Yale: all that it is cracked up to be and more

[George_Bahto]

Then you just walk along and change the length of the rope as necessary.

The epitome  (pronounced: ep’-i-tome .....   )  of this is the slopes off-fairway at Shoreacres - I don't know if there are any "mowed slopes" like this anyplace else.

other Supers use fly mowers

You do what is necessary and after visiting so many Raynor/Banks courses and National, no one seems to have a problem.

[Geoffrey Childs]

Geoff - come on, bump and run to number 2????javascript:replaceText(' ')
Grin  I was left of left and smashed a 6-iron perfevctly at the flag and it hit the %$#$%ing top step and caromed 100 yards back into the hip high rough on the left.  

With rspect, there are not 11 bumpm and run holes, some approaches are WAY uphill...it's not crystal downs you know...

Yes Jay- you leave your approach shot short of the green by 10 yards.  The pin is anywhere on the green.  You can putt.  You can use a 5 iron.  You can use a wedge.  Those are the short game options around the green.

To quote you again "The half-star off is because I had to pretty much exclusively use wedge around the greens. There were few bump and run shots or putt from pff the green approaches" (fix your typo).  - You are referring to short game options AROUND THE GREENS.  By the way a long enough drive up the right side of #2 CAN allow bump and run options on the approach as well.  You should play with Neil Regan some time to see these options in spades.

[George_Bahto]

This very positive Yale discussion really does my heart good

.............. because now, more than ever, the Yale course is being recognized for what it is - to me, Seth Raynor’s best course, Seth Raynor’s second most monumental engineering fetes (Lido, above it and probably Lookout Mountain, below it), one of the great courses in the country..

The main object of The Evangelist of Golf book was two-fold (and thank you all for the kind words):

*  to have more people understand (the then mysterious) Seth Raynor and his work

*  to put the Macdonald “story", sort of, all in one place and to unravel all the intricate strategies he put into place at National that served as a prototype for what was to come.   (Yeah well, I’m still trying to unravel some of the strategies and their origins).

[Geoffrey Childs]

This very positive Yale discussion really does my heart good

.............. because now, more than ever, the Yale course is being recognized for what it is - to me, Seth Raynor’s best course, Seth Raynor’s second most monumental engineering fetes (Lido, above it and probably Lookout Mountain, below it), one of the great courses in the country..

The main object of The Evangelist of Golf book was two-fold (and thank you all for the kind words):

*  to have more people understand (the then mysterious) Seth Raynor and his work

*  to put the Macdonald “story", sort of, all in one place and to unravel all the intricate strategies he put into place at National that served as a prototype for what was to come.   (Yeah well, I’m still trying to unravel some of the strategies and their origins).

Georgie- I can't help myself here after you commented on the very positive discussion of the Course at Yale- I have not heard any comments about the BUNKERS.  ALL the positives involve Scott's amazing work on the greens, greens surrounds, mowing patterns and tree work.  

There is much still to do and the direction is by all means perfect.  Someone still needs to redo all the Rulewich bunkers when the rest of the work is completed. I hope that given all the great and positive feedback they are receiving from their current efforts they also realize the truths behind past criticisms in the press, on this website and in private communications with the university.

Someone had to say it.  

[George_Bahto]

Geoffrey:    ... let the process continue at the present rate.

I think the bunker work will be done a bit at a time and I think that may be the best approach (for now).

They will NOT admit to error and that relates to not having another “name” added to the course so much of the work should be done in house, now - perhaps with some "under-the-radar" assisance as needed or wanted.

They are in total CYA mode!!

Admin is not interfering and that is a good thing, so let it progress at the present rate.

I am totally convinced the hazards will be taken care of.

golfclubatlas had a lot to do with the positive things that are happening at Yale - (first hand info) - we’ve done our job.

[Geoffrey Childs]

Geoffrey:    ... let the process continue at the present rate.

I think the bunker work will be done a bit at a time and I think that may be the best approach (for now).

They will NOT admit to error and that relates to not having another “name” added to the course so much of the work should be done in house, now - perhaps with some "under-the-radar" assisance as needed or wanted.

They are in total CYA mode!!

Admin is not interfering and that is a good thing, so let it progress at the present rate.

I am totally convinced the hazards will be taken care of.

golfclubatlas had a lot to do with the positive things that are happening at Yale - (first hand info) - we’ve done our job.

George

I feel exactly as do you.  They are on the right path. My chronic case of bula bula disease (perhaps from not having a membership   ) caused my fingers to twitch out that post.

I still feel it was worthwhile to point out the bunkers.  I have learned a GREAT DEAL from the experience.  Most of all, restorations are only in part (and maybe not even the major part) about the old bunkers.  All that Scott has done and is continuing to do has made MORE of a difference then if the project included perfect Raynor bunkers without the greens expansions, mowing patterns, tree work and general maintenance.

[George_Bahto]

AND THEY HAVE THE NERVE TO POST THE CONSTRUCTION PICTURES OF EACH HOLE IN THE DINING ROOM

[George_Bahto]

Childs - we're going to have to lock you in a room soon - you trouble maker

 

[Geoffrey Childs]

Childs - we're going to have to lock you in a room soon - you trouble maker

 

George - I'm ill.  I need a 12 point program but I'd have to kill myself if one of those points required an apology to Roger Rulewich  

[Jason Blasberg]

Yale is majestic, awesome, difficult, large, tricky and most importantly FUN.  

I know I've got to play it several more times to truly appreciate it but the improvement from a few years ago is remarkable.  

The bunker on 6 still makes me puke however.  

[Eric Franzen]

# 10 at Yale remains a classic hole for the ages.

I'll second that, Patrick. I just love the tee shot, the approach and of course the undulating green.





I played my first round at Yale around three weeks ago. This board raised my curiosity about the course earlier this year. The more I read about it the more intrigued I got. (Big thanks to George Bahto who convinced me to go there when I asked him if it really was worth the drive from NYC)

It was easily the worst conditions (weatherwise) I'll ever finished a round in. Arriving in the pro shop the guy at the counter asked me twice if I really wanted to go out there.

I was all alone out on the course. The first two holes were played in moderate rain. Alright, this aint to bad - I said to myself. Wrong, all hell broke loose in a couple of minutes with heavy showers and hard winds. Still, I had to carry on since my schedule only allowed one day up in CT.

Arriving at the fifth, totally soaked, I discovered that I didn't have a clue on where to go since the score card was practically dissolved by then. I took a wild guess and walked to the left.  Well, after the round I soon figured out that I went to the 16th from there and then played the alternate routing of 16 - 18, 10 - 15 and 6 to 9.

All in all, it was my first Raynor/CBM experience and a very valuable one. Yale might not be the easiest course out there but it still ranks very high in my book when it comes to playability and the general fun factor.

Walking NGLA a couple of days after that was just plain torture, since I didn't have a club in my hand to hit some of the interesting and amazing shots that you can't help envisioning out there.

[ed_getka]

Fantastic stuff guys. Yale shows many flashes of brilliance and then you go to NGLA and see brilliance in all its glory. Plus the Yale logo is one of my faves.

[Tim Gavrich]

What are the most important bunker renovations that are necessary?  The ones that are most obvious to me are 1) the "Road" bunker on #4, and 2) the 16th green and surrounds.  I'm told that the 16th green is not in its original location, and is less severe than it should be.  Are there plans afoot to move the green back to its original position in the future?

Yale is one of a handful of golf courses that keeps me awake at night in anticipation of playing it the next day.  I can't wait till my next round.  I might just have to try a little harder in school this fall so I can play it every day in college...