The Course at Yale

Voted #1 College Golf Course in America
Ranked #45 of the Top 100 Classical Golf Courses in America
In 1924, a 700-acre tract of swamp and woodland was given to Yale by Mrs. Ray Tompkins in memory of her husband. Under the supervision of Charles Blair Macdonald, the renowned golf course architect, champion golfer, and co-founder of the USGA, plans were made for an 18-hole golf course. With a budget of $400,000, Macdonald, in collaboration with Seth Raynor and Charles Banks, designed a masterpiece which opened for play in 1926.

Today, the Yale Golf Course is recognized as one of the finest examples of early American golf course design. Large deeply bunkered greens and narrow rolling fairways are the core of Yale's penalizing character. In 1988, Golf Magazine ranked Yale as 71st among the 100 most difficult courses in the world. Many recognize the layout as the best collegiate course in the nation. Two of the holes- the 432-yard par-4 fourth and the 238-yard par-3 ninth - have been ranked among the 100 most difficult holes. The Yale course has been the site of every significant state championship, two USGA Junior National events, the 1991 NCAA Eastern Regional championships, the 1991 ECAC Men's Championship, and the 1992 ECAC Women's Championship. During the NCAA tourney, only 21 subpar rounds were recorded of the 360 played during the three days. The course has also been the home of the Nike Connecticut Open.

In addition to being the home of Yale's nationally ranked Men's Golf Team and Women's Golf Team, The Course at Yale serves as the home competition course and practice venue for Yale Men's Cross Country and Women's Cross Country. The course provides a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of downtown New Haven and gives Yale distance and middle distance runners an incredibly scenic and bucolic and challenging place to train and compete. In addition to being able to run on the course itself, Yale athletes are afforded the opportunity to train on numerous dirt trails and woodlands that surround the golf course. Abutting the Yale Golf Course is the Maltby Lakes Recreation Area, supervised by the New Haven Regional Water Authority. Maltby offers 8 - 10 miles of runnable soft surface trails for Yale Track and Field and Cross Country athletes. Although only a short run from Yale's Smilow Fieldhouse, the Maltby Lakes Trails offer a serene alternative to the nearby busy downtown area of New Haven and are big enough to offer a variety of different runs.

The Prospect Hill Golf House: The clubhouse, a gift of the Prospect Hill Foundation, was dedicated on September 29th, 1984. Herb Newman, the architect, designed a contemporary structure that blends with the surrounding forest land. Within the building, vaulted ceilings and expansive windows offer magnificent views of the course and seasonal foliage. Widdy's Restaurant overlooks the third and fourth holes. A sun-lit garden patio and a deck adjoin the main dining room. The unique hexagonal Yale Golf Team Room, provides a lounge and displays the history of Yale Golf. A full-service Pro Shop, manned by a P.G.A. staff and stocked with the latest golf fashions, high tech-equipment, rentals and repairs stands ready to help golfers through their day.