Burlingame Country Club

[Chris Appling]

A friend of mine asked me to join his group at Burlingame Country Club in South San Francisco. Any thoughts on the facility and course from anyone?

[David_Tepper]

Chris Appling -

I have played Burlingame CC a number of times over the years. It is one of the less impressive courses on the SF Peninsula and it is not in the same league as the Cal Club, Peninsula & Stanford.

It is an old-school course that lies very close to the land, with minimal shaping of the greens & bunkers. The course used to drain poorly in the winter (although that may have changed a bit for the better). Fortunately, it has not rained here for over 3 weeks now.

DT

[Tim Leahy]

I have always wondered about this course but have never found anyone who has played it. Please post some pictures if it is possible. I do know one bit of trivia about Burlingame, that is that Bing Crosby was a member.

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

My sense, from a friend at SFGC, is that Burlingame tends to be mostly a social and tennis club for the Hillsborough/Burlingame set, and these members with any serious golf intentions also tend to be members at SFGC (and maybe elsewhere like Cal Club of Olympic)

[David_Tepper]

Tim Leary -

Burlingame CC sits in a Hillsborough neighborhood. You can see quite a bit of the course simply by driving around its perimeter, getting out for a look every once in a while. Make a detour to see it the next time you are on the SF Peninsula.

DT  

[Mike Benham]

A friend of mine asked me to join his group at Burlingame Country Club in South San Francisco.

It ain't in South San Francisco as David noted, it is in Hillsborough, which is not Burlingame ...


I last played the course many years ago, during a stretch of unemployment , and have little memory of the holes.


Spaulding will likely have the best take on it unless a local armenian wants to chime in but it is best described as "old money".  Grand old stately clubhouse, probably musty on the inside.


Burlingame Aerial

 

[Kevin_Reilly]

Have played it a handful of times but it's been a while.  The course is fairly short, has a few elements of quirk (e.g., a couple of double tees, and an absolutely tiny/skinny figure-8 shaped green on a par 4), and as described above the course sits in the middle of a Hillsborough neighborhood...the surrounding real estate is uber-expensive. 

Would be very difficult for anyone to look at the aerial that Mike provided and discern the routing.

IIRC, Gib caddied there in his youth.

I understand that the club has improved its bunkering significantly and has done a bit of tree management in the last several years.

[David_Tepper]

Kevin -

Yes, that short par-4 with the figure-8/keyhole-shaped green is one of the 2 or 3 most interesting holes on the course. The 9th hole, the short par-3 played over the road to the clubhouse, is also fun.

DT

[Neal_Meagher]

A certain Armenian scribe, and the best golf writer extant, literally grew up toting the likes of Bing Crosby's sticks on Burlingame CC's grounds.  Methinks that he should respond to this thread as he would surely have nothing but the unvarnished truth to post about its design provenance.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I will make it unanimous. Gib oh Gib, please come tell the tales of your youth and about the bones of this course.

[Bill_McBride]

I caddied at the Meadow Club for a few months in high school.

I was the new kid, so the caddie master sent me out late morning every time with a couple of ladies who played Army golf. Left right left right.

I hope Gib lasted longer at Burlingame! 

[Jon Spaulding]

A friend of mine asked me to join his group at Burlingame Country Club in South San Francisco.

It ain't in South San Francisco as David noted, it is in Hillsborough, which is not Burlingame ...


I last played the course many years ago, during a stretch of unemployment , and have little memory of the holes.


Spaulding will likely have the best take on it unless a local armenian wants to chime in but it is best described as "old money".  Grand old stately clubhouse, probably musty on the inside.


Burlingame Aerial

 

MB......sadly, I don't have much to add here.

It's on my list of things to maybe do in life, but my "coverage" has generally discouraged us going over there as he thinks that the course is dogshit.

Believe that BCC was designed by Tom Nicoll, a pre-golden age hack who also brought us gems such as San Jose CC and Menlo CC. The latter is being blown up this year and redone by Kyle Phillips. Allegedly Menlo has additional acreage which will be incorporated into the "new" golf course.

I did attend a party once in Hillsborough. Quite a place, my recollection is that the estates there made Atherton look like a dump.

[Jason Goss]

It ain't in South San Francisco as David noted, it is in Hillsborough, which is not Burlingame ...


I last played the course many years ago, during a stretch of unemployment , and have little memory of the holes.


Spaulding will likely have the best take on it unless a local armenian wants to chime in but it is best described as "old money".  Grand old stately clubhouse, probably musty on the inside.

Have not played the course, but I was at a meeting there a few years back.  The clubhouse was definitely musty!