May 2nd Golf in San Francisco

[jvisser]

Hi,
At the end of the month, I'm travelling to the San Francisco area for a couple of days and have just one day / morning left to fill: Monday the 2nd of May.
Any suggestions as to where to go? Anybody around to have a game with?
Already set to play at Pasatiempo on Friday the 30th.

Cheers,Jan

[DFarron]

Lived over there for 8 years, it is golf heaven!


Monday will be tough, most of the privates are closed.


For publics I really like Corica Park and Harding Park. Presidio is pretty fun too and has some great views.


You will love Pasatiempo

[David_Tepper]

Greetings from San Francisco. Hard to argue with Drew's suggestions.

At Corica Park in Alameda, you want to play the South Course. Another good course in the East Bay is the Metropolitan by the Oakland Airport. The conditioning there can be a little rough at times. I have no idea what it is like currently

If you only have time for 9 holes,  the Fleming 9-hole course within Harding Park is pretty good. The big course at Harding is certainly worth playing.

I have probably played the Presidio 400-500 times. Very up & down, with a lot of side hill lies. This is probably the best time of the year to play the course in terms of its condition.   

Unfortunately I am on the injured reserve list for the next 6-8 weeks and cannot join you.

[Jason Topp]

If you are new to the area, you should play Harding Park to experience the area where the Olympic Club, SFGC and Harding are all located. 


If you are struggling to find a place or are staying South of town, I liked the municipal course in Palo Alto - Baylands Golf Links.   

[JLahrman]

If I were you I would play Presidio. It's got a great city vibe, you can see a lot of San Francisco architecture and likely get some San Francisco fog. The architecture is surprisingly interesting too, there are some fun holes. I've played Presidio about 398-498 fewer times than David has but I really enjoyed it.


Harding is good but IMHO really overpriced at out-of-town rates. I would rather play Metro or Monarch Bay.

[Andrew Harvie]

I would go to Presidio 8 out of 10 times over Harding Park.

[Tim Leahy]

Harding has the recent pro history and is Bay area typical tree lined shot echoing golf. But if you want pure fun and love elevation changes and elevated tee shots then Lake Chabot in the Oakland hills is the call. Public and inexpensive with a 100 ft drop shot par 3 and 660 yd all downhill par 6 18th you can't not have fun. On clear days you can view both bridges on the bay.

[Jim O’Kane]

I lived in SF for 10 years and although the golf landscape has changed quite a bit since I left in 1996 (such as the closing of San Geronimo in Marin County a few years back -- that broke my heart)...there is one under the radar 9 holer that was quite the treat back then.


It's called Gleneagles and it's down in McLaren Park in the central south part of the city.


I always loved that place. VERY difficult. Very natural terrain built on the side of a mountain/hill, and minimalist design. Was originally designed by Jack Fleming who worked with MacKenzie and Hunter on Cypress Point and has the 9 holer inside of Harding Park named after him. It also has a very cool small clubhouse/bar/proshop, and a single guy that bought the place and saved it from going under, who is the starter, bartender, greenskeeper, etc. holds court there serving drinks, food, and sending people off the diabolical first tee.


I always thought it was a cool place for purists. Give it a look. You could certainly do the Presidio course and 9 at Gleneagles in one day. Playing Gleneagles during twilight and the sun going down is quite serene.


A fun fact that blows me away is that when I lived there, Harding Park was kind of dumpy, but had relatively decent bones and only about 6600 yards or so. Sometime after I moved the TPC group acquired it, gave it a massive overhaul and lengthened it significantly. If you play that, think about the fact that it was once sort of an ugly duckling compared to what it is now. And also beware, I have had multiple friends who have played there and had their cars broken in to while out on the course. Unfortunately, that is all too common all over SF these days from what I'm told. You'd never think it'd happen at a golf course though.


I can't suggest Gleneagles highly enough. Give it a look.


I quit golf for 11 years. I started back playing my last 2 years in SF when I was driving a Veteran's Cab and some other drivers found out I played college golf and got me back into it. They took me here.


I miss that place immensely. I wish I had discovered it sooner. I will most certainly go back there another time from Atlanta at some point in my life.


http://www.gleneaglesgolfsf.com/

Safe travels and have a great trip. If you do play the little Gleneagles gem, let me know what you think of it.

Jim

[Jordan Beasley]

Jan - not knowing the rest of your schedule on that day, I'll make two other suggestions that are reachable from SF if you are not afraid of an early wake-up call.  Both are about 70-90 minutes north of SF, depending on where you staying.


-Northwood - MacKenzie 9-holer carved out of a redwood forest.  One of the few courses I know that has a universal 100% approval rating from anyone I've ever taken there or played with there.


-Yocha Dehe - part of a tribal casino complex tucked back in a preserved canyon.  A "dark age" course but a well-designed and memorable one.  You'll never forget the opening tee shot, and the conditions/service/scenery are top-notch.

[Jim O’Kane]

-Northwood - MacKenzie 9-holer carved out of a redwood forest.  One of the few courses I know that has a universal 100% approval rating from anyone I've ever taken there or played with there.

I've always wanted to play Northwood. Another reason to go back. Great suggestion.

[David_Tepper]

JOK -

A few points of information to bring you up to date on Gleneagles.

Erik de Lambert, the fellow who leased the course from the city (and improved it substantially) back in the 1970's, gave up the lease to operate the course 15-20 years ago (I think). Sadly, he passed away in 2013. Here is his obituary:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/erik-de-lambert-obituary?id=18363135

While I have not been out there in many years, my understanding is the operator of the course who took over from EDL has continued to improve and upgrade the course.

One could have an interesting day of golf playing the 3 public 9-holes courses in SF: Gleneagles, the Fleming 9 at Harding and the 9-hole par-3  course at the western end of Golden Gate Park.

DT

 

[Jim O’Kane]

JOK -

A few points of information to bring you up to date on Gleneagles.

Erik de Lambert, the fellow who leased the course from the city (and improved it substantially) back in the 1970's, gave up the lease to operate the course 15-20 years ago (I think). Sadly, he passed away in 2013. Here is his obituary:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/erik-de-lambert-obituary?id=18363135

While I have not been out there in many years, my understanding is the operator of the course who took over from EDL has continued to improve and upgrade the course.

One could have an interesting day of golf playing the 3 public 9-holes courses in SF: Gleneagles, the Fleming 9 at Harding and the 9-hole par-3  course at the western end of Golden Gate Park.

DT

I edited my post as I have got my history confused. Couldn't find the article about the subsequent owner of Gleneagles, except for the current guy Tom Hsieh, who apparently is keeping it alive as best he can.

Yes! That would indeed be a fun 9 holer day. Not sure why I never did that.


However, what I did do many a time, was park my cab and yank a Dynapower out of the trunk at the GG Park par 3 and go chip around at dusk with another driver, $1 a shot, closest to the ping, when no one was around, until we really couldn't see.

Then we'd go begin driving our night shift.


Thanks for bringing back that memory of the GG Park par 3. I had all but forgotten about those times.

[David_Tepper]

JOK -

Yes, Tom Hsieh has operated Gleneagles since 2004. Between past problems getting water from the city at a reasonable price due to the ongoing drought and the recent COVID shutdown, it has been an uphill battle to keep the course going.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/gleneagles-covid19-relief-fund

2014 NY Times article on the course:

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/sports/golf/at-the-other-gleneagles-a-scruffy-9-hole-course-in-san-francisco.html

DT

[Jim O’Kane]

JOK -

Yes, Tom Hsieh has operated Gleneagles since 2004. Between past problems getting water from the city at a reasonable price due to the ongoing drought and the recent COVID shutdown, it has been an uphill battle to keep the course going.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/gleneagles-covid19-relief-fund

2014 NY Times article on the course:

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/sports/golf/at-the-other-gleneagles-a-scruffy-9-hole-course-in-san-francisco.html

DT

Thanks for these David.


Damn. Both these articles/links break my heart. That place has a special place in my memory as it's the place those cab drivers got me back into playing after 10 years or so of leaving not just collegiate golf, but golf entirely. And then discovering the history of the place, it's difficulty, it's sort of hidden gem-ness, the little clubhouse, the characters who hung out there...it made it all the more special to me.


I sure hope Tom perseveres and is successful.


I was out at the website a few days ago. I think some GE swag to help the cause is in order. 


And I loved the article on the website that mentioned Lee Trevino who shot 73 first time around and then 76 after he knew the place. I had a similar fate my first time. 38 or 39 very first time playing. Then didn't break 40 for probably 15 times. That place is like chasing a phantom; elusive, difficult, and a mystery. It looks relatively easy, until you look at it closely.


I loved it.


Thanks again for those links and the NYT article. Fingers crossed for Tom and the future of GE.