Claremont Country Club

[Robert Giuffra]

Claremont Country Club is an Alister MacKenzie course in Oakland California. This course doesn’t get the attention it deserves.  It contains all the elements of MacKenzie design – beautiful greens, artistic bunkers and a great routing. The course sits on three tiers on a very small piece of property. The property is so small that a few holes have crossing fairways. The course totals only 5,495 yards and plays to a par 68.  Tom Doak and Jim Urbina restored the MacKenzie course between 2002 and 2008. The result is spectacular.

The part of the course that I thought was the most enjoyable was across a small road. This is where the majority of the front nine sits. You feel as if you are walking in the English countryside and not in Oakland.  The first hole across the road (number 2) is a long uphill par three that requires a run up shot to get close to the hole. The next hole is also a par three. This hole has a blind tee shot that leads to a green surrounded by many deep MacKenzie bunkers.  You can see San Francisco from the 6th hole!

The back nine plays across the main part of the property, with one challenging hole after another.   The 13th and 14th holes are deftly set into a hill; the 13th at 223 yards is a challenge for even big hitters.  The course has a stellar finish with the risk-reward par 5 18th below the beautiful old-school Tudor clubhouse. Claremont's back nine is a good representation of how the original Augusta National played before its regrettable changes after MacKenzie’s death.  This is a shotmaker’s course.   Seve Ballesteros would have loved Claremont, particularly shaping shots around the tall, beautiful trees following an errant tee shot.

Claremont is my best golfing experience where I played terribly, but still had an amazing time. The course plays far longer than it says on the scorecard, and some of the short holes play uphill.  On the tee, you often expect a par or better, and you end up with bogey or worse.  Claremont is the ultimate hidden gem!  My round at Claremont, right before the pandemic lockdown, is one that I will never forget.

[Robert Giuffra]

I tried to add photos to the post but the photos came out as text, Sorry.

[Jeffrey Stein]

Great call on Claremont, it is an adventurous walk and a joyful challenge.  This gem should definitely be on the list for gourmets choice.  I was fortunate to do a small project there with Jim Urbina several years ago, removing bunker splash from the collars to restore some pinning areas.  In just a few days, it became one of my favorites as well.  Intricate, charming, quaint, and quirky.  I felt it was a golf course I would be happy to play everyday!

[Kevin_Reilly]

Jim Urbina has done great work there, and had good club leadership throughout.  Claremont is an oasis within the city limits of Oakland...even a few hundred yards from the club one wouldn't know that they were close to it.


An old-fashioned club, that even today does not allow shorts or phones. 

[DFarron]

Spot on! When I lived in the Bay I loved playing Claremont. It was super fun and a great walk.


A lot of people were put off because its only 5,900 yards which is sad

[David_Tepper]

"A lot of people were put off because its only 5,900 yards which is sad."

Drew F. -

You are absolutely right about that. With a couple of 200+ yard par-3's, a couple of 400+ yard par-4's and a couple of "short" par-4's that play straight uphill, Claremont's par of 68 plays plenty tough for the handicap golfer.

DT

[Robert Giuffra]

 Thank you everyone for the great comments on this post! Claremont truly is a special place.

[Tom_Doak]

It's a cool place, but it is a MacKenzie rebuild of an earlier course by Willie Lock, IIRC.  And I was surprised to learn that the crossover holes were from the original routing, which MacKenzie changed only a little.

[Kevin_Reilly]

William Watson also worked there around 1920.


Paging Sean Tully and Jim Urbina.

[Sven Nilsen]

It's a cool place, but it is a MacKenzie rebuild of an earlier course by Willie Lock, IIRC.  And I was surprised to learn that the crossover holes were from the original routing, which MacKenzie changed only a little.

No Willie Lock involvement that I am aware of.  Watson did work here as Kevin noted.  The original course predates both of them.


This is one example of a course where discussing Mac as if he was the only architect involved doesn’t tell the whole story, including the work Robert Hunter contributed.


Sven

[Robert Giuffra]

Mr. Doak is, of course, correct that Alister MacKenzie did a major redesign of Claremont in late 1920s.   As I understand it, he changed the routing on 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, and 17.  He also altered bunkers, fairways and greens on many other holes.   I have not seen photos of the earlier rendition of  Claremont, so I don’t know how much of the earlier versions remain.   Golf courses change over time, and no course is exactly the same as it was when originally designed.   Between 2002 and 2008, Claremont made the wise decision to bring in Mr. Doak and Jim Urbina to restore the course of Dr. MacKenize.  The current Claremont scorecard credits the course to Dr. MacKenzie, and the course looks and plays like a MacKenzie course.

[Sven Nilsen]

Robert-


If you haven’t seen it, this thread may be of interest.  There are some nice nuggets in there that add to the story.  Too bad there isn’t enough room on a scorecard to include them all.



https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,46286.0.html

[Robert Giuffra]

The thread you linked is a gold mine!
Thank you so much!

[Kevin_Reilly]

Between 2002 and 2008, Claremont made the wise decision to bring in Mr. Doak and Jim Urbina to restore the course of Dr. MacKenzie. 

Robert,


All the work at Claremont over the last several years has been done by Jim Urbina, not Tom Doak. 

[JC Urbina]

Robert,


I was made aware of this thread so I thought I would chime in.



You are correct in your assestment that this course does not get the attention that it deserves.
1- The par of 68 does not turn many heads
2- The yardage of just under 6,000 yards won't make people boasting of the modern game and the distances needed to play that style of golf, warm and fuzzy
3- Existing amongst the neighborhood of homes, a cemetery, a quarry and a few streets that must be traversed during your round doesn't make for a cool photo of isolation


But what it does for its membershp is bring all of the qualities of fun - challenging golf into an urban setting.  You can miss the clubhouse and parking if your not careful driving up Broadway Terr.  For me, it has been a labor of love for the golf course, for the people who I have worked for and for the guys who have helped me restore this golf course to the best of our ability.


The elevation changes, the cross over fairways, the rock wall tee box uncovered during the restoration on the par 3-13th hole are all unique in the Claremont way.  Deception bunkers, Diabolical greens, 6 very diverse par 3 holes and many other attractions make this golf course the "Ultimate Hidden Gem"!!  We have a few remaining adjustments to the golf course based on the old B/W aerials of years past  if its ever approved, not sure it will ever be but I continue to return to Claremont when ever they call


Josh the superintendent and Randy Gai who preceeded Josh are the key to the amazing turf conditions enjoyed by the golfers, with greens so small its hard to keep them looking so good.  Removing some of the cart paths and introducing texture to the landscape has really made this place feel Old World.  Jay, the director golf also serves as the unofficial Golden Age watchdog, he more than anyone has worked hard to remove any hint of modernism in the layout.  He was the first person I met when I began the project many moons ago.


Robert Hunter and Alister Mackenzie would be proud of the work the people at Claremont have done to recapture their design. As other have commented  on,  its not an original design by that team but they sure made the best of what they were handed back in the late 20's


I wish Sean Tully would step in here, he can answer to the evolution of the golf course as well as anyone and it sounds like Sven has a pretty good handle on the history as well.  Claremont was established in 1897 but that was club was located closer to downtown Oakland.


You have read past descriptons of the place that were available on a previous link by served up by Sven, thank you Sven!








I wish more golf courses like Claremont got the love of which you speak of.


Thank you Kevin.

[Padraig Dooley]

Claremont is a course and club that you fall deeply in love with. Is it wrong to be suspicious of those who don't like it!?

[Robert Giuffra]

Thank you Mr. Urbina!
Your work at Claremont was stellar! I enjoyed seeing the rock wall tee box you referred to when I played. It really changes the shot into the par three! Claremont is indeed one of the best hidden gems in America!

Thank you for your post,
Robert

[Kevin_Reilly]

We have a few remaining adjustments to the golf course based on the old B/W aerials of years past  if it's ever approved, not sure it will ever be but I continue to return to Claremont whenever they call.

Interested to hear about these, or see them on the ground in the coming years.