Photo Provided Oglebay Knights pose in their trademark green jackets in front of Wilson Lodge during their 40-year anniversary celebration.

WHEELING — What began as a golf outing for a handful of work acquaintances from Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1958 has grown into a 60-year legacy for 24 golfers.

For the last 60 years, the Oglebay Knights have gathered at Oglebay to enjoy golf and camaraderie.

On Thursday, this group of 24 golfers celebrated their 60th consecutive visit to Oglebay with a celebratory banquet at the Wilson Lodge.

When the group first began its yearly golf outing, Oglebay only had one golf course.

For years, they played the Crispin Course during a weeklong visit in April.

But schedules and members changed, and they now meet the third week of May.

The group watched and waited as Oglebay developed its two championship courses at Speidel — the Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed course and the Palmer Course, designed by Arnold Palmer.

The group continues to rent three Speidel cabins with eight men in each.

There is a cabin leader in each who keeps things running smoothly. And there are rules — rules for the cabin, rules on the course and rules for competing for those best scores.

Awards are given at the conclusion of their week-long adventure.

The winning cabin proudly hangs a “Cabin Flag” outside to celebrate their victory the year prior.

The group made a fast friend in G. Randolph “Randy” Worls, who directed the operations of the park for decades. He still joins in their group fun every year.

“They were just a foursome when they first came here about the same time I started working for the park,” Worls recalled. “They are a good group.”

Worls said the Oglebay Knights have proven to be great ambassadors of the park, taking literature home and telling others all about their great experiences.

“They are a very loyal group. We would love to have 100 more groups just like them,” Worls said.