Looking at the yardage alone may lead people to believe the state’s best amateur golfers will make lots of birdies at the Black Hall Club in Old Lyme (the 16th hole pictured above).


Only three par-4 holes measure more than 400 yards. No par-3s exceed 200 yards. The course plays a little more than 6,600 yards. But don’t be fooled — Black Hall, a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design, is not going to benefit the longer hitters when the 113th Connecticut Amateur begins Monday.


“The longer hitters in the event, I’m going to guess will hit only about five drivers,” said Adam Rainaud, an assistant pro at Black Hall. “You will need only a hybrid or 3-wood to try to get to the corner on some holes. Everyone will be hitting from the same spot into the green no matter how far they can hit it.”



So a premium will not only be put on accuracy, but also being able to shape the ball in different directions. Rainaud, now in his fifth year as an assistant who qualified for the Travelers Championship in a year where he was the Connecticut Section PGA Player of the Year, said outside of the second and 14th holes, both par-5s, there are no real birdie holes.

Check out more about the Black Hall Club and about the Travelers Championship pre-qualifier