To put some things into perspective...
Note: Hole numbers can be easily confused as I have at least three different mentions to routings over the years. It helps if you have Wexlers book! and some familiarity to the course.
The first mention that I have found of Sharp Park and the possibility of a golf course there was in 1925. The course opened in April of 1932, so even back then it took ~7 years from start to finish. We better get started soon because I would like to see the finished product!
In 1929 the first plans would be drawn up and Egan would walk the proposed site.
The first routing was closer to 6500 yards before it finished at just under 6200.
The front nine must have been awesome in how it played around Laguna Salada and along the beach. I have a really poor photo that shows a golfer teeing off on the third hole and it looks like a wave is lapping at his ankles. I was told by an old timer that during a low tide one could still see the old irrigation system piping out along the beach. I have not been out at low tide, but I can say the ocean there is very angry and the waves are impressive on a flat day any where else. Laguna Salada looks to be quite a bit smaller then it was around the time the course was opened, and had a lot less plant growth ie. the 15 tee shot over the cattails etc.
The Flemming holes current 4,5,6,7 make up for the loss of the old 3,4,7,8 holes. The current 8th makes up for the old 6th.
They could get away with restoring some of the lost holes out there, but that brings the Costal Commission into effect. The old 8th and 4th holes could be brought back without losing too much of their original design ideals. From what I could tell walking around the 8th hole the green was very near where the berm is today near the current 12th hole greensite. They would have to abandon the any idea of getting rid of the berm which leaves the old 3rd and the 7th out of the equation. The current 16th(near the old 7th) would still work but it occupies the area that was between the old 5th and 7th fwys.
The hole that needs to go is the current 8th as previously stated it was a practice hole as well as a temporary hole for the old sixth hole that was being rebuilt after a storm(most likely in the 1980's). But even earlier, before Flemming added the holes on the other side of Hwy 1 it was the old 14th hole it has lost about 40-50 yards due to Hwy 1. If they can regain some length and interest, maybe. The old sixth was in the NW corner of the property near where the current 16th tee is.
I have one decent photo from the papers that shows a view of the 18th green and it is very big, much bigger than what is there today(10th green).
From what I have gathered the berm was built around the early 80's after the winter of 1982-3.
The sand the was used in some of the areas was dredged from the beach. Laguna Salada was originally a saltwater pond that would get flooded during big storms. John McClaren the SF Parks Supt. oversaw the transition of the lake from saltwater to its current state as a freshwater pond. He is also given credit for all of the trees that were planted out there in preparation for it to become a park before it was to become a golf course.
They had problems growing turf as the situation was very similar to Lido. They added manure to the sand and moved the wells further from the ocean to get away from the saltwater contamination.
Knowing the site, routing and, all the people involved it is hard to go out there and see it in the condition that it is in now. I would love to see some work done to the course, but would also love to see some restoration/renovation of Lincoln Park too! It is a short course, but with some unmatched views in golf. All in all, SF has two run down golf courses that need to be treated with a little more respect.
Google maps
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=37.626978,-122.484641&spn=0.014581,0.028882&t=k&om=1Tully