What can you say, three US Amateurs after this year, three US Opens and a couple Tour Championships. This course has all the history of any prestigious venue in sports. With the Amateur coming this summer, and the US Open in 2012, it appears it will continue to be one of a few courses which as challenged players for well over 50 years.
To start, I was reminded of the tenth hole at Crystal Downs when teeing off on #1 on the Lake course. I thought I was going to shatter a picture window with my backswing.
The course is undergoing some renovations in the form of new tee boxes, and redoing some of the bunkers. The bunkers look fantastic, as you could see where they had recently laid in some new sod. The fourth and fifth holes are two of the toughest back to back par 4's anywhere.
The greens are extremely small, at least compared to some of the ones I'm used to playing. They were rolling pretty well and some putts were downright scary once the ball made the westerly turn toward Lake Merced. I can't even imagine this course when the rough is up, and the greens are around tournament speeds. Simply Unbelieveable.
As always, here are some pictures from the adventure. Enjoy!
Don't leave the Club without eating one of the legendary cheeseburgers. They are UNREAL!
The first tee with the proshop staff watching your first tee shot fly ANYWHERE.
Second Green from the First Fairway
New back teebox on #2
The view from #2 tee. Note the green strip of grass in the distance just above the dead tree. It is the first hole at SFGC.
Needless to say I wasn't smiling finding my ball 15 yds. behind the 2nd green.
Cool Bench on the 6th tee.
Sixth Green Setting
Awesome Three Tiered 7th Green.
Great Uphill Par 3 8th.
Par 4 9th Green
Tee shot of Par 4 11th
Green Setting of the 11th
Tee shot of the infamous 609 yd. 16th.
Par 5 17th
17th Green Setting
Scotty B. whaling on driver on the famous 18th.
The downhill lie, uphill approach. Could you have a better setting to finish a round of golf?
