Had the opportunity to play on Wednesday 4/16 in the mid afternoon with a 3PM tee time. The course is gorgeous as it has just the right amount of elevation change and beautiful cypress trees througho... Continue »

Had the opportunity to play on Wednesday 4/16 in the mid afternoon with a 3PM tee time. The course is gorgeous as it has just the right amount of elevation change and beautiful cypress trees throughout the property. Gil Hanse redid the course with the reopening in the fall of 2022.

Played with a buddy from SoCal who was able to get us out with a very nice member who hosted us. It was a typical SF spring day, a little cool with a slight breeze but the day actually got warmer and nicer as we neared the evening. The ball definitely doesn't fly well here so even though the scorecard looks very manageable, it plays longer than the distance. We rolled the I tees which are basically the back member tees, 6,584 yards. The plates are 6,933 and I believe for USGA tournaments such as US Open sectional qualifying they will stretch it even more and bring par down to 70. This seems very much the player's club in SF. Walked right by Lydia Ko who was on the practice green with her dog.

The first couple of holes are sort of unassuming but the course gets better as it goes along and by number 6 it is in fully evident this is a great track. 7 is a stiff par 3 heading right back to the clubhouse and 8/9 are back to back par 5's. It's not penal as most fairways are wide and many funnel back to the middle, but to score well here, you will need to be on your game. The fairway turf is fairly thin so good ball striking is a must if you want to hit approach shots close. The greens were a little on the slow side for a private course, probably rolling 10.5 -11. Most greens are pretty manageable only a few had pretty severe slopes (9 was a bit gnarly). 12 & 13 are my favorite holes as you head to the northwest corner of the golf course.

Solid course that has some very sublte nuance to it. If you get the chance to play it, don't pass it up.

When a friend asked if I was interested in playing this course, I jumped at the opportunity to make it happen! Jumped on a plane early in the morning and made it just in time for my 1:45 pm tee time.... Continue »

When a friend asked if I was interested in playing this course, I jumped at the opportunity to make it happen! Jumped on a plane early in the morning and made it just in time for my 1:45 pm tee time.

Played the newly redesigned course. Steady wind all day long. Hitting into the wind, in certain situations, required 2 clubs up. Greens were firm. Some approach shots bounced off the green.

Since we had a caddy, walking this course allowed me to savor each hole.

Played Lake Merced Country Club this morning as part of the NCGA outing. After being a disappointed with last year’s overpriced outing at The Preserve, I was hesitant to play Lake Merced. However, ... Continue »

Played Lake Merced Country Club this morning as part of the NCGA outing. After being a disappointed with last year’s overpriced outing at The Preserve, I was hesitant to play Lake Merced. However, after seeing the course on TV when the LPGA play here, I had to give it a shot. I’m glad I decided to give it a go. Course conditions were excellent all around.

With Covid precautions/restrictions in place, we didn’t have full access to the club house which is modest yet stylish enough to make you know you’re at a premier private country club.

Range is on mats and they have a spacious putting green and chipping area. We started on the 10th tee and overall course conditions were top notch. Tee boxes were fantastic and easily rated at a 9. Fairways, were even better and rated a 10. Fairways had perfect lush dark green grass. They offered great roll out and still presented an excellent hitting surface.

Greens were also in great shape. The first half (10-18) rolled at a fast pace. Greens 1-9 slowed down to a more manageable medium-fast pace. The greens were medium sized and fairly tame as far as undulations go. In fact often I got caught thinking the green had more break in it then they did.

The layout is a parkland style track but you never really get the feeling that it’s an out and back been there done that type of course. The fairways are narrow with cypress and pine trees lining all sides. Several had large branches hanging out over the fairway making the opening even smaller. The dog legs are gentle on most holes but several have speed slots with a 40-60 yard down slope for extra yardage on the drive. The downside of that is they came with uphill approach shots.

The entire course is built on hilly terrain (as is all of San Francisco) but the course is definitely walkable (as we did) due to short transfers from hole to hole.

I was in about 4 sand traps. The first bunker was excellent and the others were ok.
Rough was only about 2-2 ½ inches deep but it was thick. I think POP was right around 4 hrs maybe a bit over. I'm not sure. I was playing with a buddy I hadn't seen in a few months so we were chatting away the entire day and didn't notice the time.

Overall the conditions were top notch and the course was certainly worth the entry fee. My only criticism of the layout is the lack of a water hazard course. There are no water features on the course or any forced carries of any kind. Other than that it’s a great track.