A new top 100 USA candidate in near future

[Al Jamieson]

I posted comments about the Gil Hanse restoration of Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, CA a few months ago.  I had the pleasure of touring again on Monday and my enthusiasm for the restored course is up several notches.
They plan to open for members sometime after Oct. and understandably likely no guest play for some time, but if anyone reading this who may be in SF, try to at least arrange a walk through.  I have played there as a guest for 50 years but never knew how much Robert Muir-Graves completely altered the original in the 60's in anticipation of the 280 freeway. The clubhouse was also in a different location from the one I've known.
Using a trove of photos accumulated by club historian Mitch Lieber, Gil has restored almost all of the original holes from the Mackenzie work circa 1928. Greens are somewht larger to accommodate more hole locations at today's green speeds.
Bent grass fairways and greens, rye rough.  IMO, they've knocked it out of the park!

[Niall C]

Al


Fantastic stuff. How does it compare to your beloved Cal Club ? 


Niall

[David Wuthrich]

Looks like I need to come back and see you!!!

[DFarron]

I loved playing LM when I lived in the Bay Area and can’t wait to play it again after the guest hiatus is over !

[Matt_Cohn]

I toured Lake Merced yesterday. It is still on track for an October 1 opening, though admittedly a lot of the grass will still be very young.


I've posted an album on Flickr with about 3 dozen images. It's too much work to copy them into GCA, other than one teaser pic below. If you're interested in corresponding the new course to the old one, please refer to the captions; they all include both old and new hole numbers.


It's a very impressive golf course and I have a hard time thinking of why someone wouldn't like it. Top 100? I just can't tell from a walk through, even with grass on the ground. I can give you an argument in favor, and I can also give you a few question marks that I don't feel like I could evaluate without playing it a few times, which I'm highly looking forward to doing. Anyway, here's a teaser pic.


Again, Flickr album link.

[Matt_Cohn]

Bent grass fairways and greens, rye rough.  IMO, they've knocked it out of the park!

Also, I would have sworn Al was mistaken—bent fairways in Norcal?—but of course he's right. Weird how Cal has fescue, LM has bent, and SF has rye/poa.