[Paul Richards]

Just met someone who was affiliated with Lake Merced.

I have played Olympic Club and San Fran GC, but not LM.

What can anyone tell me about the club, and how does it compare to the other two clubs?

Thanks in advance.

[Bill_McBride]

Mike Golden is the Lake Merced guy and hopefully will chime in soon.

[Mike_Golden]

Paul,

I've been a member at Lake Merced for the past 6 years, and, although I'm in the process of leaving the club, can tell you that while the architecture of the course may leave something to the imagination (repetitive bunkering in Rees' best (or worst) style), Lake Merced is a terrific players course.  Tough, fair, in excellent condition, and, with the new clubhouse having recently opened, well worth a visit if given the opportunity.  There is one really bad hole (#4), but a bunch of excellent par 4's, both long (#1, #5, #7, #16) and short (#16).  We have had many Open qualifiers, both Men's and Women's, at the club at no one ever brings it to its knees, even with the friendly pin placements that have to be used in order to get the field around twice within a day.

By the way, who have you met with the affiliation?

[Mike_Golden]

Comparing Lake Merced with Olympic Lake and SFGC is kind of difficult since both of the other clubs have much higher profile reputations.  LMGC gets much less play than OC and more than SFGC;  I would say the Lake Merced is a little tougher to score than SFGC and about the same as OC-OC's greens are a little more difficult, LMGC drains better than OC.  All 3 courses have lots of Cypress trees, fog, and overcast so the feeling is very similar on all 3.  IMHO, Lake Merced is a better course than California GC, the other private club in the area, although some on here will disagree.  One advantage of LMGC is that the food is better than either of the other clubs, particularly if you were lucky enough to be there on a Sunday evening when the Prime Rib buffet is scheduled.

[Bob_Huntley]

Comparing Lake Merced with Olympic Lake and SFGC is kind of difficult since both of the other clubs have much higher profile reputations.  LMGC gets much less play than OC and more than SFGC;  I would say the Lake Merced is a little tougher to score than SFGC and about the same as OC-OC's greens are a little more difficult, LMGC drains better than OC.  All 3 courses have lots of Cypress trees, fog, and overcast so the feeling is very similar on all 3.  IMHO, Lake Merced is a better course than California GC, the other private club in the area, although some on here will disagree.  One advantage of LMGC is that the food is better than either of the other clubs, particularly if you were lucky enough to be there on a Sunday evening when the Prime Rib buffet is scheduled.

Mike,

I remember the discussion about the L.A. course pecking order, LACC or Riviera etc., but when it came to food, nothng could compare to Hillcrest.

Bob

[David_Tepper]

Paul-

I saw Tiger Woods (as a 15-year old) play in the USGA Junior at Lake Merced many years ago (he lost in the semis). I have played the course a number of times and seen several US Open qualifiers there since. Mike Golden's description of the course is spot on.

Were it not for its proximity to OC and SFGC and the shadow those courses cast, Lake Merced would probably be better known. Lake Merced was actually scheduled to host the Women's Open (in either 2003 or '04, I think), but the club decided not to go through with it. It is too bad, as that surely would have made the course better known.

DT  

[Mike_Golden]

I remember the discussion about the L.A. course pecking order, LACC or Riviera etc., but when it came to food, nothng could compare to Hillcrest.

Bob,

No one can say that those of my tribe aren't world class when it comes to food  Actually, the best food I've ever had at a golf club was at Seawane-the Shore Dinner was to die for

David,

We were scheduled for the Women's Open in 2002.  I've explained this before, but our Board played hardball with the USGA trying to get a guarantee against losses and the USGA pulled the event-had our Board spoken with some members they would have found that many of them would have put up the guarantee personally.  We had a Women's sectional qualifying for the Open in 2002 and the golf course ate up the field-I think 12 or 13 over made it through.

[JakaB]

Mike,

Did you take the job in Asheville...and haven't you quit Merced before.  How does the demit system work at a high end club like that..

[JakaB]

Mike,

Are you just able to resume paying monthlies willy nilly when ever you feel like being a member again....or do you need to make up missed payments.  Have you been able to quit paying monthlies for a while then start up again for a few months and then quit again without any penalties....As a member of a few clubs I am always interested in how this works..

[JohnV]

John,  I don't know how it works at Lake Merced as all clubs are different, but when I was trying to get out of Pumpkin Ridge, I had to pay monthly dues.  Fortunately I had moved out of the area so i was able to transfer to a national member which cut those dues in half.

I had an 80% equity membership there which meant that I got 80% of what the membership sold for.  If I had decided at some point to take my name off the list, my membership would have changed to a 60% equity as the penalty for making the change. That was done as way to stop people from getting on the list as a way of hedging their bets since it took almost 2 years to get out in my case.

[JakaB]

John,

If you would have taken you name off of the list and quit paying monthlies....could you have moved back in town and started paying monthlies again....or would you have to basically pay the 40% difference between the 100% they get and the 60% they owe you.....and....did your gamble pay off or did the monthlies you paid outweight the additional 20%..

[JakaB]

Lake Merced's policy is that resigning members pay due for 3 months after resignation.  If I had gone back I would have been expected to pay back the dues during the months I was absent.  Once the membership is transferred this option is no longer available.  Does that answer the question?

Mike,

Thank you...I will now take my name off of the Lake Merced black ball list considering the guy who black balled me was not a member at the time of the imposition of such penalty...that is of course if that you would have not payed all those back dues just to keep me off a course that you no longer belong...now that would be strong my friend..

[Peter_Herreid]

To get this one back on topic....

Paul,  I played out there 4 times during the period from mid 2001-early 2003, and my feeling was always that it was a very strong track, with perhaps a few marginal holes (#4 being the most glaring, as has been mentioned here before), but requiring the low HCP'er to hit a wide variety of shots to score well...

There are a couple of reverse-cant mid-range to long-ish par 4's that require opposite ball flights off the tee and on the approach, 2-3 very strong long par 3's, a narrow short par -4 with a wicked green, and a strong uphill all the way finishing par 5...

During that time frame, and I may have just been unlucky in timing,  they were struggling with a pretty bad nematode problem, I think it was, and the greens were not in good shape.  That having been said, when you're used to Harding Park greens circa 1988-1995, they did not detract from my enjoyment of the course in any significant way...

I cannot compare it to SFGC, but as an alternative to the Course, I would think the biggest difference is in the overall strength of the par 4's on the Lake...

As a guest, there was perhaps a more engaging "club" atmosphere at Lake Merced, maybe because it seems downright sleepy compared to the flurry of activity out at the Olympic Club, usually...

In summary, my sense is that Lake Merced is undervalued in some respect, but perhaps only when compared to its negihbors.  I would love to be able to "transplant" it up here to the Puget Sound region!

Peter

[Mike_Golden]

Peter,

Thanks for your comments and getting the thread back on track.  The nematode problem was resolved and the greens are in their best shape ever thanks to the diligence of an intern that has been with the club for a couple of years.

[THuckaby2]

Thanks to one particular really nice guy and oft-recipient of money winnings from me, I have been fortunate to play Lake Merced several times.  My bottom line is this:  if suffers only from proximity to its more acclaimed neigbhors.  Take those away and it would be considered truly great without a doubt.  As it is, the standard question is never "is it great" but "how does it compare to OClub/SFGC"... Which is a very fair question, for sure... But remember the unquestioned greatness of those two... damn few courses could come out favorably next to them.

As it is, the "club" atmosphere is fantastic at Lake Merced, and the comments about the food are very spot on.

BTW, if one considers Lake Merced "sleepy", then SFGC would have to be called positively catatonic.  

Lake Merced is a damn fine golf course.  Tough to score on, lots of fun shots to be faced.  Peter H. describes it perfectly as I see it.

TH

[HamiltonBHearst]

Funny, when we talk about Maidstone we act as if it is sucked along by the neighbors, wouldn't Lake Merced be also.

Tom H.

Can you explain the atmosphere and whyit is so special.  All I have heard is the food and it seems that is always the least important thingfor people on this board.

[THuckaby2]

Hamilton:

Now perhaps it was due to the graciousness of my host, I don't know, but my feeling at that club was always one of a very warm welcome... a guest gets a feeling of belonging.. and the fact that the "grillroom" (for lack of a better word) was filled with laughing, happy people every time I've been there just leads me to believe it is very much a fun-loving club.  Of course it's that way at Olympic, also.  But that's what I meant, anyway.  Not every club is like this.

Food is likely the least important thing for most people on this board, for sure.  But ANYONE would be selling themselves short if all they looked at was "architecture" at a place like Lake Merced.  But if that's what turns you on, well... that's cool.   More great soup left for the rest of us.  

Now as for Lake Merced being "sucked along", well I have no idea if that happens re Maidstone, but my feeling is it surely doesn't re Lake Merced.  Very few people bother to take the time to even PLAY Lake Merced, and those that do seem  inevitably not to go any further than "nice course, hate the 4th hole, clearly inferior overall to SFGC and Olympic."  If that's being sucked along, well then I guess I don't understand the term.

TH

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