I’ve been in NY for a couple of days, doing a great tour that has so far included Knollwood, Quaker Ridge, Yale and today at Fishers Island. Yale has been the real surprise of the trip — a remarkable golf course that is on a massive scale. How it isn’t in the Top 50 in the world is hard to fathom. Anyway, I’ll write it all up when I’m back on Thursday, after a final day around Winged Foot and Fenway.
Here’s what the last two days looked like — first Yale’s Biarritz (No. 9):
And Fisher Island’s 7th hole:
The 7th hole at the wonderful Fishers Island Golf Club
You’re bang on re: the scale at Yale…it is massive. What did you think of #18? I think it’s one of the best 3-shot par 5’s I’ve seen.
Knollwood…is that considered a Banks? Curious why you went there (not to slag Knollwood, as there are countless middle-teir courses in NY that would get top billing anywhere else).
Matt: We went to Knollwood because my traveling companion is the consulting architect there….
RT – Interested to hear your thoughts on Quaker Ridge. While Yale is underrated on many rankings, it seems to me that Quaker is overrated by the same magnitude. In particular I thought QR was very ordinary in its first 4 holes, and thought the front nine use of “OB right” was way overdone for a course that is considered one of the top 100 in America. What was your take?
Yale and Fisher Island are both fine examples of the work of Seth Raynor.
Perhaps it is due to his use of a templated design that he would essentially replicate in many of his courses, but both Mr. Raynor and his courses have never received the attention—at least amongst the greater golfing public—that they deserve.