opening, the course set up as a par 71. The courses' final cost was a then-record $400,000. One reviewer, the legendary sportswriter Herbert Warren Wind, wrote that the Yale Golf Course was, "a back-breaking job over an untouched plot of rugged land whose hazards and greens have the kind of dimensions that one would have expected of Michelangelo." In 1983, Ben Crenshaw referred to the course as a "national treasure." In 1994, Yale hired a new Athletic Director, Tom Beckett. He was "shocked" to find the course in such "poor condition." Beckett improved the financial situation of the course, which included an investment program and alumni support base. With the additional funds Yale was able to advance the quality of the course through tree removal, improved irrigation, and regular visits from USGA agronomists. Staffing on the course also increased which "made a tremendous difference in the conditions of the golf course." By 2004, "a restored and beautiful course" had manifested itself. In 2006, the course was voted the top university golf course in the country. In 2019, the course was ranked #53 in Golfweek's Top 200 Classic Courses. It was also voted Best Campus Course in 2019 by Golfweek. According to the USA Today, it is the "perennial" #1 pick. in 2021, the golf course encountered controversy when neighbors, who for decades had enjoyed jogging, cross country skiing, biking, sledding, and dog walking without incident were suddenly barred from the course by its new employee Peter Palacios.https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/upper_westville_yale_golf The Westville neighborhood, which continues to treasure this neighborhood resource, continues to attempt to restore access in the face of determined opposition from its new temporary caretaker. Tournaments hosted Yale Golf Course has hosted many significant golf tournaments. These includes significant amateur tournaments like the U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship and Connecticut Amateur. In addition, the course has hosted many significant college tournaments including the NCAA Regional Championships, Macdonald Cup, and the Yale Spring Invitational. The course has also hosted some significant professional tournaments. It hosted the Connecticut Open in 1931 and 1981. The course also hosted a Ben Hogan Tour event, New Haven Open, in the early 1990s. David Patterson, the Scottish-born Yale Bulldogs golf coach during the late 20th century, also helped establish a number of significant tournaments at Yale Golf Course during his tenure. These included the 1988 USGA National Junior Championship, 1991 and 1995 NCAA Regional Championships, 1995 World