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. ---
Wawona Hotel Golf CourseArchitect: 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 HoleNo. 5, par 4, 349 yardsThe 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
TakeawaysThe 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 agoSteve Shaffer, 18 years agoGolf and our National Parks, John Kavanaugh, 12 years agoBill McBride, 16 years ago---
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.