Yale's New Golf Course Opened This Week

[John Sabino]

Yale’s magnificent new golf course, which has been built in the Ray Tompkins Memorial, was opened for play this week, several Patrons of the Memorial and Founders and Members of the Yale Golf Club who are in New Haven for the Pennsylvania-Yale football game, going over the course for the first time.

The first opening will come in the spring of 1926, but during the remaining autumn weeks, members of the above groups will be allowed the privilege of playing, winter rules being force.

The University acquired the Greist property, just west of the Yale Athletic Field, by gift from Mrs. Ray Tompkins, as a Memorial to Ray Tompkins, ’84 and in accordance with the terms and spirit of the deed of gift, the Board of Control of the Athletic Association has undertaken the develop of this new University property.

The first step in this development was the building of the golf course, which, when completed, will be one of the outstanding courses in America. About one hundred and twenty acres have been utilized in creating it, while the Memorial tract has a total acreage of over seven hundred.

The greens, at the present time, October 15, are in as fine condition as those on any of the long established courses and the fairways are undergoing a top-dressing treatment which will be the means of putting them in excellent shape for spring playing.

Six holes, over which there is water play in whole or in part, make the course especially attractive.

Contrary to a report which has been heard at different times since the description of the course was made public for the first time, the new Yale course will not be an especially difficult one. It is true, good golf must be played, if par is to be approached, but no single shot over the entire eighteen holes requires anything like “super-golf,” as the term as been generally understood. Each hole is interesting; each may be negotiated with the usual degree of accuracy, in distance and direction, required on any good course. Playing from the back tees – there are three at practically all of the holes – the distance around is 6,552 yards, by no means the greatest of any course in the country. From the middle tees, the distance is 6,107 yards and from the first tees, 5,548. Par for the long course is 71, and for the other two, 69.

Work on the course has been going on since January, 1924 under the direction of Seth J. Raynor, designer, and Charles B. MacDonald, supervisor. The course is one of the finest, and Yale men are invited to inspect it at any time.

Membership Plan:

1.   Patrons of the Ray Tompkins Memorial – unrestricted lifetime use of the Yale Golf Course, and the option to make during lifetime one transfer of his rights: $1,000
2.   Founders of the Yale Golf Club – lifetime use of the course: Resident - $750, non-resident - $500
3.   Member of the Yale Golf Club. Initiation fee: $250, Annual Dues: $40
4.   Faculty and Student members: $20


http://www.flickr.com/photos/16461681@N04/4916870710/

[John Sabino]

I found the preceding in an old Pennsylvania-Yale football program published in October 1925. It notes that Raynor was the designer and C.B. Macdonald was the supervisor. It also notes that the course will not be an especially difficult one.

[Mike Cirba]

John,

That's a terrific article...thanks for transcribing it here.

Interesting how they had to sort of play down the difficulty of the course.   I'm thinking that perhaps the pre-opening buzz was that it was too demanding for a university course, which it probably was, but it certainly is a gem.

[Chuck Brown]

Nice little video on the history of the team at Yale:

http://www.golfweektv.com/lances_room.asp?CATEGORY_ID=99&ID=5422&FMT=WM

[Jim_Kennedy]

Dave,
For the most part the term super-golf was used to descibe play under par, but I've also seen it used as a synonym for length of holes likepar 4 holes that weren't reachable in two-shots.