Golf Club at Yankee Trace - Vintage Course

Been playing here for a couple years early Sunday afternoons. The pace is absolutely horrid. The pandemic has caused a few local courses to close and Yankee Trace seems to have inherited all of them. I learned and played at one of the now closed courses so don’t get the idea I’m looking down on anyone. Forget about any etiquette whatsoever, you will not be playing through. You will be pushed and you will not see a ranger. Snobbery at its finest. I really don’t like being pushed, but if you want a ranger to deal with it you will need to call the pro shop. Having said all that, it’s a great place with a great layout. You’re warned.

Played right after a huge rain storm so the course was cart path only. Layout was great.

I was paired with a wonderful couple by chance. Due to rain all week, carts were on the path which made play slow. We decided to ditch the carts at the starter and walk. Yankee is an easy course to walk and every few holes is a water station.

Super friendly staff, one of the very best courses I've played. Pace of play was kinda slow, but otherwise I couldn't have asked for a better expirience.

One of the best kept courses in the area. One of my favorites.

Always enjoy playing Yankee Trace. Rough was extremely penal today and my group lost several balls that were not far off the fairway. When you found them, you needed a mid to low iron to muscle it out. Greens were in excellent condition and rolled true.

I usually end up playing Yankee Trace a couple of times a year, but each time I play, there is always something that reminds me why I play just once or twice a year.
First, the good news - decent condition, good range and practice putting green, great beer options for the 19th hole.
Now, the questionable: no rangers to help keep play moving. I saw a drinks/ snacks cart once...on the tee of my 17th hole.
And the baffling: perhaps because it was a special (although I did decide to walk), I was routed from the Vintage (normally, just the 9-hole course) to the Vintage (normally, the front 9). So, of course, I ran right into the midst of others teeing off on the Vintage for their first nine! What?! I felt badly because I inserted myself ahead of a group that had a tee time, but they were understanding and let me play through.
Lesson learned: just be sure you are routed normally, i.e. Vintage to Legend. Oh, and I don't think it is worth full retail price ($60-65 with cart). But, if you can get a better deal ($40 with cart) and the normal routing, then I would be more amenable to recommending the course.

Rain the previous night yielded typical conditions the following day, but still a very nice round of golf

Yankee is my home course. Frequent it twenty to thirty times a year. I can honestly state I do not understand how it is routinely rated as "Dayton's Best Course". Simply put I play the course as often as I do since it is within a five minute drive of my home.

My issues with the course:
1. Staff can be stand-offish at times. Most positive employee to interact with is Jake. He is a true gentleman.
Example of stand-offish staff: when I played on 4/16/21, I asked the young lady working the desk which 9 was less busy. She shrugged her shoulders and offered no customer service. I stated I would play the Vintage, walk to first tee, there were two golfers (one teeing off and another walking up the left side of the fairway). I go over to the back 9 and same story.
2. Soggy course: I am not certain the last time I played Yankee and the course simply was not dry the least bit. It is great the course is pumping money into the clubhouse but the recurring issue is lack of drainage throughout the course.
3. Pace of play: beginning in the spring it is evident marshals or starters are present but they are not actively navigating the course, checking in with golfers, and providing friendly reminders about pace of play. Golf is a sport that needs the individual to put their ego to the side. Play from appropriate tee boxes. I think it is great their scorecard essentially offers the same advice but the message is rather mute. I drive the ball 220 with only hitting a 3 wood off the tee, I rarely hit from any further back than the white tees. Too many schmucks going out there attempting to hit from tips and blues without the accuracy let alone power to handle the distance.
4. Patchy: I noticed on 4/16/21 fairways were patchy, I understand it is still spring but the patchy areas were just dirt/mud, no clear sign of attempts to heal the areas or lay seed. Again, the course is sinking money into the clubhouse yet the course is not a 4 star course. It is imperfect needing more attention than what is being paid to it currently.

I play Yankee due to its proximity to my home. It is very convenient. If I lived ten miles more south, I would play Heatherwoode and Yankee would not receive my money outside of a few times a year.

Yankee is an overrated golf course that has clear potential to become a top course. I am just baffled by its prominence without true cause. The four areas I pointed out as issues do need to be addressed. I would suggest focusing on the pace of play and the course's dampness or drainage issues.

Only played 9 holes today. Will definitely be back to play 18 on other courses another day.