Is Yale The Greatest Tragedy In Golf?

[Lester George]

Gary,  I agree.  But it takes vision to get the effort started.  There were  those at CSX that didn't want to spend anything on the Old White.  They simply didn't know what it was. 

Hopefully they will find that spark at Yale.  They could raise the money in a year.  But with no plan, direction or knowledge, they are likely not to take the first step.

Lester

[Tim_Weiman]

Lester:

I am surprised by your comments about CSX. Their senior marketing folks certainly are golfers and always seemed quite proud of the Greenbrier, including the Old White. Around the time you did your work the course was closed for a few days, but they even made a point of opening the course just for me to play because they knew of my interest in golf architecture.

As for the sale of the resort, CSX was under a lot of pressure from a shareholder group that didn't believe money should be tied up in a golf resort. My impression was that killed senior management's willingness to hang on to the place.

CSX spends a lot of time hosting customers at the Masters and they do a great job, but in my experience as a customer they also loved entertaining at the Greenbrier.

[Tim_Weiman]

Yale in my opinion has made tremendous strides in the last 10 years or so in every regard for the course.

Suppose the university, members, Scott and Colin might have a few things left on their wish list.

Even so,  Yale as it exists today is not the greatest tragedy in golf.

It might be the greatest success for a Macdonald even though many of the other Mac Raynors have been hard at work getting back to their roots.

Discussion of the ratings and methods brings a little sadness to the thread.

John,

In case it wasn't clear, my question about Yale and this thread dates back to 2003. By all accounts, lots has changed for the better.

[Lester George]

Tim,

You are misreading my comments.  I have many friends and great respect for all of those CSX people who I worked for.  Maybe the timing is misleading you.  I worked for CSX from 2002 to. 2006 restoring the course.  That's  a full three years before the sale of the resort.  Those in hospitality were proud of the course, but even they were not sure of the history.  All was lost of the original Raynor work (except for the routing) prior to WWII and the course was really corrupted in the Hospital years.

My comments all apply to prior to 2006.  I suspect you are speaking of after that.

Lester

[Tim_Weiman]

Tim,

You are misreading my comments.  I have many friends and great respect for all of those CSX people who I worked for.  Maybe the timing is misleading you.  I worked for CSX from 2002 to. 2006 restoring the course.  That's  a full three years before the sale of the resort.  Those in hospitality were proud of the course, but even they were not sure of the history.  All was lost of the original Raynor work (except for the routing) prior to WWII and the course was really corrupted in the Hospital years.

My comments all apply to prior to 2006.  I suspect you are speaking of after that.

Lester

Lester,

You are correct on the timing. Pretty sure I was first a guest of CSX in 2006 and then for a few years after that.

Never had any contact with CSX hospitality personnel that I recall. My interaction was with the railroad marketing people, including an interesting conversation about golf architecture with CEO Michael Ward who is also a member at Augusta. Other than that day at Yale with Tommy Naccarato, the conversation with Michael Ward may have been the most memorable golf architecture discussion I've ever had.

[Lester George]

Tim,

Call me at the number I left you.  We will discuss golf architecture and the Old White.

Lester