In those days, golf was purely a recreation
sport. Its popularity hinged on the fact that it
was to be fun for everyone, regardless of skill
level and ability. Score and par were virtually
irrelevant, as most rounds were a “match”
against another player or team. Like other
“Golden Age” architects, Park loved golf and
wanted others to enjoy the game as well.
His objective wasn’t to make you suffer, or to
punish a bad shot in such a way that the next
shot was unplayable.
To quote Brad Klein, famed architecture
editor for Golfweek, “They appreciated golf
as a game, a moral test of one’s character
and of how well the golfer knew his or her
own abilities. And if you wandered astray, the
idea wasn’t to beat you up by forcing you to
punch out sideways from knee-high rough;
Before and after: The 12th Hole at the Course at Yale
instead, they believed that from the rough
Present day and during construction in 1925.
you ought to have the opportunity to play a
good recovery- not that it would be easy, but
it would be possible.” The goal of bunkers and hazards were to make the golfer commit to an
aggressive or conservative play by either hitting over the hazard, or short or to the side. Each
hazard is angled on a diagonal, halfway across the ideal line, presenting a variety of options.
Connecticut is home to some of the best classic courses that were built during the “Golden
Age of Architecture”, and each shares a common principle. Simply, it is playable and enjoyable
for golfers of all skill levels. A course like New Haven Country Club, while short by modern
standards, is a true test of golf for even the best of players. Play a round of properly executed
shots, and you will be rewarded with a low score. Mediocre shots are penalized in the sense
that the next shot is more difficult, but not impossible, and a lost ball is a rarity. The next teeing
ground is within close proximity to the previous hole, and the average round of golf takes three
hours and thirty minutes, walking.
Above all, every classic course was
built on the land they found. Not having
access to massive earth-moving machines,
they were forced to work with what they
had. The result is holes that resemble
the rolling terrain, gently shaped across
hills and valleys that flow like a work
of art. Nearly ninety years later, it’s no
wonder why the classics are still among
Above: New Haven Country Club has stood the test of time,
Connecticut’s best courses, and each
offering a challenge for the state’s top players at this year’s
round represents a trip to a simpler time.
Connecticut Amateur Championship.