San Francisco Golf Club--A Great Place (pics)

[Jed Peters]

The pictures seem to show a lot of flat fairways.  Am I being deceived?

Yep.

[Chris Kane]

In the restaurant business, when you have a great location (because of a view, or a busy corner), and people come for the location, the food doesn't have to be good to keep the place full, so the management doesn't spend on quality.

That may be true, but to be considered a great restaurant over time (compared to being merely financially successful), the food has to be as good or better than the location.

I suppose its similar to golf - a great location may get the punters through the gates, but it won't guarantee critical acclaim or a high Doak Scale rating.  Courses like Cypress Point, Dornoch and Barnbougle Dunes combine wonderful locations with great architecture. 

[Matt_Cohn]

The pictures seem to show a lot of flat fairways.  Am I being deceived?

Yep.

It's not dead flat but it's not Olympic Cub either. Probably half the approach shots are from basically flat lies. Half are not.

[Jed Peters]

The pictures seem to show a lot of flat fairways.  Am I being deceived?

Yep.

It's not dead flat but it's not Olympic Cub either. Probably half the approach shots are from basically flat lies. Half are not.

Approach shots--

1. Flat
2. Uphill
3. Downhill
4. Flat
5. Flat
6. Downhill
7. Downhill
8. Uphill
9. Downhill
10. Flat
11. Flat
12. Uphill
13. Flat
14. Downhill
15. Uphill
16. Downhill
17. Uphill
18 Flat

I count 7 flat approaches. Am I off?

[Ash Towe]

One of the great courses I have been fortunate to play.  The vista from the clubhouse looking at the course is magnificent and sets the tone for what is to come.
I will leave the architecture discussion to those who have played it more.

[Matt_Cohn]

The pictures seem to show a lot of flat fairways.  Am I being deceived?

Yep.

It's not dead flat but it's not Olympic Cub either. Probably half the approach shots are from basically flat lies. Half are not.

Approach shots--

1. Flat
2. Uphill
3. Downhill
4. Flat
5. Flat
6. Downhill
7. Downhill
8. Uphill
9. Downhill
10. Flat
11. Flat
12. Uphill
13. Flat
14. Downhill
15. Uphill
16. Downhill
17. Uphill
18 Flat

I count 7 flat approaches. Am I off?

not unless you think that between two adjacent parallel holes in opposite directions, one can be flat and the other downhill.   

but yeah, close enough.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Matt- are you thinking of 9 and 10?  Jed was listing the approach shots , which are different.

Jed, I'd agree with your listings, but I'd add "slight" to some off the listings...12 for example is not what someone would consider an uphill hole, though it is slightly so. 

I guess based on the pics that you played on a Monday?

[Matt_Cohn]

that and 3/5. and 6. are those really uphill/downhill? i don't remember them that way but it's been 2 years.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Slightly.  No Olympic-style side to side or up and down, except for 2, 7, and 8, and maybe throw in the approaches to 9 and 14.

[Jed Peters]

that and 3/5. and 6. are those really uphill/downhill? i don't remember them that way but it's been 2 years.

Matt: The second shot on 3 is SLIGHTLY downhill, plays maybe a half club.

5 is flat.

6 is pretty far downhill from the tee.

[Jed Peters]

Matt- are you thinking of 9 and 10?  Jed was listing the approach shots , which are different.

Jed, I'd agree with your listings, but I'd add "slight" to some off the listings...12 for example is not what someone would consider an uphill hole, though it is slightly so. 

I guess based on the pics that you played on a Monday?

Kevin, totally agree.

And yes, I played on a Monday. More play on that day than all other days of the week combined, from what I understand!

[Matt_Cohn]

Matt- are you thinking of 9 and 10?  Jed was listing the approach shots , which are different.

Jed, I'd agree with your listings, but I'd add "slight" to some off the listings...12 for example is not what someone would consider an uphill hole, though it is slightly so. 

I guess based on the pics that you played on a Monday?

kevin, how do you guess the day of the week from a photograph? 

no caddies?

[Kevin_Reilly]

LOL, I sure didn't analyze the angle of the sun or anything. 

And you are not correct when you say "no caddies".  But....

And the flagpole looked a bit bare.

[Jed Peters]

LOL, I sure didn't analyze the angle of the sun or anything. 

And you are not correct when you say "no caddies".  But....

And the flagpole looked a bit bare.

There were plenty of caddies out there....trust me.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Jeez, was I that subtle?

[Carl Rogers]

I can see why Tom in the Confidential Guide gave the 7th hole 3 exclamation marks. 

If any of you get a chance to play the 11th at Riverfront, you will find elements of SFGC#7, the prototypical Eden and the prototypical Short combined.

[Chip Gaskins]

Jed-

Great pics.  I thought the routing was great because it used the natural land features to the fullest.  Instead of going perpendicular over the valleys on the front, or even diagonal, Tillinghast actually went parallel which to me makes a large field of play feel very intimate at times.

My caddie put down a copy of the Economist to carry my bag.  Not sure where else you would see that.

I think #3 is one of the best holes I have played...



# 13 is one of the best short holes in the world...



And I still can't figure out the bunkering on #12, thought it looks really cool:

[John Kirk]

#13 is great.  It answers the question of what to do with 150 yards of flat ground.  Answer:  Build one of those.

[Matt_Cohn]

yeah, 12 seems to be a polarizing hole. some love it. i didn't get it.

[Jed Peters]

I think #3 is one of the best holes I have played...

Chip:

It's so funny, because I was so excited to play 3. After a nice 3 putt bogey on 2, I was hitting 4th, and guys 2 and 3 hit nice draws right over the right bunker. Thinking I was going to lace one on the same line, I hit a big push straight down 2 fairway.

A nifty 8 iron back to the (correct) fairway, and an 80 yard wedge hit to three feet....I missed the putt and made 5.

A great hole, however--I just wished I could have played it as it was intended to play!