In My Opinion: San Francisco

[Matt_Cohn]

I'm making plans to write my second "In My Opinion" piece for GCA. The topic will be a comparison of the great golf courses in close proximity around Lake Merced in San Francisco.

Definitely to be included are Olympic-Lake and SFGC, which I've played once each; Harding Park, which I've played about 10 times; and Lake Merced, which I played for the first time today.

Two questions about courses I have not played:

1. Cal Club. I know it's a great layout. I'm thinking of excluding it from my piece based solely on geography. Good idea, or bad idea?

2. Olympic-Ocean. It doesn't have the reputation of the other five golf courses I've mentioned. But again, I've not played it. Should I wait to include it in my piece?

[Mike Benham]

The Cal Club is actually called the California Golf Club of San Francisco, so perhaps you should include it !!!!  

As for the layout being "great", that may be an exaggeration.

And the Olympic Ocean, your opinions would be interesting to hear.

Mike

[Bill_McBride]

Matt, I agree with Mike, you should play the Ocean Course before writing about it.  I've only played it once and recall it is a bit like a course designed by a committee.  I recall mentioning to one of the members that it was like Tom Weiskopf did a routing plan and then gave three teams of shapers six holes each to build, each in a different style.  There is certainly some interesting topography!

[David_Tepper]

Matt -

I would suggest sticking with the 4 courses (Harding, OC Lake, SFGC & Lake Merced) you identified as one distinct group.

The Cal Club belongs to different group - courses on the Peninsula between highways 101 & 280. That group includes Burlingame, Green Hills, Peninsula, Sharon Heights, Stanford and a few others.    

The Ocean Course is "sui generis."  It has been changed SO many times over the past 50+ years that you really can't put it in the first group. It does not have the history or the continuity.

DT

[Tom Huckaby]

I'd say however you do it, it will be darn interesting.  But I also think David Tepper assessed this perfectly.

And if you are including SFGC, well you have played it post-Doakification, right?  If not, best to wait until you have.  

TH

[Jon Spaulding]

I look forward to the piece. I know the Cliffs course may be a stretch, but it would nice to see it included.

You might consider the Ocean course as a piece unto itself. Not very familiar with the original but what I have seen is intriguing. The Ocean holes added in the 90's sure were interesting for the time they existed.

[PThomas]

post-Doakification

 

[Matt_Cohn]

Paul and Tom,

Not only post-doakified, but also retillinghasted.

[Tom Huckaby]

Paul and Tom,

Not only post-doakified, but also retillinghasted.

I like that better - well done!

I have not, btw. Need to rectify that.  Some day soon I hope...

TH