Just Another Yale Love Story

[Tim Bert]

I'm reporting back from my round at Yale this week.

I've read many positive things about the course here, but it still exceeded my expectations.  Almost every hole was fabulous, and a little different than anything I've played before.  Unfortunately, we got the front pin on #9.  I would have like to have played it to the back.  I was surprised to be hitting 7-iron to that hole.  I didn't realize it played so far down hill.

I could go on and on about the course, but I'm not sure I'd be saying anything new.

I'll set forth two criticisms for commentary - not sure if these have been discussed:

1. I thought that #16 was the least interesting hole on the course.  Straight-forward par 5, the blues were playing from 495 on this day.  It didn't seem to fit with the excitement and unexpected twists common on the other holes.

2. The Alps hole is an interesting one, but what a dramatic tier in the middle of the green for a blind shot!  Without a pin sheet or a trip up to the green site (which slows things down) there is no way to know to which side of the green you should hit your shot.)  The 3rd hole, while also blind, has a moderately tame green, so placement is not as crucial and if one knows where the green is and hits it, then it isn't a big deal.  The approach on the 12th, however, is just a guessing game unless equipped with the proper information.  

[Geoffrey Childs]

Tim

Glad that another GCA member got to see the genius of Yale's design.

A few comments to add to your post.

The third green is not an original.  The green was a huge (largest on the course I'm told) double punchbowl that hugged the pond.  Pitches to the green were directly towards the water.  There is a construction photo in George Bahto's book.  Restored, it would be one of the great holes in golf.

The 16th green is also not original.  The old greensite used to be pretty obvious before Roger Rulewich shaped it away during his bunker fiasco. The old green was about 20 yards short of the current green and over to the left hugging what was a swamp on the left (still wetlands).  Old time members from the early 50's recall a very difficult approach to a green with reeds sticking up out of the adjacent water.  I totally agree that the current hole is the only mundane hole at Yale.

If you stand on the 12th tee (ALPS) you can observe the top of the flagstick on the green and its easy to tell if it is on the right or left tier of the green.  Relative to the markers behind the green its even possible to estimate if a left pin hugs the left bunker or is near to the shelf.  Right pins are easier because the shelf/slope works for you to funnel shots towards the pin locations on the lower part of the green.

[Dan_Callahan]

Question about 12: Is that ridge in front of the green much taller than it was before? Also, has that front bunker always extended all the way across the green? I played there a few months ago and thought the greensite looked different. It has always been a blind second shot, but I don't remember those features being quite so severe.

[Geoffrey Childs]

Dan

Back in the 50's the superintendent (Harry Museal**** (spelling)) bulldozed away the Alps hill so the flag was visable from the fairway, removed the trench bunker in front and instead inserted two pimple bunkers right and left.  That's the way the hole stayed until recently.

The 12th is the closest to a restoration that Roger Rulewich came in his work at Yale and certainly represents the best of his efforts. It looks too computer drwan to my eye and from what old members tell me there are differences in the way the hill and bunkers appeared. Maybe Scott Ramsay will tweak it a bit but it certainly plays as an Alps now so this one part of the project was OK.

*** this is the same guy that removed the 3rd green, 16th green, horseshoe on the 5th green, humps and mounds on the 2nd green, tier on the 6th green, 7 feet of hillside over which you drive on 17 and lord knows what else.

[mike_malone]

 I agree that #16 was  underwhelming. It is amazing how often the original is better. That staightaway from tee to green was boring. Get to work , Geoff !


     For me , the use of the land without the use of many fairway bunkers was a wonderful thing about Yale.

[Frank Pasquale]

I just played it yesterday for the first time... a practice round for an upcoming US Mid-am qualifier.  It was a blast.  Such a fun course to play.

I would be curious to hear some posters' thoughts on the 18th hole from the 621 tee.  I have never seen anything like it.

And, is a fade the proper shot to the Redan hole?

[Dan_Callahan]

I used to hate 18. With the clearing of the mound in front of the tee and the expansion of the lower right fairway, I'm starting to really like it.

As for the Redan, last time I played the pin was in the back left—a draw was the only way to get it close. Otherwise, I would think a fade or draw would work. The green simply doesn't have enough slope to force you to shape the ball in one direction or the other. Plus, it is so far downhill that the ball is typically coming in straight down as opposed to being in a flatter trajectory.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Frank,
If you are the owner of a high fade, yes.

[Mike_Sweeney]

I will still argue that the tee shot on 16 is pretty good. Catch the right side mound on the left side and you get a big bounce forward, on the right side a big bounce into the rough/woods.

The second and third shots are as mentioned above.

Frank,

18 is a completley differeent hole from just last year for the better. Soon that right side will be a real option, and no more lost balls between fairways.

Steve Lapper has some very insightful comments on 18 in the thread from late june.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=24198;start=0
-----------------------------------------------------------
Steve Lapper said'

"As for #18, what was quite interesting was that after hitting what Mike Sweeney described as a "perfect" 295yd tee shot from the tips, I was 25 feet behind a monsterous hairy mound that frightened me into hitting a 6 iron (instead of hybrid 19 deg..) After hitting my iron well-enough I began "moaning" to KBM & Sweeney about how there wasn't enough risk-reward, blah, blah... Mike let me hit another w/ the hybrid (pured it) and the result was 25yds short of the green. I immediately took my front left foot out of my mouth went back and hit my measly 7 iron from a nasty/wicked side-hill lie in the moderate rough....and trotted up to proclaim this an utterly fantastic work of epic heaving and blind strategy...brilliant!"

[Patrick_Mucci]

Dan

Back in the 50's the superintendent (Harry Museal**** (spelling)) bulldozed away the Alps hill so the flag was visable from the fairway, removed the trench bunker in front and instead inserted two pimple bunkers right and left.  That's the way the hole stayed until recently.

The 12th is the closest to a restoration that Roger Rulewich came in his work at Yale and certainly represents the best of his efforts. It looks too computer drwan to my eye and from what old members tell me there are differences in the way the hill and bunkers appeared. Maybe Scott Ramsay will tweak it a bit but it certainly plays as an Alps now so this one part of the project was OK.

*** this is the same guy that removed the 3rd green, 16th green, horseshoe on the 5th green, humps and mounds on the 2nd green, tier on the 6th green, 7 feet of hillside over which you drive on 17 and lord knows what else.

Geoff,

You should add that the original 16th green was about 40-60 yards closer to the tee and left of the current green, and that if the golf course had its fairways returned to their wider widths, that hole and many others would offer more of a challenge, as errant balls wouldn't get caught in the rough, rather, they'd be directed to more dire fates.

Was # 16 a par 4 or 5 in the original configuration ?

It's a crime what was done to Yale to make someone's job easier.

If ever a golf course needed to restore the removed features, it's Yale.   As great as it is, it would be even more spectacular with the removed features restored.

If I had a dream project to embark upon, certainly one of the courses I'd select for initiating true restorative features would be YALE.[/color]

[Frank Pasquale]

Due to the 100 degree heat, I took a cart, but the course seems like a VERY difficult walk.

For those who have walked and carried at Yale, how would you compare the walk, to say, Bethpage Black?...  as far as an endurance test.

[Dan_Callahan]

Yale is not a difficult walk. With the exception of te slog from 9 green to 10 tee, there isn't much distance from one hole to the next. The 10th is a bitch to climb, as is 18. Otherwise, it isn't bad unless you go into one of the bunkers on 2 or 8, in which case a cart won't help you.

[Geoffrey Childs]

Due to the 100 degree heat, I took a cart, but the course seems like a VERY difficult walk.

For those who have walked and carried at Yale, how would you compare the walk, to say, Bethpage Black?...  as far as an endurance test.

Frank

I walked Yale in the heat this past Sunday and it got a bit distracted from golf by the 16th hole.

I've played Bethpage Black some 70 times and Yale more then that.  My take is that Yale is a bit more of a strenuous walk then Bethpage. There are more severe slopes to contend with on that property and especially on the back nine.

[Paul Payne]

Hey guys,

I have noticed that the Yale course comes up rather frequently here. I also saw an article in last months "Golf" mag. about Yale. It said it is open to students, faculty, staff, and ALUMNI.

It suddenly occured to me that my father is a Yale grad. Do any of you know what there actually policy is before I call them and embarrass myself with stupid questions? Since he does not golf does he have to accompany me or could he set a tee time? Anyone out there know?

[Phil Benedict]

Hey guys,

I have noticed that the Yale course comes up rather frequently here. I also saw an article in last months "Golf" mag. about Yale. It said it is open to students, faculty, staff, and ALUMNI.

It suddenly occured to me that my father is a Yale grad. Do any of you know what there actually policy is before I call them and embarrass myself with stupid questions? Since he does not golf does he have to accompany me or could he set a tee time? Anyone out there know?

Paul,

I believe the procedure is for your father to call the club, tell them of his affiliation with Yale and that you want to play the course.  I am not sure whether he makes the tee time or whether you (as the player) make a followup call to schedule a time.

[Paul Payne]

Phil,

Thanks, I'm going to give it a rip.

[Tim Bert]

I walked the course last week, but my bag was on someone's cart.  It was 95 degrees and felt like 110.  There were a few times I felt like I was going to pass out, but I never went down.

In moderate temperatures, it would certainly add some exercise to the round, but it wouldn't be unreasonable.