Yale Golf Course facts for kids
The 9th hole
|
|
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location | New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Established | Surveyed 1923, constructed 1924-1925, opened for play April, 1926 |
| Type | Private |
| Owned by | Yale University |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Tournaments hosted |
|
| Designed by | Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 6,825 yards (6.241 km) |
| Course rating | 72.9 |
| Slope rating | 135 |
| Course record | 60, Li Wang (2016 Macdonald Cup) |
The Yale Golf Course is a famous golf course in New Haven, Connecticut. It's owned and run by Yale University. This course is the main practice and competition spot for the men's and women's Yale Golf Teams. It also hosts three big college golf events each year. The course is mostly for university students, people who used to go to Yale, and others connected to the university.
Contents
How the Yale Golf Course Began
Yale students first played golf in 1895 at a different club in New Haven. That course grew to 18 holes by 1899. But by 1910, houses were built there, so the students needed a new place to play.
They then joined the Race Brook Country Club. However, this club was quite far from the Yale campus. A Yale alum named George Adee noticed how much students loved golf. In 1922, he suggested that Yale should have its own golf course. Other big universities like Princeton and Harvard were already thinking about their own courses.
Adee had an idea to ask Sarah Wey Tompkins for help. She was the wife of Ray Tompkins, a former Yale football captain. Ray Tompkins had left a lot of money to Sarah. His will said that after she passed away, the rest of his wealth would go to Yale. This money was meant to help students play sports.
In 1923, Yale asked Sarah Tompkins if she would buy a large piece of land. This land was known as the Greist Estate. She agreed right away and bought the 720 acres (290 ha) property for $375,000. She then donated it to Yale University.
Designing the Course
After Sarah Tompkins donated the land, a special Yale Golf Committee was formed. George Adee was its first leader. They contacted a famous golf course designer named Charles Blair Macdonald. He looked at the land and saw its great potential.
Macdonald agreed to help as a consultant. He suggested hiring Seth Raynor, who had worked with him before, to design the course. Raynor was paid $7,500 for the job. He started mapping out the land in the summer of 1923.
Building the Course
Work on the Greist Estate began in the summer of 1923. The crew had to clear trees, blast rocks, and drain swampy areas. It was a very challenging job. Macdonald described the land as a "veritable wilderness."
About 120 acres of the estate were used for the golf course. Heavy construction started in April 1924. The project began with 60 workers and grew to 150 people at its busiest time. There were some problems with water drainage. This required 35,000 feet (11 km) of pipes to fix. The project also cost more than expected.
Despite the challenges, the Yale Golf Course officially opened on April 15, 1926. When it first opened, the course was 6,552-yard (5.991 km) long with a par of 71. The final cost was $400,000, which was a record amount for a golf course at that time. A famous sportswriter, Herbert Warren Wind, said the course was a "back-breaking job" and its features were like something "Michelangelo" would create.
Course Improvements and Recognition
In 1983, golf legend Ben Crenshaw called the Yale Golf Course a "national treasure."
However, by 1994, the course was in "poor condition." Yale hired a new Athletic Director, Tom Beckett, who was surprised by this. He worked to improve the course's money situation. This included getting investments and support from Yale alumni.
With more funds, Yale was able to make the course much better. They removed trees, improved the watering system, and got advice from experts at the USGA. More staff were hired, which greatly improved the course's condition. By 2004, the course was "restored and beautiful."
In 2006, the Yale Golf Course was voted the best university golf course in the country. In 2019, it was ranked #53 among the Top 200 Classic Courses by Golfweek magazine. Golfweek also named it the Best Campus Course in 2019. According to USA Today, it is often picked as the #1 university golf course.
Exciting Tournaments Hosted
The Yale Golf Course has hosted many important golf tournaments. These include big amateur events like the U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship and the Connecticut Amateur.
It has also hosted many college tournaments, such as the NCAA Regional Championships, the Macdonald Cup, and the Yale Spring Invitational. Professional tournaments have also been played here. The course hosted the Connecticut Open in 1931 and 1981. It also hosted a Ben Hogan Tour event, the New Haven Open, in the early 1990s.
David Patterson, who coached the Yale Bulldogs golf team for many years, helped start several important tournaments at the course. These included the 1988 USGA National Junior Championship and the 1995 World Special Olympics Golf Championship.
Like many golf courses, Yale has its own club championship. Reverend William T. Lee, who won the Connecticut Amateur three times, has won the Yale club championship 11 times!
In 2004, the course hosted the NCAA Eastern Regional tournament. Bill Haas, from Wake Forest University, won that tournament.
Scorecard
The Yale Golf Course is an 18-hole course. It has a par of 70. This means a skilled golfer is expected to complete the course in 70 strokes. The total length of the championship course is 6,825 yards (6.241 km).
