For most teams, home-field advantage is a benefit they get all the time. For the Nittany Lions, it is a rare experience -- and when they get it, they try to make the most of it.

This Saturday and Sunday, the Penn State women's golf team will get that home-field advantage when it hosts the Nittany Lion Invite at the White Course.

Even though fans -- one of the common, key aspects of playing home -- will be partially missing from this event, the Lions know they will have the upper-hand in this tournament, simply because of the golf course.

"There absolutely is home-field advantage in golf. It is always a benefit when you get to play at home for any sport," Penn State coach Denise St. Pierre said.. "Golf is played on an ever-changing court, and when you get to play at home, you have the advantage of knowing that court."

When most people think of their team playing on its home turf, they imagine thousands of fans screaming for their squad. Unfortunately, women's college golf is not the most popular of spectator sports, so the Lions don't experience that fan-filled atmosphere.

For golfers, the golf course is what supports them.

"Being comfortable with the course is an important aspect," St. Pierre said. "No golf course is the same."

Since the team is constantly practicing and playing at the White Course, it is very familiar with the different aspects of the course. Knowing the yardage of different holes, the varying breaks in the greens, the slopes of the fairways and how to attack different pin placements are all crucial elements to performing well on a golf course. And when you constantly play on the same course, you know all these things like the back of your hand.

Usually, the Lions are at a disadvantage when it comes to golf courses. Nine of the team's 10 tournaments will be played on different courses, from places like Oregon to Tennessee.

That is why the team feels this is great opportunity to gain some standing in the East Region, on which it is the most focused right now. However, the Lions are not expecting teams to just hand them the win.

Home-field advantage is no guarantee for a good finish in a tournament, but St. Pierre still believed the tournament would provide a tough -- albeit enjoyable -- challenge.

"It's fun to see how competitive this tournament has become," she said.

Teams like Rolance College, Princeton and Maryland, all tops in the East Region, will be visiting State College for the tournament.

The opposition hopes that the Lions do not capitalize on their home-field advantage. Even before the tournament starts, the Lions have a one up on everyone else, simply because they are familiar with its surroundings.

The players also hope that Penn State fans come out and support them on the White Course to cheer them on and increase that home field advantage even more.