The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
StoneWater pro got to know Arnold Palmer well
Ned Weaver is a talented golfer and successful golf professional.
These days, Weaver is plying his trade as director of golf at StoneWater Golf Club in Highland Heights.
The 59-year-old Orrville native also is a gifted conversationalist whose experiences in life include getting to know Arnold Palmer, the legendary golf professional and golf-course designer who died in January at the age of 87.
“Mr. Palmer was the coolest guy and a true icon of our sport. He was something special,” Weaver said.
Weaver got to know Palmer during the nearly three decades he was head golf professional at three Northwest Pennsylvania country clubs — New Castle, Montour Heights and Southpointe.
Palmer, born and raised in that part of Pennsylvania, split his time between homes in Latrobe and Orlando, Fla.
“He was just an amazing guy. He loved people. He got it,” Weaver said.
Weaver said Palmer had a down-to-earth manner despite the fame he achieved.
“They called him ‘King,’ and he was the king, of course, but he never
The 18-hole, par-71 course designed by Mike Hurdzan and Dana Frey plays from 4.952 yards to 7,060 yards. In 2006 and 2007, it hosted the Legend Financial Group Classic on the Web.com Tour. Jason Day, the 2015 PGA Championship winner, claimed his first professional title at StoneWater in the 2007 event.
“We’re a premium golf course, a challenging golf course,” Weaver said. “We’re working hard to getting the course back in the condition people were accustomed to.”
Weaver said he is convinced the semi-private business model will work at StoneWater.
“We want you to have the amenities of a private club, a great course layout and conditions at reasonable costs,” Weaver said. “We want to find our niche, develop a brand here and price ourselves accordingly.”
The work on the golf course at StoneWater has been accompanied by a makeover of the interior of the clubhouse. Next to the new location of the pro shop is the Rustic Grill, with food and beverage services geared to golfers. A banquet area for weddings and other social events has been established in the space formerly occupied by the restaurant.
Visitors to StoneWater who happen to catch Weaver with a few moments to spare should avail themselves of the opportunity to ask him about Palmer and some of the other memorable people he’s met as a professional golfer.
“For 30 years, my whole thing has been about sharing my passion for and love of golf,” Weaver said. “I’m so fortunate to be the guy from little Orrville who has done so many things in golf and got to spend some time with Arnold Palmer. It’s amazing what the game has done for me.”