Mayday:
hole #3 - the green was moved considerably to the left - various reasons previously discussed but I would clarify for you if you'd like. The original green was right next to the water and the play from the fairway was stright thru, not over the left hill. Notice how the present 3-green is the only flat (pancake) green on the course.
hole #10 - no controversy - just a great hole to many of us - very unique
I think people are beginning to "get it" about #18
unfortunately, a number of years ago a noted writer really panned the hole (not understanding it)
gb
George, et al -
To me, one of the distinguishing characteristics of The Course at Yale was that it was a product of its times from a technology standpoint.
1) From a construction perspective, you duly note in "The Evangelist of Golf", that "Raynor took on a challenge that many would have walked away from given the difficulties of the Tompkins site" (Loose paraphrase as your book is at home). Given the generous $400,000 budget, a ready supply of dynamite (No major wars during construction), a hearty and available labor force, and a master engineer, Yale was buildable - barely, given the amount of soil and sand on the property.
2) Golf club technology in the 1920's with the advent of the steel shaft, the eventuality of the Sand Wedge, and better, more consistent quality of golf balls made the immense challenge of Yale somewhat playable.
My point is that Yale had to be epic in proportions and difficulty to battle against the technology of its time. Hence, given #1 & #2 above, these factors enabled Raynor & Macdonald to give us the wildest versions of their holes to date. 700 acres (With a potential 2nd course that was laid out) also helped them find these monsters. We can quibble about which redan, alps, cape, knoll, etc. hole are their best works, but Yale puts so many outstanding examples of their templates in front of the golfer, along with ideas rarely seen in their other courses:
#1 Green - Combo punchbowl/road green
#2 A skyline cape
#3 Double punchbowl in its original location
#4 Just for its routing/site
#5 My favorite hole and version of it with the green horseshoe will be the 1st hole on KeeverTown G.C. and Steakhouse after I hit the MegaMillions (Hit the green or start your round with a double bogey)
#8 Never has a slicer been more grateful
#9 Biarritz to the nth degree
#10 Shinnecock #9 on steroids with the carry tee shot
#11 Artistry in getting the fairway and greenside bunkers on the left tied in their rock walls to their backsides - a nice reminder of the site work that was done
#12 Alps with a two-tiered green on a blind 2nd shot
#13 Redan over water
#14 Knoll with a wedding cake top
#17 Double Plateau fronted with The Principal's Nose
#18 High Road and Low Road (Glad to see the hole not as choked on the tee and 2nd shots)
They also camoflaged alot of the landing areas look smaller than they really are.
I hope that I am not restating or plagerizing your ideas from the book or this site, but at Yale, "The Hits Just Keep on Coming".
Most of us have seen the holes before on other courses. Yale is all of the knowledge and technology vs. all of the player technology. Most first time players are awed by the boldness, the scale and the terrain. Along the way, they learn about fear from being in the wrong position of their own making, stamina due to the terrain and the intense punishments meted out to the less than well struck shot, and occasionally, elation from pulling off the right shot at the right time.
Perhaps they should have named the course "Maine", as in "You can't get there from here", based upon the physical location in finding the course the first time as well as where you will have to try to recover from once you are on its hallowed grounds. In the end though, The Course at Yale lives up to the university's motto: Lux et Veritas (Light AND Truth) because in spite of it's stern and foreboding nature, the crafty and guileful can manage their way around quite nicely, thank you. [FYI - Harvard's motto is just "Veritas" - Truth]
JWK
In love with The Course at Yale since 1972 (And I'm only 45)