Golf Photography Exhibit, New Haven, CT

[Colin Sheehan]

Those of you in the vicinity of Southern New England are invited to a golf photography exhibit by David Ottenstein from the 2022 Yale Spring Invitational. There is a reception tomorrow and Saturday, January 20 & 21, 2023, from 5:00pm to 6:00pm, in Maya’s Room on the first floor of Byer’s Hall in Silliman College, at the corner of College and Grove Streets.


The last time there was an exhibit of David’s work was in April of 2012. Prior to April of 2009, he had never set foot on any golf course. He typically spends a large portion of the year in the American prairie documenting its vanishing past.https://davidottenstein.com/ 

And yet, as a “ golf photographer” one day a year, David has brought such a fresh perspective. His images tell the complete story of college golfers competing for ten straight hours on a Saturday in April as they battle the elements, the course and their competitors. Along the way, David also frames the massive scale and rugged nature of the course and property.

Here is a link of 400 images from April 2009, 2011-2019 and 2022. It is listed in fairly strict order from the start of the day until the 18th green, in the spirit of a “mad day.”  Yale Spring Invite 400 Images (April 2009, 2011-2019, 2022)

There are also home hockey games in Ingalls Rink—Eero Saarinen, 1959—each night, one block away, at 7:30pm. Yale plays Harvard on Friday and Dartmouth on Saturday.


Here is a slideshow that includes info about Byer’s Hall and the rest of the Silliman’s block.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fTw5DpHMt7yBwhEH8


Byer’s Hall is notable that it was named after the first of four brothers from Allegheny, PA who went to the Yale. The oldest died of typhoid fever at the age of 27 which prompted the gift to the college from his mother. The third youngest brother was Eben Byers ‘01, three times at US Am finalist and winner in 1906. And the youngest brother, John “Fritz” Byers '04, was USGA President, Walker Cup Captain, and according to Macdonald, responsible for brokering a truce between the USGA and the WGA factions in that era.

And the other end of the block on Grove Street, Noah Webster learned 28-languages(!) and toiled away on his dictionary from 1822 to 1828. About a hundred years after first publishing the dictionary, the house was slated for demolition. It was rescued by Henry Ford who had moved to Dearborn, Michigan.

[Paul Rudovsky]

Here is a link of 400 images from April 2009, 2011-2019 and 2022. It is listed in fairly strict chronological order from the start of the day until the 18th green, in the spirit of a “mad day.”  Yale Spring Invite 400 Images (April 2009, 2011-2019, 2022)

Colin--  Amazing...but not sure I understand order of how they pics are arranged: 

First: Are the 400 photos from about a dozen April days...one day for each of the 12 years listed? 

Second:  are (1) are all of the ones near the top from 2009 and all of the ones near the bottom from the April day in 2022, or (2) are all the ones near the top from early in the morning on the 12 separate days and those on the bottom from late in the day on the 12 separate days?  In other words by "chronological order" do you mean by calendar years or time of day.

400 photos offer great depiction of the outstanding and almost unbelievable land movement at Yale plus the great variety of weather likely to be found in CT in April.  Favorite is labeled "YGolf_10178" and is taken from behind as golfer (in white pants and very dark sweater) hitting out of a bunker on left side of green to a putting surface that appears to be about 8' above bunker floor and over a 12+' mound between ball and hole.  Pic is in middle column about half way down the page.  Any sense of what green that is?

thanks for this
Paul

[Colin Sheehan]

I'm glad you like them, Paul. All the years are shuffled together. The sequence is supposed to run like it was one round from start of day to 18th green. Although it is a 36-hole, one day event, it was made to look like one round slowly progressing from start to finish.

I love that image you referenced. It's Jake Leffew '18 in the front right bunker on hole 10, which he bladed over the green. Look at the playing partner watch his ball sail over the green.

It is a cool perspective, since David was down in the right rough of the 10th fairway, or possibly somewhere on hole 18 shooting through the trees.