Class News

Yale '64 golfers assemble on Cape Cod

October 1, 2022

On September 28-29, golfers from the Class of ’64 assembled on Cape Cod for the third time in seven years for a two-day outing organized by Ted Jones ’64. Attending were sixteen golfers and eight non-golfers.

Ted summarized the event as follows:

We essentially had four foursomes each day with weather in the high 60s or low 70s, great for playing. The courses (Eastward Ho! on Wednesday and Cape Cod National on Thursday) were both challenging, if not daunting, with lots of terrain (think ski slopes or carnival rides, no flat lies, and many bunkers) and twists and turns, but really fun to play. I will leave it to Getman [see below] to document the details of the intense competition and the glories of victory for posterity, but suffice it to say that everyone responded with their “A” games.

We had two lovely dinners as well. The first evening everyone made their way to Larry Capodilupo’s beautiful home overlooking the water for a magnificent filet with all the trimmings, and a specially baked ’64 cake. The conversations flowed and everyone had a good chance to connect with classmates and partners. Dinner Thursday was a return to Eastward Ho! where again the cuisine was wonderful (I had outstanding baked cod) and the joy of being together was pronounced. It was a shame that it all had to end, but everyone will take home with them the happiness of having reconnected with so many friends in such a great setting and on such terrific courses. 

Readers interested in more details are referred to Chris Getman's account below the photo.

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Getman breaks two long-standing records, shoots age twice

by Chris Getman

In an incredible display of ineptitude on Cape Cod, Chris Getman broke two long-standing records for the Class of 1964 Golf Outing.

First he broke the impressive record of “balls in the pocket” held by Alan McFarland since 2003 at Yale, and then the five-year-old record for 36 holes set at Eastward Ho! and Cape Cod National by John Evans in the 2016 rain-impacted event.

A “ball in the pocket” occurs when the best one can do on a hole is a triple bogey. McFarland’s record was six on the 18-hole Yale golf course in 2005. Evans had 13 out of 36 in the rain in 2016. Both men were very proud of their accomplishments. But, to quote the immortal Henry Aaron, “records are made to be broken.” These impressive victories mark Getman’s 21st consecutive victory at class outings. Could Joe DiMaggio be next?

Getman shattered McFarland’s mark in record time, registering his 7th “in your pocket” by the 13th hole at Eastward Ho! on Wednesday. He had forgotten his oxygen mask and ran out of breath quickly. Also, his pitons were worn, and he slipped  frequently.

Thursday at CCN was different, and he finally broke Evans’ record on the 16th to almost as much fanfare as those waiting for Aaron Judge to hit his 61st. A disconsolate Evans was seen having a double Tito’s martini up, with no vermouth, before heading home. An ecstatic Getman was also ebullient after the contest at CCN. “I also shot my age twice,” he crowed. “I shot a 76 on the front nine at Eastward, and a 78 on the back nine at CCN. Along with the other record victories, I’ve never been happier.” Given the strength of Getman’s performance, it was deemed unnecessary for others to turn in their scores.

“I’ve never seen such an impeccable display of incompetence,” remarked Capodilupo after the round at Eastward Ho! “It was beautiful to behold.” He asked to be paired with Getman on Thursday to witness more of the same. He was not disappointed. Almost overshadowed by Getman’s heroics was the 38 posted by Heather Post, a welcome addition to the group, on the back nine at Eastward.

We are blessed to have such a tightly knit and compatible class along with spouses and significant others. John and Dottie Evans and Larry Capodilupo and Debbie Swenson went to a lot of effort just to get us on both courses. Members must play and are allowed to have only three guests, and there was a total of sixteen golfers, including John and Larry. Thankfully, the yellow pages had a “rent a member” app and they were able to produce Susan and Peter MacConnell who added a lot to the group on the courses, but sadly were unavailable for dinner. Larry’s friend Chuck Kessler joined us at CCN on Thursday, so all went smoothly.

It was ironic that Jones showed up in shorts and a golf shirt, rather than his infamous plus fours — which are now on display at the Amateur Golf Hall of Fame — and several people wondered who the new member of our group was. It wasn’t until watching him on the first tee that several of us realized that it was Ted.

With their usual class and warmth, Larry and Debbie hosted a fabulous dinner at their beautiful home overlooking Pleasant Bay. The food and wine were delicious, and the company was lively and stimulating. The golfers were joined by Dottie Evans, Ug and Margie Lee, Melissa Padley, Rebecca Hetherington, Kirk and Judy Kitson, and Anneke Hathaway, John Tully’s new friend. We were sorry that Diana Blom was unable to join Ted Jones at the last minute.

On Thursday, John and Dottie hosted a dinner at Eastward Ho! for 24 of us. The food, libations, and service were exceptional and the small tables enabled more thoughtful and challenging conversations.

The Cape is a beautiful spot, and both courses are challenging and fun. It was a privilege to have been able to play them. I may be wrong, but I believe that Bill Galvin, John Tully, Martin Padley, Chuck Post, and Mike Arons were first timers there. Mike came from D.C., Ted Jones came from Chicago, and Bill Galvin and Jan Truebner came from southwestern Connecticut, which is a haul but well worth it once one is there. Even for the rest of us — Padley, Post, Kalayjian, Lindsay, Tully, Hetherington, and yours truly — it was a bit of a push, but an extremely worthwhile one.

A couple of side notes. People were worried but afraid to ask about the protuberance in Dave Lindsay’s stomach. In this age of transgenderism there was speculation that he might be pregnant. We were relieved to learn that it’s a ruptured hernia which will be dealt with shortly. True to form, Ted Jones did another “dive” trying to save par from an elevated edge of a sand trap. He was given two sevens and a six because, as the judges noted, his feet were not together and his toes weren’t pointed.

The future of The Course at Yale is up in the air. As it stands now, we should be able to play in the spring, but then the course is likely to be under repair for over a year. Let’s start thinking about alternative plans so that we can keep this wonderful group together in the year after next.

Warm regards,
Chris