The California Golf Club of San Francisco: A pictorial!!! (18th hole posted)

[Grant Saunders]

First I would like to preface my comments by stating I have not seen the course in person. Hopefully one day I will be able to do so.

For my eye and judging purely by the photos, Im having a bit of an issue seeing how the bunker edges and shapes fit in with the broader contours of the fairways. What I am picking up on is long soft lines of movement of the fairways yet the edges of the bunkers are very intricate and dare I say it "frilly".

My thoughts are in no way critical of the placement or strategy of the bunkers but rather just asking the question if perhaps this may be a case of broad spectrum use of a style that happens to be in vogue. Possibly it isnt something that stands out so much in person, but it was the very first thing I noted from the photos.

Does anyone have pictures of the bunkering prior to the renovation?

[Kyle Henderson]

Matt, I was just right of the 4th tee markers, but on the tee box when I took that photo.

Grant, the pic you "quoted" is of a new hole meant to have the same bunker style as the rest of the course. That bunker style was "restored" based on photographs of the course after MacKenzie redid the bunker scheme (he was actually the 3rd professional architect involved in the course's evolution, if memory serves). Ran has some photos of the "original" MacKenzie bunkers and the modern restorations aroung the 18th green in his write-up, for our reference.

[Kyle Henderson]

5th tee


Zoom

Landing zone


Zoom


Short/right of 5th green


Long/right of 5th green


Extra long/right of 5th green


Retrospective

[Matt_Cohn]

The pictures make #5 look somewhat narrow from the tee, but it's really very wide. Fun hole. Some might say that the teeshot could be more thought provoking, as there's not much to discourage a player from hitting a driver.

[Patrick Kiser]

The pictures make #5 look somewhat narrow from the tee, but it's really very wide. Fun hole. Some might say that the teeshot could be more thought provoking, as there's not much to discourage a player from hitting a driver.

Matt,

Were you able to hold the green with driver?

[Mike Benham]

Why are most of K-Hen's photos from the right-side of the fairway?   

[Kyle Henderson]

Why are most of K-Hen's photos from the right-side of the fairway?  

Smart guy,
After I walked my round, I took a quick lap with a member to shoot most of these photos. The cart path is on the right side of the 1st 5 greens.

I actually piped one of my best drives of 2012 on the 5th, bounding 285 up the hill (w/probably 40 yards of bounce & roll), leaving a 40 yard pitch.

On the 4th, I hit a quick hook into the fescue, about 200 yards out...

[Kyle Henderson]

6th hole.

[Bill McKinley]

This place looks delicious!!  Thanks for the photo tour Kyle.  I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the course. 

[Patrick Kiser]

The 6th is one of the more interesting par 3s I've experienced in the Bay Area with its initial back to front entrance that gradually turns into front to back towards the back right and left of the green with a good amount of recovery from the back.  This is one of those holes where the wind can really play tricks too from what I could tell.

The depth perception here is not obvious either and I wonder if this is due to some of A.V. Macan's handy work.

Couple of pics of the back of the green falling off:

[John Handley]

The 6th is one of the hardest pars on the golf course.  It typically will play to a 6 iron off the tee but when the greens are fast and firm (which is 90% of the time) it is extraordinarily hard to hold the green. The ideal shot is to land on the front collar and let the ball trickle onto the green.  The green has subtle undulatiuon which makes chipping and putting difficult as well.  Short and left in the bunkers is most likely a bogey or worse, over the green is most likely bogey.  The only good miss is pin hi or a little long and right.  It is the easiest place to chip from and the degree of difficulty is determined by the pin placement.  All in all, you walk off with a 3 and chances are you won the skin in your group.  I've seen more 5's than 3's with guys just shaking their heads as they walk off the green.

[Kyle Henderson]

The 6th is one of the hardest pars on the golf course.  It typically will play to a 6 iron off the tee but when the greens are fast and firm (which is 90% of the time) it is extraordinarily hard to hold the green. The ideal shot is to land on the front collar and let the ball trickle onto the green.  The green has subtle undulatiuon which makes chipping and putting difficult as well.  Short and left in the bunkers is most likely a bogey or worse, over the green is most likely bogey.  The only good miss is pin hi or a little long and right.  It is the easiest place to chip from and the degree of difficulty is determined by the pin placement.  All in all, you walk off with a 3 and chances are you won the skin in your group.  I've seen more 5's than 3's with guys just shaking their heads as they walk off the green.

Your description certainly matches what I saw on my only play. I roasted a 6-iron that didn't quite hold the green, despite barely carrying the fronting bunker. None of us got up and down, and my 4 won the hole.

[Kyle Henderson]

7th tee.


The flag is visible through the gap between trees, rendering a line of instinct far right of the line of charm.


Popular bunkers on the inside corner.


A down-sloping fairway to a peninsula green.

[Patrick Kiser]

The 7th...  It's definitely a big Wow! moment in the round.  Call it a signature hole or whatever, but it certainly stood out.

Long ball players with enough confidence can have a real highlight moment here off the tee.  I liked it a lot, but will say it felt different when compared to the rest of the course.  I would not go so far as to call it a departure, because the 9th is somewhat of a dogleg left as well.  But I wonder how some of the folks who have played it feel about this.  I'm curious to hear John's take as well.

Also, does this hole remind anyone at all of Kapaluah's 6th?  Kyle?

The approach is a challenge if you shortside yourself left.  The ball can runoff onto one of the few (perhaps the only stretch?) of concrete cartpath.

From behind the green panning right to show the runoff left:



 

 

[Carl Nichols]

The tee shot on 7, and the visibility of the flag from the tee, really seems to play tricks on people.  I've played Cal Club three times, and 6 out of 12 tee shots from my foursomes ended up right, which is basically dead.  Because there's so much room left, the conservative/smart play is to aim left (which really seems like way left) and leave a 8/9/wedge in.  If the pin is up, that strategy requires a blind shot that's probably best played by bouncing the ball off the downslope in front of the green, but that's a pretty fun shot to pull off.

[John Handley]

#7 is probably the most unique and "controversial" hole at the Cal Club.  While it was not part of the original golf course but the land that it uses is the highest point of the property.  Kyle Phillips did an excellent job of developing a "cape style" hole with the land available.  While some pursits may not think the hole fits with the rest of the golf course which may or may not be valid.  I believe the hole will improve over time and fit in well.  It certainly is one of the most fun holes to play on the course.  If the wind is blowing (which is most of the time) the player must hit driver or 3 wood and stay left off the tee.  Visually you want to challegne the bunkers on the right side of the fairway but as some posters have revealed this only means doom for your golf ball as you'll end up down and right unless you get lucky and catch a bunker.  There is plenty of room left.  The second shot is fun as it plays straight downhill and the play is to either land short of the green or just carry the front edge as eveything rolls towards the back of the green.  Long hitters can have a go at the green if there is little or no wind.  Typically my friends and I will take driver at the little "tongue" of fairway between the group of bunkers at the right edge of the fairway and the bunkers further towards the green.  I try to play a hard cut and carry it down the hill. (Probably a 260 yard carry) Then you have a relatively easy pitch into the green.  Definitely a risk/reward tee shot.  There also is the option of going directly for the green which is about 285-290 carry.  The problem here is that landing on the green, 90% of the time your ball will not hold and over the green is not good.  If you miss right at all your dead too.  Typically if the pin is towards the front some of us will play to the front of the green or just short.  My best shot ever was a 3-wood that carried onto the green and hit high enough to hold ending up about 15 feet away.  That's the day I bought the Rocket Ballz 3-wood I had demo'd from the pro shop.   Generally there will be one birdie on the hole in our group but there is usually a 6 as well.  All in all #7 is a fun hole to play.

[Kyle Henderson]

Sir Handley,

For my part, I thought the variety added by the new 7th certainly outweighed any perceived incongruity with the rest of the course. It's a spectacular hole visually and both the drive and the approach are compelling without proving to be overly difficult for hacks.

The design/construction crew did a great job shaping this somewhat sever hillside into a very playable hole that doesn't look overly shaped.

[John Handley]

Kyle-

I agree.  I like the 7th hole and think Kyle Phillips and his crew did a wonderful job creatively bringing this unused piece of land in the middle of the property and turning it into one of the most fun holes on the course.  I did once hit a brilliant drive right at the green and landed it on but bounced over into the crap and couldn't find the ball.  Kyle Phillips was standing on the green when I hit and so I told him that I shouldn't be punished for hitting a great shot.  He laughed and said enjoy your double bogey. 

[Matt_Cohn]

The pictures make #5 look somewhat narrow from the tee, but it's really very wide. Fun hole. Some might say that the teeshot could be more thought provoking, as there's not much to discourage a player from hitting a driver.

Matt,

Were you able to hold the green with driver?

With my second shot? Yeah, there's plenty of back-to-front slope on the green and I still have basically a full low wedge left after hitting driver.

[Matt_Cohn]

There also is the option of going directly for the green which is about 285-290 carry.  The problem here is that landing on the green, 90% of the time your ball will not hold and over the green is not good.

Yeah, I have seen players hold the green or just off the edge on a direct line but there is an extremely high chance that any ball flying on a direct line to the green will bound over the green, potentially into really severe trouble. Even in match play I doubt I'd go for this green unless my opponent just hit it to 5 feet or something like that.

[Kyle Henderson]

8th tee

[Jordan Caron]

My personal favourite course in San Francisco.

Not only is the course fantastic, and the topography, design and bunkering wonderful, but the club as a whole is a very warm, welcoming and special place.

You're bang on Tom. Loved the clubhouse and everyone was very welcoming. They're proud of their course and enjoy discussing architecture.

This is one of my favorite holes that I have ever played. The next two aren't bad either along with the long par 3 #8.

Looking forward to seeing the rest Kyle as it will spark some nice memories. My round there was the most enjoyable I've ever had and I could die a happy man walking and playing the course every day.

3rd tee

[Kyle Henderson]

9th tee: up the hill


9th fairway: turning left


9th green: nicely framed

[Josh Smith]

Kyle,

Quality photos here.  I usually bore quickly with photo threads with endless photos of the same hole, but not this time.  Good work.

[Joel_Stewart]

Kyle,

Quality photos here.  I usually bore quickly with photo threads with endless photos of the same hole, but not this time.  Good work.

+1.  The 7th and 9th are my two favorite holes on the course.  The 8th sandwiched between these two great is my least favorite.