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Matt Schoolfield

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Wawona Hotel Golf Course (photos)
« on: October 29, 2024, 06:23:29 PM »
I just got back from an overnight in Yosemite. I have a fellow golf friend who is has been working there for the last year, and while we meant to play the course together, I rushed up when he informed me that Sunday, Oct 27th was the last day of their golf season. I was able to drive out and play the nine hole course twice, and was the last paying customer this year. I noticed there are a few previous discussions of Wawona GC, so I'll try to link to those at the end. Apologies for the potato-quality photos, I desperately need to upgrade my phone.

Since I have no idea how to write a course profile for GCA, so I've decided to write this up in the style of -- and as a friendly homage to -- Garrett Morrison over at Club TFE.


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Wawona Hotel Golf Course

Architect: Walter Favarque, 1918

Location: Wawona, Yosemite National Park, California

The settlement of Wawona was founded in 1857, the Wawona Hotel opened in 1879, and The National Park Service took control of Yosemite at the time of its creation in 1916. The course was completed in 1918 by Walter Favarque,1 and sits adjacent to the hotel. The Wawona Hotel is about a 50 minute drive south of Yosemite Valley, but the area of Wawona and Mariposa Grove are within the park. The golf course is an easily accessible and inexpensive amenity for folks who choose to stay at the south end of the park or in adjacent communities like Fish Camp. No tee times required, and they only get a few patrons per day, so feel free to pop by during the golf season (early May - late October), and you’ll likely be on the course immediately.



Some Things to Note…

A Course Outside of Time. If you play it’s quite obvious that the fairways and greens are cut much longer than usual. I would recommend to anyone who plays here to bring a few sleeves of very bright and easy to spot (like Volvik Vivids). I knew the course would play like one from a previous age, so I bought two sets of clubs to play with: my modern clubs and my grandfather’s persimmons. I even brought a hickory Calamity Jane putter,2 because I suspected the more traditional green lengths might suit a putter from a similar bygone era. I played nine holes with each bag, and whether it was a placebo or just sheer luck, the course seemed to play better with the dated clubs, and I’m convinced that getting the speed on these slow greens was much easier with the high lofted, hickory putter.

Rough around the edges. The native areas around each hole are some of the toughest I’ve ever seen. When the ball ends up in one, you might as well hit a provisional because you’re likely not going to find it. For this reason, I recommend people more than one sleeve of balls, and perhaps an entire box!

A few postage stamps for your postcards. Most of the greens at Wawona are small, and shockingly so. Make sure you’ve got your chip-and-putt game in the bag before you come, because all but the most accurate players will do a bit of chipping from just off before tapping in. This can be especially challenging on the long par threes.



Into thin air. You might not notice it on the drive in, but the course is at 4000 ft of elevation. For most folks who normally play at sea level, this equates to nearly a full extra club on most approach shots.

My Favorite Hole

No. 5, par 4, 349 yards

The fifth might surprise players as they reach the tee, as this is the first of two completely blind shots on the course. The tee shot plays up to (and possibly over) a ridge. The line of play is fairly clear from the gap in the pines, but players need to make sure they have enough loft to get over the ridge in front of them.

Once up at the ridge, the approach is visible, and features a sizable crossing hazard in the form of a creek with a significant amount of native area surrounding it. There is plenty of run up to the green, which may be helpful if you end up with a downhill lie coming off the ridge.

The green slopes strongly back-right to front-left, so shots should hold easily, but will likely kick left if they reach the green. Players will want to stay below the hole if possible here, because even though the green speeds are slow, it’s entirely possible to send one way farther than intended on this green.

A par is a very reasonable score here, but it needs to be earned. The beauty and nuances to this hole makes it one of the most memorable.




View from the tee


Top of the ridge


Edge of the creek


The green


A nasty downhill chip

Takeaways

The course is a must visit for folks who are interested in golf history or extremely unique courses, that said there is nothing particularly exceptional about the course beyond its unique location and place in American history. Anyone who is concerned with ‘correct’ course maintenance will likely find the course unkempt or even unplayable. However, folks who want to talk a stroll through a previous era of golf will be more than pleased with what they find. A memorable course, with more than a few interesting holes, and a few that are extremely challenging.  I'll certainly be back.

Some fun photos


Fairways' grass depth


Greens' grass depth


The golf shop


Sunset over the Wawona Hotel fountain

Course Tour





Hole 1, par 5:


Hole maps on stumps


First tee


Approach


Green

Hole 2, par 3:


The long tee shot (200+ yards)


Tiny green


Bunker and green

Hole 3, par 5:


Third tee


The approach with a tiny creek cross hazard.


Third green

Hole 4, par 4:


Fourth tee


Fourth approach


Fourth green

Hole 5, par 4:

Images already posted above.

Hole 6, par 3:


The beautiful view from the sixth tee


The sixth green

Hole 7, par 4:


Another blind tee shot. Possibly the most fun hole on the course, the seventh plays up and over a ridge and then waaay downhill to a runaway green.


The dangerous approach


The green that runs into a back bunker

Hole 8, par 3:


Eighth tee


Eighth green

Hole 9, par 4:


Ninth tee


Ninth fairway


The approach


The last green

Additional Resources:

Wawona Hotel Golf Course, mike malone, 16 years ago

"So are National Parks", David Tepper, 11 years ago

Steve Shaffer, 18 years ago

Golf and our National Parks, John Kavanaugh, 12 years ago

Bill McBride, 16 years ago




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1 Van Ommeren, Alice. Yosemite's Historic Hotels and Camps. United States, Arcadia Publishing, 2013.

2 Many thanks to Gregg Thompson for helping me acquire the putter.
« Last Edit: October 29, 2024, 08:11:48 PM by Matt Schoolfield »
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Craig Sweet

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course (photos)
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2024, 09:46:14 PM »
Is that the regular HOC or were they letting it get shaggy for winter?  Growing up in the 60's and 70's in New England I played a lot of courses with small, slow greens, and blind shots.... what we would consider "funky" today.  Looks like a nice relaxing and fun walk.
LOCK HIM UP!!!

Matt Schoolfield

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course (photos)
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2024, 12:39:24 PM »
Is that the regular HOC or were they letting it get shaggy for winter?  Growing up in the 60's and 70's in New England I played a lot of courses with small, slow greens, and blind shots.... what we would consider "funky" today.  Looks like a nice relaxing and fun walk.
I've discussed it with my park ranger friend, and I think it's mostly regular conditions. "Greens looked exactly as they've always been." And when I asked if the native rough always ends up with a lost ball, he just said "yes." The only thing that's debatable is the fairways. He thinks "they were a little longer - I think they stopped cutting it last week," but I saw the crew out there cutting when I played, so maybe they were cutting, but just a bit higher than normal.
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Greg Hohman

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course (photos)
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2024, 09:36:16 PM »
Matt, excellent profile. (It’s not too late to strike the part about no idea how to write a profile.) Retiring next week, I intend to venture from the San Diego and Palm Springs areas. Wawona is my kind of place. Thank you.
newmonumentsgc.com

Matt Schoolfield

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Re: Wawona Hotel Golf Course (photos) New
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2024, 10:24:40 PM »
Matt, excellent profile. (It’s not too late to strike the part about no idea how to write a profile.) Retiring next week, I intend to venture from the San Diego and Palm Springs areas. Wawona is my kind of place. Thank you.
I appreciate it, but it's all effectively copied from the remarkably useful structure that Garrett has perfected over at Fried Egg Golf. Be warned, though, Wawona will be close until May 1st, 2025. And in "Summer" of 2025 (there will be more details in February), you'll need a reservation to enter the park. I think May will be the easiest time to play.
« Last Edit: October 31, 2024, 03:08:08 PM by Matt Schoolfield »
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