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Playing Harding Park Golf Course

Sun, Jan 31 2010 9:33 AM (14 replies)
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  • oppy
    286 Posts
    Mon, Jan 18 2010 7:32 AM

    Has anyone here played it? I am playing it on the 29th and was hoping to get some tips or insight into how it plays. And what kind of condition do they keep it in during the offseason?

  • Doublemochaman
    2,009 Posts
    Mon, Jan 18 2010 8:26 AM

    Are you going to round out your west coast swing by zipping up the coast to play Bandon and Pacific Dunes, and Chambers Bay?  Have fun... wish I could join you.

  • oppy
    286 Posts
    Mon, Jan 18 2010 8:42 AM

    No, I wish I could play those other places. I am just in San Francisco for the weekend and am going to squeeze in a round there.

  • Snaike
    3,678 Posts
    Mon, Jan 18 2010 9:34 AM

    As a matter of fact, we are there quite often. Live less than a mile from the clubhouse.  There is also a par 30 9-hole course (Jack Fleming) inside Harding Park where my father and I play.  (We play the shorter course because a) he's just picked up the game after his heart attack and his Dr.'s serious warning about getting exercise, and b) no tee times needed, we can just hop in the car and play 18 (replay), and c) it's kept up by the same groundscrew as Harding.)

    Both are fantastic muni courses.  When the PGA came in a few years ago and re-vamped the entire course, they turned a tired, worn-out old warhorse into a pristine golf experience.  The drainage ( I mention only because it's been raining like hell for awhile now) is fantastic.  The course, unlike other SF Muni's, doesn't get swampy and mucky.  The grounds have been trimmed and tweaked for the President's Cup last October and true to past experience, the groundkeepers are doing a great job of keeping it clean, playable and challenging.

    The back 9 is my favorite... 7 holes border Lake Merced.. and the 18th finishes over water.  It's a par 70 playing around 7100yds with the two par 5s at 562 and 606 from the tips.

    The one thing I warn most people about is something that has nothing to do with golf.  On the other side of the lake is a shooting range... so, if you not accustomed to swinging with gunfire in the background, you may want to spend a few moments on the range.   lol

    IMHO, Harding Park is the best muni I have ever played.  Enjoy your round and remember to tip the cart girl (If its the blonde, her name is Chelsea.)

     

  • oppy
    286 Posts
    Mon, Jan 18 2010 10:31 AM

    Thanks alot for the information. I am really looking forward to playing it, hopefully it shouldnt be too slow, because I am playing it at before 8am. Ive never played a course right on a lake like at Harding Park. But I have played Bethpage many times which is right next to a shooting range so I know how to deal with it. What kind of condition are the courses in San Francisco like during the offseason?

  • Snaike
    3,678 Posts
    Mon, Jan 18 2010 10:44 AM

    Before 8.. bring a jacket.  Gonna be a bit damp (usually).

    I would say the course is gonna be soft (winter rules) without being swampy and that you'll get around in good time.  Great walking course, relatively flat, and scenic.  (Watch out for the trees on the par 3 11th, they like to keep golf balls.)  It is a bit pricey for guests so the high handicappers are usually on Fleming, leaving the decent (read: quick) golfers for Harding, so you should be about to get around in about 4  to 4.5 hours or so.

    This the only SF Muni that I've played that plays well in the winter time.  The others are either torn up or under water (thanks to the ecologists and a 'red-legged frog').

    Have fun!

  • iukine
    195 Posts
    Mon, Jan 18 2010 11:56 AM

       It's been a few years for me, but I've played it. Really liked the lay-out, and some people think it's a better lay-out than The O club(Olympic). Several other courses in that area are simply great courses. The afforementioned two and San Francisco club and the small par three at Harding and also one worth mentioning, is old Lincoln Park up by Seal Rock. It's hilly lots of trees and the three finishing holes are tuffer than a cheap steak. Hit a 340 yard drive on a par four, two feet from the green. Those courses ressurected my love of golf(to my own chagrine).
       Have fun playing any of those courses, I dare you not to!

  • Snaike
    3,678 Posts
    Mon, Jan 18 2010 12:17 PM

    I agree... and the "small par three at Harding" is the Jack Fleming course. I do like Lincoln Park (34th and Clement) most of the year. (The view from the 17th tee is one of the best in golf... many friends I have taken there have been angry at me for not telling them to bring a camera for that one hole.) This course is very hilly and the holes are spaced in and around SF Landmarks and city streets.

    The problem I have with it in the winter months is that it gets really beat up in the rain... from over use and slow grass growing weather, the course does not heal up as fast as the other courses mentioned. But if you like elevation changes in a muni, this course will float your boat. (Number 1 green is a bit of a volcano though!)

  • oppy
    286 Posts
    Mon, Jan 18 2010 4:44 PM

    Ok thanks for advice guys

  • Doublemochaman
    2,009 Posts
    Mon, Jan 18 2010 4:48 PM

    We expect a full report on your round and photos!

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