnold Palmer learned the game. He returns every summer after a winter away at his Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando.

The country club is a classic routing famous for its landmark three covered bridges. The evergreens and pines that were little when Palmer was young have matured to pinch fairways tight and terrorize golfers. As one local told me, it is a "heartbreaker" of a golf course with plenty of hills and valleys. Latrobe C.C. might look simple and straightforward -- it is only 6,517 yards from the tips -- but good luck taming it.

Every golfer should visit to pay tribute to the King. You might not run into Palmer, but touring the clubhouse to see the memorabilia and photos is alone worth the price of admission. Many visitors say Latrobe Country Club's low-key vibe feels like taking a time machine back to the 1950s.

Golfers who aren't members can play the course through a stay-and-play package at the SpringHill Suites Pittsburgh Latrobe less than a mile away. The new hotel, which opened in 2012 as part of the Marriott chain, features tons of artwork and displays celebrating Palmer's career throughout its lobby. This is, after all, Palmer's Kingdom.