Bunker renovation at Presidio (SF) #18

[Matt_Cohn]

In the last few months the bunkering on #18 at Presidio has been renovated to a more rugged, older-looking style. I didn't do a good job with these pictures but you'll get the idea. The left bunker is quite dynamic looking from the fairway, with some little capes that appear over the top of each other. The right bunker isn't as appealing, but the chipping area in front of it is pretty severe and strategic, unlike anything else on the course. (BTW, the hole is a narrow downhill par-5 of just over 500 yards.)

The hedge left of the green has also been removed. Perhaps someone can share "before" pictures?

One can only assume this is the start of a larger project; I doubt a course would purposefully create two bunkers that look totally different than anything else on the course if the intent was to stop there. Also all of the fairway bunkers on 18 were removed. The green is just a tiny bit bigger side to side than it was before.

Presidio could use this desperately. It's not mean to say that it looks old and a bit worn, because it IS old and a bit worn, although it can be quite pretty.

I think I would spend more time at Presidio if the whole course followed the types of changes that have been made on #18.

Left:


You'll also notice that they've started cutting fairway right up to some of the bunker edges (although they've also started cutting some of the side and backboards around the greens to fairway height, which dumbs it down just a bit to me).


Right:
This chipping area will probably see a lot of shots, and it's really tough from here...

...because of this giant slope and knob, and then a straight downslope onto the narrow green. It's actually pretty intense over there. Just getting it on the green is a pretty decent shot from there if the pin is in the front. The right bunker doesn't start until at least 25 yards deep into the green.


And a shot of our beautiful July weather from the 6th green:

[Pete_Pittock]

It is part of a possibly larger project with the actual construction work being done in-house.

[David_Tepper]

Matt -

The fairway bunkers on #18 (2 on the right side, one on the left side) were installed by the Palmer group when they took over management of the course in the late 1990's. There were no fairway bunkers on that hole before then. 

By the way, are you aware that holes #10 & #18 were reversed in the early 1970's? On both holes, the tees are now where the greens used to be and the greens are now where the tees used to be!

DT

[Jeff_Mingay]

Pete,

I'm pretty sure the actual shaping and construction work is being done in-house, but the design consultants are Armen Suny and Richard Zokol. They advised on the recent changes to #18.

I'm not sure where the project is headed from here. 

[Mark McKeever]

Definitely has that vintage look.  I like it!

Mark

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

When I played there back in May, was told that this was the start of an ongoing project, and they would be redoing bunkers on  most of the holes... they weren't sure which or how long the project would take.

[Tim Leahy]

I remember playing this course in the late 70's when it was private and military only and the conditions were pristine. This course has so much potential if they put some work into it.

[Pete_Pittock]

Pete,

I'm pretty sure the actual shaping and construction work is being done in-house, but the design consultants are Armen Suny and Richard Zokol. They advised on the recent changes to #18.

I'm not sure where the project is headed from here.  

Jeff,
I knew that Suny-Zokol Golf Design was doing the consulting for the Presidio Trust but wasn't willing to put that info out.   

[David_Tepper]

I played the Presidio yesterday afternoon. I was not at all impressed with the new bunker on the left side of the 18th green. To my eye, it seems the primary purpose of enlarging that bunker was to keep balls hit left of the green from running on to the paved area in front of the clubhouse. The bunker itself is very shallow. The surface of maybe 85%-90% of the bunker cannot be more than an inch or two below the surface of the grass surrounding it. It almost looks as if they just dumped a bunch of sand on the grass and spread it around.

I do like what they did on the right side of the green. I will be interested to see what they do with the rest of bunkers on the course. So far, they have one hit and one miss.  

[astavrides]

I hope they widen the gap between the bunkers on #2 so there is a reasonable chance to run the ball onto the green.  If that makes it too easy, call it a par 4.  #2 is a pretty bad hole no matter what they do though.  #3 with the narrow fairway leading to oblivion on both sides is not much better.

[JLahrman]

...because of this giant slope and knob, and then a straight downslope onto the narrow green. It's actually pretty intense over there. Just getting it on the green is a pretty decent shot from there if the pin is in the front. The right bunker doesn't start until at least 25 yards deep into the green.

Played Presidio for the first time yesterday, and I should have read this thread first.  This is exactly where I wound up after two pretty good shots on #18, although a little further up (pin high, and the pin was in front).  It's a very tricky shot.  I was worried about not getting the ball up the rise, and wound up running it all the way through to the bunker on the left side.  Additionally, that rise is rounded so you if you opt for a run-up shot you really have to think about how the ball will pitch off the slope.

I really enjoyed the course.  There are definitely a few changes that could be made but there are a lot of fun holes out there.

[Tim_Cronin]

Good to see you're having the usual hot summer there!

[Ronald Montesano]

25 yards or 25 feet deep into the green? That would be some big green if a mid-point bunker were 75 feet from the front edge.

[JLahrman]

Good to see you're having the usual hot summer there!

My car said 52 degrees when we finished Tuesday evening.

And it wasn't all that much different when we teed off.

[JLahrman]

25 yards or 25 feet deep into the green? That would be some big green if a mid-point bunker were 75 feet from the front edge.

I think Matt meant 25 feet, but I would actually say it's more like 40 feet.

[Matt_Cohn]

I meant what I said. It's a very long green, so even if I was off then maybe the green is 35 yards deep and the bunker is 20-25 yards in. Anything up to the middle of the green but right of it would be in the chipping area, not in the bunker.

[JLahrman]

I meant what I said. It's a very long green, so even if I was off then maybe the green is 35 yards deep and the bunker is 20-25 yards in. Anything up to the middle of the green but right of it would be in the chipping area, not in the bunker.

Apologies for speaking for you...

Here is a picture of the green (courtesy of Google Earth).  Dated from May, and you can see that the work was still in progress.  It is a long green, although 35 yards is 105 feet and I don't think it's quite that long (though you're more familiar with it than I am).

Regardless though, it's easy to see that the bunker certainly doesn't come into play until the middle of the green.

[Matt_Cohn]

Google earth says the green is 37 deep and the bunker starts at 19.

[Patrick Kiser]

A bump to show some of the latest.  Had a chance to revisit during a recent NCGA toonamint...  It really is night and day between playing the course in the winter vs. the summer.  I definitely enjoyed the course this time around and wasn't slipping / sliding all over the place like in the winter.  So I'll be back.

Anyway, the new / adjusted bunkering is coming along.  I'm kind of mixed in their look.  The shaggy stuff can't be too much fun to get out of.

And yes ... that is blue sky above.  Rare, rare, rare... 

9th Fairway




9th Greenside Right






10th Fairway Then Approach & Green












18th Update






15th...  Clearest Day Ever!

[Matt_Cohn]

I wish they'd just get on with this project already instead of doing like 4 bunkers a year!

[Josh Smith]

Thanks for this update.  I came over with a hydroseeder from Cal Club and helped with some of the grassing on the right fairway/rough.  BUT I have never seen anything else on the course, played it and really only was there for 2 hours or so.  These changes by Suny and Zokol looked very exciting to me.  It makes me eager to get out and play the course and oil paint it as well.  I think the look is fantastic and a bold "turn back the clock" move that I am proud they are taking.  Seeing the patchwork sodding was an eye opener !  We have enough of the normal looking courses around here.  

I am further embarrassed to say I haven't played half of the public courses in SF area just based on how bland they all look combined from what I hear of wet turf/5+ hour rounds etc.  It is really no excuse, because I usually like courses that are a bit neglected and unusual even if bland.

Haven't played Lincoln or Presidio.

[Patrick Kiser]

Does anyone know if there are some plans for tree management here as part of this in-house effort?

I really would like to see some thinning of the trees.  But I can see how that could be a little tricky.  The wind can get up here in the afternoon and if I'm not mistaken it tends to come in from the west.  Several of the holes run north to south and vis versa.  Tree clearing could really intensify the wind component.  The land itself for a significant part cants east to west on a sidehill with slopes that run in various directions on top of this.

I also saw some new plantings that didn't make much sense to me.  Witness the 1st here from the green looking back.  The two new trees to the right of the green take away the option to bump it in from the right.

[Matt_Cohn]

Patrick my understanding is that the National Park Service requires Presidio to plant 3 new trees for every one they cut down. Therefore a full tree clearing program is impossible even though the property was absolutely barren to start with and every tree on there was put there by people. The ones to the right of 1 green are a little weird, although at least they won't block sunlight in that location.