The Course at Yale (New Haven, CT)

The Course at Yale is a great example of early American golf course design, and is a great New England style course. Yale is a great course to stop at for eighteen holes and some practice if you are in the area. Although Connecticut can get uncomfortably hot in the summer months, it is usually playable. During the spring and fall, walking the course is a great option to get away from the hustle of daily life. Yale is not a hard walk and is very enjoyable, especially when the leaves begin to change.

What stands out about Yale is the ridiculous greens. Made to protect the rest of the course, the greens can easily ruin a good ball striking round. They are small, hard to hit, usually elevated and feature quick direction changes, elevation changes and can make your ball run in all different directions then the one intended. Usually they run at a normal speed, but can be fast or slow depending on the season and weather.

The Bunkers are also a defining point about the course. They can be as deep as 30 feet, and will leave you little chance of getting up and down. These bunkers add some character and difficulty to the course.

Despite the greens and bunkers, the course plays fairly easy. It is short at 6749 from the back tees and features a 72.9 rating with a 132 slope. The par 70 course will give its fair share of birdies with short, drivable par 4's. Aside from those, playing for pars will result in a good score. The greens are small, so aiming for the middle of the greens will not punish you. Beware, many holes have major problems for a missed green and wayward drives can easily end up in woods, water or out of bounds. The course is filled with blind shots, but there is usually time to check out the area before hitting. A simple game is best at Yale, drive to the fairway, middle of the green and two putt. The par 70 course will add confidence.

A standout hole is the par 3 ninth. This 235 yard hole plays much less then the given distance, and is a monster to those playing the course for their first time. The tee ground is on a hill above a lake, which is a mandatory carry all the way to the green. Wrong club choices and mishit shots will end up in the hazard and wind blows off the lake making the club selection more difficult. This hole does not feature the easy choice of clubbing up and going for the middle. A five to nine foot depression runs the width of the green in the middle, separating the front from the back. This depression essentially creates two greens. Each green is flat and will result in a fair share of long putts made. A ball that ends up in the depression though will almost always be three putt, and some players even elect to putt out with a driver. When a ball comes to rest on the wrong green, some players chose to pitch across the depression. The ninth at Yale is one of the greatest golf holes in the world, and has been featured in many books and articles.

Aside from the course, the clubhouse and facilities are at best decent. They are old like the course, and do add to the timeless atmosphere. The staff ranges depending on their moods. The practice facility is great for the short game with two putting greens which can hold a fair amount of people. Some creativity can occupy you in trying to make an impossible putt on huge swales on the large green. The chipping and pitching area offers a well maintained green and grass to practice off of. A practice trap allows for some creative practicing. The range is decent and is either off of mats or grass.

Yale is a great day trip to play a timeless course. Don't expect too much expect from a fun, wacky round of golf and you will be fine. The price can be reasonable for some, but extreme at other times. Call ahead to make sure you get a good deal.

Value: 7
Difficulty: 5
Pricing: 7
Variability: 9