Farewell Yeamans Hall

There's a very popular saying "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life".  I've been a golf professional for 26 years now and I haven't always loved my job. However, the three-and-a-half years I spent working at Yeamans Hall Club in Charleston, South Carolina really did feel like a dream come true.  I left Yeamans in the fall of 2024 to begin a new chapter in my life, but I felt that I needed to sit down and express my thoughts about what an amazing experience it was for me working at such a special place in the world of golf.

Sunrise at Yeamans Hall.  Photo courtesy of Tyler Morse

How we got to Charleston

Let's begin with the interesting story of how I ended up working at Yeamans Hall Club.  What's interesting about this story is how your life can change dramatically because of one moment.  That moment for me was a frustrating situation I experienced at my job in Concord, North Carolina in early 2021.  I had a particularly challenging interaction with my supervisor and after that I very clearly remember saying to my wife, "We need to get out of here."  Her response was, "How about Charleston?"  

One of the many great views of the 14th hole at Yeamans Hall.  My favorite hole on the course!

She had been wanting to relocate to the Charleston area for several years so she could help take care of her dad who was in failing health.  I had previously dismissed the idea, but this time around I said, "Well, let me look at the PGA job board and see if there is anything interesting."  I checked out the job board and Yeamans Hall had posted a job on the board.  I later found out that this was the first time they had posted a job on the board in many years.  My wife and I decided I would apply for the job at Yeamans and if they hired me, we would move to Charleston.  After a phone and in-person interview, I was hired and our adventure in the Charleston area began.  All of this happened because I had a bad moment with my boss that resulted in my deciding to look at jobs in Charleston.  Sometimes one moment can lead to something that completely changes your life!

The 1st tee at Yeamans is one of the best in all of golf!

The Birdcage

One of the odd things I discovered when I began working at Yeamans was this very interesting utility cart, nicknamed, "The Birdcage" that we stored in the cart barn.  

It was originally designed to be wheeled out onto the driving range and had sections to store towels, scorecards, supplies for cleaning clubs and grips, etc.  We weren't using it on the range anymore and it was just sitting in the cart barn, mostly getting in the way.  In the middle of my first year a co-worker suggested we wheel it out to the bag drop everyday.  After we started doing that, the strangest thing happened. The birdcage has a roof with slats in it and members and staff started putting ball markers in the slats.  At first it was just a place to put ball markers that had fallen out of a bag in case the person was looking for them, but after a while people just started putting markers up there as a way to contribute to the collection.

I started to notice that we were getting quite a few courses in the top 100 in the country in our new collection, so I decided we would devote a section to the top 100, and display them in order using the current Golf Magazine Top 100 list in the US, then 2020-2021.  After about a year we had roughly 40 of the top 100, seen in the below photo in the middle section starting on the left.  I was surprised how quickly we acquired most of the top 30.  It just speaks to our well traveled membership!

In 2023 we moved to the other side of the birdcage.

When I left in October of 2024 both sides were almost completely full.  We had ball markers from 47 states, 16 countries, and we had accumulated 97 of the top 100 from the list we used!

Favorite Rounds

I don't really have pictures of most of my favorite rounds at Yeamans Hall.  But believe me, there were many of them!  I enjoyed so many great rounds with members, guests I was accompanying for a member, my friends visiting Yeamans Hall, fellow professionals visiting from other clubs, and most of all, my wife.  There was one specific round with the wife I can pinpoint, Christmas 2021.  

A beautiful walk at Yeamans Hall on Christmas Day

Yeamans Hall is closed on Christmas but members and employees are welcome to come out and play if they want to walk.  Christmas 2021 was a lovely 75 degree day and we had the best time playing a special golf course on our first Christmas in Charleston.

Long shadows and great weather on Christmas 2021!

The Wall of the Past

A fun tradition they have at Yeamans Hall is for interns and outside operations staff to sign a particular wall of the cart barn when they leave.  It has been going on for well over 20 years.

Sadly, the cart barn needed to be renovated in 2024 so the wall disappeared.  Of course where there is loss, there is also beginning.  I got the privilege of being the first person to sign the new wall.

White Whale

One of the great things that happened because of Yeamans Hall was that I got to play my White Whale course.  For at least ten years, I was doing everything I could to find a way to play Chicago Golf Club.  Chicago is undoubtedly the best use of a small piece of property in the world, and every student of golf architecture needs to see it.  By the time I started working at Yeamans, I had resigned myself to never being able to play it.  Luckily for me, Chicago was designed by the same architect as Yeamans, Seth Raynor.   That connection allowed me to play Chicago in the fall of 2021.  It was even better than I imagined and I will always be grateful to Yeamans for making this dream come true.

Chicago Golf Club was better than advertised!

Pro-Member

My favorite thing that happened while I was working at Yeamans Hall was getting to play in the Pro-Member in 2023.  Since I started working at Yeamans, I had always wanted to play in the annual Pro-Member.  Our rule is you have to be invited by a member to play and, even though I play with members quite frequently, as the outside operations manager, my name is not really thought of as a possible partner for an event like this.  Our club is the type that gets tour pros and pros from top 20 clubs in its Pro-Member, so it was more of a dream for somebody like me to be able to play in the tournament.  Through a very unexpected set of circumstances, we had an odd number of teams and the member I play with the most said "let's do it!" 

Day one of the tournament was an absolute dream for me.  I shot 65, including birdies on the final three holes.  We shot 59 as a team and were tied for the lead heading into day two.  I beat a couple of actual touring pros on day one, which is something I am usually not capable of doing!  Our play on day two was less stellar, but we still finished third ahead of some very good professionals. 

During the tournament dinner I got to try Osso Bucco for the first time!

I can't even begin to tell you what it meant to me to play in this tournament and I will forever be grateful to the member who gave me the opportunity!

Things you see when your day starts very early

I began my work day at 6 am.  When you begin your work day this early, you get to see things that most people don't get to see on a golf course.

This guy wanted to help me restock the coolers one morning

Beautiful sunrises are a wonderful part of being at the course early.

The wildlife enjoy them too!

Of course, during some parts of the year, sunrise comes well after I've started work

The view of the moon can be just as wonderful as the sunrise.

Random things that happen when you work at a golf course

You get to witness lots of different types of things when you work at a golf course.  One interesting thing I got to witness was a par three course under the lights we did for one of our tournaments.

One of the oddest things I witnessed at work was a wedding on the 1st tee.  The bride and groom walked down to the pond in front of the first tee where the ceremony took place.  I can't say I blame them for wanting to do it there, but the logistics were somewhat challenging.  As you can see in the picture they had to start setting up while people were still teeing off!

In my three plus years of working at Yeamans Hall it only snowed once.  I hate snow, so the sight was very unwelcome.  Typical for weather in Charleston, three hours after the snow it was 60 and sunny!

Snow was not a welcome sight!

The beauty of frost

Frost is the natural enemy of a golf operation because it results in delays that are not always well accepted by the members and guests.  

Frost on the 11th Hole

One thing about frost though, it does make for some great pictures!

Frost on the 6th Hole

What's Next?

Now comes the part, beloved reader, where I trick you into revealing whether you read to the end or not.  With a post titled, "Farewell Yeamans Hall," the obvious question is going to be, "So what's next?" I am going to tell you here what I'm doing next, so if you ask me on social media where I'm moving, working, etc, then I'll know you didn't actually read the blog post.😀 

I am moving to Stuart, Florida, which is just north of Jupiter, on the east coast of Florida.  I will be working at a very exclusive new private club that for now will go unnamed.  If you really want to know, it's not very hard to figure out.  The job is seasonal, and right now the plan is to work in Florida until May, and then spend the summer working in either Scotland or New England depending on many TBD factors.  I am very excited for this next chapter in my life, but will really miss the golf course, and members, at Yeamans Hall.  It is one of the most special places in golf.

St. Louis Trip

St. Louis is a place I visited briefly about fifteen years ago.  I was on a driving trip, and stopped in town to play St. Louis Country Club before I continued my trip in other states.  Bellerive Country Club has been on my to-do list for a very long time because of its presence in the various magazine rankings over the years, as well as its major championship history.  In 2024 I was finally able to dedicate an entire trip to the St. Louis area.  Bellerive was the obvious target of the trip, but I also enjoyed many great classic designs as well as a few modern marvels.  

Bellerive Country Club

Day one of the trip was the only one that took place outside the St. Louis area.  I traveled about two hours south of St. Louis to the Cape Giradeau area for a round at the Gary Nicklaus designed Dalhousie Golf Club.  This is not your typical Nicklaus design and that is a very good thing.  The bunkering is very flowing and creative, and the routing does not feature an abundance of dogleg rights that require an aerial approach as is seen in most Nicklaus designs.

Dalhousie Golf Club, Par three 8th hole

While I was in the area I checked out Bent Creek Golf Club in Jackson, Missouri.  The course was designed by local Missouri architect Gary Kern, and works surprisingly well on the undulating property just north of Cape Giradeau.

Bent Creek Golf Club, Par four 1st hole

I stayed in Jackson for my final round on day one.  Kimbeland Country Club opened in the 1960's and was redesigned by Art Schaupeter in 2000.  

Kimbeland Country Club, Par three 18th hole

Day two of the trip began just over the Mississippi River from St. Louis in Illinois. Gateway National Golf Links in Madison, Illinois is a mere three miles from downtown St. Louis as the crow flies and enjoys wonderful views of the city and the famous arch.  The course was designed by Keith Foster and opened in 1998.

Gateway National Golf Links, Par four 3rd Hole

I stayed in Illinois for my second round on day two. Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville has an interesting architectural history.  The course was originally designed by Larry Packard in 1924 on a wild piece of property that results in some major elevation changes on the front nine.  Because of road construction, and property being bought and sold, holes were added and taken away in 1990 and 1997.  I was fortunate to play with two members who told me all about the various changes over the years.  The back nine definitely feels a little disjointed as it features many of the "new" holes.

Sunset Hills Country Club, Par five 4th Hole, with Par three 7th in the background

I headed back into Missouri for my third round.  Meadowbrook Country Club in Ballwin was designed in 1960 by Robert B. Harris and renovated in 2000 by Keith Foster.  This was the 4th course named Meadowbrook I have played, a very popular name in golf.  

Meadowbrook Country Club, Par five 2nd hole

My pace of play was pretty good at Meadowbrook, so I had plenty of daylight for a little bonus golf.  I headed two miles west to Forest Hills Country Club for a quick trip around their Valley course.  Designed by Chick Adams in 1960, the Valley is a par 30 nine hole course with some very fun par threes and fours.

Forest Hills Country Club(Valley), Par four 9th hole

I began day three of the trip about thirty miles west of St. Louis in the town of Augusta, Missouri for an early morning round at the Pete Dye designed Boone Valley Golf Club.  This course was everything that people love and hate about Dye designs.  Sharp edges, bold bunkering, and lots of visual intimidation off the tee.

Boone Valley Golf Club, Par three 12th hole

As the crow flies, the next course on day three was only seven miles from Boone Valley but it was a twenty-eight mile drive across the Missouri river.  The Country Club of St. Albans has two courses and I was playing the Lewis & Clark course designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish in 1992.  I played the other course, Tavern Creek, five years ago on my way to the Ozarks, so I was excited to get back and see this course.  L&C was definitely the more playable of the two courses, with the front nine down in the valley on relatively flat ground.

CC of St. Albans(Lewis & Clark), Par three 15th hole

I headed back into St. Louis for the next course on day three.  Algonquin Golf Club is one of the oldest courses in Missouri, originally designed by Tom Bendelow in 1903.  The course has been modified by several architects over the years, most recently by Keith Foster in 2010.  It retains its classic feel and has a very unique stoplight system for the blind tee shot on the par five 4th hole.

Algonquin Golf Club, Par four 1st hole

Once again I had some extra daylight left on day three so I headed to nearby Ballwin Golf Course for a brisk late afternoon round on this delightful nine hole course.

Ballwin Golf Course, Par four 1st hole

Day four began very early in the morning at the city owned Forest Park Golf Course.  I met a friend from St. Louis for the round and we had a wonderful walk around one of the best municipal courses I have played.  The course has been renovated over the years, but the bones of the original design make for an extremely fun experience.

Forest Park Golf Course, Par four 8th hole

One of the best courses in Missouri was up next on day four.  Old Warson Country Club was designed by Robert Trent Jones and has hosted several USGA Championships since it opened in the 1950's.  The course works its way up and down the hills just west of the city with the back nine being the more interesting side.

Old Warson Country Club, Par four 14th hole

A course that wasn't in the original itinerary was next on day four.  I had heard good things about Annbriar Golf Course over the river in Waterloo, Illinois, and a last minute reshuffling allowed me the time to experience a very solid Michael Hurdzan design that is one of the best public courses in the St. Louis area.

Annbriar Golf Course, Par four 2nd hole

Rain was starting to fall when I finished at Annbriar, so as I headed back towards St. Louis I decided to check out Waterloo Country Club, a quirky nine hole course that has been around for almost a hundred years.  The rain cleared the golf course and allowed me to get around very quickly.  

Waterloo Country Club, Par four 6th hole

The last day of the trip began in Illinois again.  This time I had the pleasure of experiencing St. Clair Country Club, the biggest surprise of the trip.  The course was designed by Langford and Moreau, most known for their work at Lawsonia in Wisconsin and Skokie in Illinois.  The pair were influenced by Seth Raynor and you can see that influence in their designs.  Their courses tend to be a bit hillier and more undulating than Raynor's, and that is one of the things that makes St. Clair so much fun.  The property is very small, but the holes never feel tight or restricted.  I really need to set aside some time in the future to get to some Langford/Moreau courses in the Midwest.

St. Clair Country Club, Par four 5th hole

I headed back into Missouri and west of the city for my next round on the last day of the trip.  Lake Forest Country Club in Lake St. Louis is a very difficult course that was designed by Gary Kern and opened in the 1970's.

Lake Forest Country Club, Par three 8th hole

I was playing the last round of the trip in the late afternoon, so on the drive back to St. Louis I had time to check out the par three Pheasant Run Golf Course in O'Fallon, Missouri.

Pheasant Run Golf Course, Par three 2nd hole

Normally the final round of my trips is not the reason why I took the trip in the first place, but that is how it turned out on this trip.  I finished my wonderful trip to St. Louis with the multiple major championship hosting Bellerive Country Club designed by Robert Trent Jones.  

Bellerive Country Club, Par three 13th hole

I will say I was pleasantly surprised by the course.  My desire to play it had a lot to do with its constant presence on various top 100 lists and it's major championship prowess.  But I found I really liked the big, nuanced greens and the bunkering was very creative.  I am generally not the biggest fan of RTJ designs, but there was just something I really liked about this course.  

Bellerive Country Club, Par five 4th hole

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