Yankee Clipper

Par 29 - Level 3 - 89 Slope Rating

Plays from 1,323 – 1,978 yards

 

The Yankee Clipper has a storied past. It was a 19th-century sailing ship, a Pan Am flying boat in the 1940s, and even the name of Apollo 12’s Command Module. But here in The Villages, our Yankee Clipper clearly belongs to the most legendary Clipper of them all - Joe DiMaggio.

 

DiMaggio is a baseball icon. He’s famous for his record-breaking 56-game hitting streak and his equally famous (if short-lived) 237-day marriage to Marilyn Monroe. He embodied the heroic, Hollywood persona of the World War II era - an era that resonates with many original Villagers. Over a seven-year span, he hit more home runs than he struck out, a testament to his precision at the plate. That kind of power and control feels right at home on this golf course, so it’s only fitting that Yankee Clipper is The Villages’ longest executive course, stretching nearly 2,000 yards from the black tees.

 

In honor of my love for baseball - and the greatest Clipper of them all - I’m calling each hole an inning. So, tighten up your glove, step up to the tee box, and let’s swing for the fences...

 

1st Inning

Once a starter told us to pull up to the white line because we were “On Deck" - proof that this baseball theme works. It would be even better if they shouted “Play ball!” as we teed off. And the 1st hole is a doozy because you have to clear a wall on your opening drive. Then the green has lots of slants and ripples, making it feel like putting on a pitching mound. It’s an opening inning that lets you know right away - this round is going to play like a ballgame.

 

2nd Inning

The second feels like an instant replay of the first - same look, same demand. Baseball fans may hate replays because it slows the game down.  But golfers just call those mulligans.  In any case, move on quickly to the 3rd.

 

3rd Inning

The third demands power - it’s the longest par three on the course, stretching over 170 yards from the gold tees. You’ll need a frozen rope just to give yourself a chance to stick the green. Even then, this inning isn’t over yet.

 

4th Inning

Grab your driver for the fourth - the first of two par fours. This fairway is littered with sand traps that snag any bad bounces.  But the enormous green offers some relief, making it the easier of the two par fours.  Translation?  Get a par here. 

 

5th Inning

Today’s baseball players have their signature walk-up songs - you’ll have yours too as you approach the 5th tee box. Music from the nearby Sea Breeze Pool sets the vibe as you step into the batter’s box. Enjoy that pre-shot swagger, choke up, and swing confidently at this beauty. But don’t be fooled - Yankee’s shortest hole is deceptively tricky. It’s like laying down the perfect bunt. Precision is key. It didn’t help last time that the green was chewed up with ball marks - our putts looked like knuckleballs.

 

6th Inning

You’ll take a long cart ride “around the horn” to the sixth. It’s a challenging par four. Aim for centerfield off the tee to give yourself the best approach. But this is the toughest green of the day. It slopes hard to the left, so aim your approach to the front then apply ample amounts of pine tar to your putter and hold on for an uphill shot.

 

7th Inning Stretch

Time to stretch it out. You’ll finally reach for a different club. The seventh hole plays 172 yards from the gold tees - a length and wind direction you haven’t seen yet today. Take a couple of extra practice swings in the on-deck circle before stepping back to the plate.  Maybe even try a Babe Ruth move and point to the green before you swing! 

 

8th Inning

For true baseball geeks, you won’t believe your eyes if you spot some “ducks on the pond” flanking the eighth. I remember coaches using that phrase when I was young, and it took most of a season to figure out what they meant. Here, it finally makes sense.

 

9th Inning

Teams always bring in the closer at the end of the game - the pitcher who thrives when the pressure is highest. That role fits the final hole at Yankee Clipper perfectly. It plays uphill and straight into the wind. So, club up, bear down, and throw your best speedball of the day to finish strong.

Joe DiMaggio once said, “I’d like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee,” which feels appropriate here - because for reasons no one can fully explain, some pairings just work. Others, like DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, work brilliantly for a while and then… don’t.

Maybe it’s the setting. Maybe it’s the baseball metaphors. Or maybe it’s because an executive golf course and a baseball game both last exactly nine segments, which feels either deeply meaningful or completely accidental. Possibly both.

 

DiMaggio also believed that “when baseball is no longer fun, it’s no longer a game,” and that might be the most useful advice to carry onto Yankee Clipper. If you keep score, great. If you don’t, that’s fine too. The real objective seems to be enjoying the swings, the innings, and the people standing next to you—the ones who make you laugh when things go slightly wrong.

 

Because if the game was fun, as Joe (and perhaps God) intended, logic suggests there’s really only one reasonable conclusion: you should probably Play Ball again!

 

Toughest to Easiest:  

3, 6, 7, 5, 8, 1, 4, 9, 2 – toughest green - 6

Major League Photos:

Unlike the best baseball players, you don't want to hit one off the wall here!

Yankee 5 is short but the trap on the right and the swale on the left make it a narrow basepath to run.  It's good the water tower is directly behind the flag to give you a big target!

The 8th has the game's best seats - a pretty view of the whole yard.  Where are the ducks for me to drive in??

From the blacks!

Yankee Clipper is the ultimate black tee test – six of the seven par three holes are over 170 yards - #3 is like Fenway’s chasmic centerfield, needing a monstrous 203-yard drive.  You’ll need a large dose of some Mr. Coffee to be amped up to take on this challenge!  

Go Green!

Your first shot of the day is often the most stressful – Yankee #1 from the green tees will exert far less anxiety than from the golds or blacks.  You’ll also like the improved angle on the 5th hole.  But the two par fours still play nearly 300 yards each from the green tees, so that will be tough. Batter up?

What’s nearby?   

Need some extra innings?  How about two?  Rec Centers that is!  Sterling Heights and Sea Breeze Rec Centers are visible from the Yankee Clipper course.  There are only three other executive courses that are adjacent to 2 Recreation Centers. Can you name the others?  (Quiz Question 19).  

 

Sea Breeze is the larger and has all your bases covered – a cool Florida seaside vibe inside, complete with a fitness center.  Outside there’s everything a sports enthusiast could want – even sand paddle tennis!  Joltin' Joe would have loved to take a swing at this sport! 

My impressions are based on playing from the Gold tee boxes.  The Black and the Green tee boxes pose different challenges or benefits described as well.  The rankings of the toughest to easiest holes are just my opinions - yours will be far different, as will your favorite courses and most difficult and attractive holes.  I welcome your opinions or thoughts on any of this - click to leave a comment.