Played on Sunday 9/1 with an 11:10am tee time playing the 3rd round with my buddy from out of town. Played the blue/white combo tees and we both walked as I just can't live with spending $35 per play... Continue »

Played on Sunday 9/1 with an 11:10am tee time playing the 3rd round with my buddy from out of town. Played the blue/white combo tees and we both walked as I just can't live with spending $35 per player for a cart that is cart path only. I warned him that the weather can be a little dicey in SF but it turned out to be just about as perfect as can be with high 60's and a 1 club wind out of the west most of the day. Pace of play on the front nine was really good but it slowed a little on the back with the round being just about 4.5 hours.

This is my second time playing TPC Harding Park and I will say that I enjoyed it much more this time. Last time I felt like the course was just lacking something for me. The front nine isn't nearly as inspiring as the back nine but I felt like the course forces you to hit shots and miss in good spots or you will be punished.

Course was in good shape considering the amount of play they get. The rough is thick and can either yield a great lie or a terrible one and the fairways were plush, tee boxes level and the sand was decent, a little on the thin side.

Overall, it's a must play if you're in the SF area and compared to Torrey Pines, the rates are much more reasonable. To me, it's the Torrey Pines 'light' muni golf course. It's not Bethpage Black but it's a track with solid bones, good conditioning, great views of Olympic Club and Lake Merced and a decent value.

12:20 tee time. Lucked into a single golfnow tee time for $81 walking. Because of covid they are only allowing twosomes out. It was a little slow but marshals were out and pushing the slow groups so w... Continue »

12:20 tee time. Lucked into a single golfnow tee time for $81 walking. Because of covid they are only allowing twosomes out. It was a little slow but marshals were out and pushing the slow groups so we finished in 4 hours. Course in very good shape. Greens usually held and were medium fast. I have never played here in the winter, so the fairways were thinner and less plush than the summer, but the greens were faster and truer. Sand traps were a beautiful sparkling white but also thin. I was in a few greenside bunkers and didn't have any trouble but you had to dig down. No splash. Course seems cut to tournament specs. Two cuts of rough and tight fairways. I'm a pretty straight hitter and it felt like I was in the rough most of the day. Unlike the tourney it wasn't too deep but still no joke. Course plays long. Damp heavy air and just some roll if you hit the fairway. I didn't need to eat but I think the food might be closed. Tee times only, so no chance to play the 9 hole flemming, which looks like it's in the same kind of shape. Would have been a treat if I was able to play it, since I never have. If you can get on highly recommend.

the rough and fairways are setup for the PGA. If you cant keep it straight then expect a long day. the rough is at least 4in thick and will grab your club from advancing forward. it humbles me how goo... Continue »

the rough and fairways are setup for the PGA. If you cant keep it straight then expect a long day. the rough is at least 4in thick and will grab your club from advancing forward. it humbles me how good PGA tour players are in this stuff. tee boxes were fair. fairway was in good condition but much narrow than usual. mix in the damp air and wind, your ball flight will barely fly to your normal length. If you play before August 2020, bring your "A" game. If you dont have one or unsure, wait until after the PGA tourney. For the prices the residents pay, i think its a bit high but in comparison to non-residents, im sure glad i live in SF.

This is a great time to challenge yourself and take on TPC Harding Park with the rough thick and lush before tee times become more scarce prior to the PGA Championship in May. The greens ran smoothly... Continue »

This is a great time to challenge yourself and take on TPC Harding Park with the rough thick and lush before tee times become more scarce prior to the PGA Championship in May. The greens ran smoothly and the pace of play was good. The fairways and aprons have been lightly sanded so there’s limited roll and it’s hard to chase one up onto the greens. The customer service was outstanding.

July 5th, 2019, a cool, windy and slight foggy am. Tee time at 7:10 am. The 3rd group out. The green fee a whopping $235 w/ cart for outta towner (you only live once). Locals are $79 to walk. I feel ... Continue »

July 5th, 2019, a cool, windy and slight foggy am. Tee time at 7:10 am. The 3rd group out. The green fee a whopping $235 w/ cart for outta towner (you only live once). Locals are $79 to walk. I feel the green fees are steep compared to other city courses for outta towners. This is a course to play at least twice to score well. Played from the blue tees. I think I would rather play from the black, which would eliminate going thru fairways in the rough, making you play a long iron into the hole. Warm up: some, but not much. Driving range are mats into a net some 15 yrd in front of you. Test the putting greens before going to the 1st tee. There you really need to get the sledgehammer out to get the ball to the hole. WOW are they slooowww! For the money paid, I wish the rate was reduced because of this. Green green green is all you see. The fairways are tight, very tight. A must, to be in the fairway to reach a few long par 4's. Not saying a perfect shot out to the rough is doable. I had a few. If you catch the sand, dont sigh, just swing easy and hit a nice, picked shot from the bunker. The tough bunker shots are those that leave you within 60-80 yrds out. At this time of day, the sand is wet or moist and compacted. The first fee whole if you find yourself in the fairway rough, and extra club is well advised. Once warm, you will need 1 to 2 extra clubs if the wind off the lake comes up like today (7-15 MPH). On the back nine, there is only 2 holes that the wind helps. Most is a side wind that moves the ball a few feet left to right. The carpet you putt on did not have much or many breaks, but the grain did make the ball wiggle at the end of the putt. The pace of play at this time of the morning was great. Cart path only is understandable, but not welcomed news without my out push cart with me, and this green fee. I think I would of enjoyed this course if the greens were cut and the weather was warmer. The GPS cart monitor and all if it's warnings were a pain.

Coaching in Bay Area Classic (2/24 - 2/26).
Wow, what a setting! Stunning layout to the holes. The front nine kind of go back and forth. The back nine gets more demanding. You have to do your d... Continue »

Coaching in Bay Area Classic (2/24 - 2/26).
Wow, what a setting! Stunning layout to the holes. The front nine kind of go back and forth. The back nine gets more demanding. You have to do your damage through the first 12 holes. Pace of play is horrible, I'm fairly certain that because it's a college tourney, the kids burden some of the responsibility for this but I really don't think there's ever a reason for a round to take 6 hours!

The good: Greens are tricky and (for us), tough to read. I would advise players to read from both sides. I swear that I read one thing from behind and then another from taking another look. I hate when that happens because it creates so much doubt. Yesterday was a bit of a struggle to get the more accurate reads but today was much better. I think I've got them now. Now if only my players and I could get on the same page! I would've given the greens a huge thumbs up had it not been for their speed. I think they're playing a little on the slow side, maybe around 9. They are receptive though and on shorter shots, you dohave to be careful to control your spin.

Easy to determine fairways and rough. Rough is punitive enough to make a difference on the approaches and how much control you can have with spin. It provides enough of a challenge to the players. The fairways are a little muddy (understandable).

Tee boxes are perfect too.

With the trees and white sand bunkers framing the holes, it's hard not to get lost and lose focus because it's so captivating.

Another bonus is that you get some cool glimpses of the Olympic Club on several occasions.

The not so good. There aren't any bathrooms on course. There are some portapotty's throughout but who want's to use that? No water faucets or stations either. Lots of holes intertwine and there are a few holes that are scary close to the par 3 course. You have to be very alert to errant shots, especially on the 2nd tee box. We almost got hit twice!

We were warned that a lot of break in's take place in vehicles. Do NOT leave anything valuable in plain sight!

At present, there is no driving range. The wind blew down an entire side so I'm sure this will be back to up and running soon enough.

NOTE: Don't let that "window" in between the two trees on 18 trick you! And when the wind is blowing, don't even think about it! Aim to the left edge of the left bunker and let the wind push it back. Trying to clear the second tree (you'll know which one) is a lost cause; the wind will push it into the lake or if you're long enough, the tree will catch it and drop it down. Not a good play. I know, I know, it looks so simple. That dog ain't gonna hunt, play it safe and give yourself a good chance at par instead of going for the hero ball!

Quick Update from my round 2-weeks ago: Played a tournament there on 8/25. The greens are improving: Still slow & a bit bumpy, with a few really bad spots, but at least trending in the right directi... Continue »

Quick Update from my round 2-weeks ago: Played a tournament there on 8/25. The greens are improving: Still slow & a bit bumpy, with a few really bad spots, but at least trending in the right direction. The rest of the course is in pretty good shape, hopefully the greens catch up soon.

Played Harding yesterday. Please be aware that the greens are in horrific shape. Absolutely no indication from the course that the greens were in poor condition until we checked in and the guy at the... Continue »

Played Harding yesterday. Please be aware that the greens are in horrific shape. Absolutely no indication from the course that the greens were in poor condition until we checked in and the guy at the desk told us. There should be an alert posted at the very least, so that people can decide whether to pay the upscale fees for compromised greens BEFORE they get there.

The Greens: Either they were punched again or they are not simply not healing at all since the previous review by Auflu a couple weeks ago. Sandy, completely bumpy & just plain terrible. In my opinion, totally unacceptable in light of the green fees they charge.

The Fairways: Wet in many places, Shoe-Squish wet. Dry & fine in others. About 60/40 dry.

Rough: Not overly lush, but definitely snarly & penal. Wet in many places.

Sand Traps: Was in a few & they were all pretty good. Consistent & decent sand.

Tee Boxes: Nothing weird, some bare spots, but mostly level & fine

Service: Pretty indifferent. Not friendly, but not rude either. Cart service came around once the whole round & it was a crowded course.

PoP: Right around 4 hours. Not bad considering it was a weekend & we teed off Mid-Morning.

I am going to be playing in a tournament there in two weeks & I am not optimistic about any improvement in the conditions of the greens. I'll try to post an update then.

The poor condition of the greens made scoring well here impossible. Slow with pock marks made the shortest of putts missable. Some were pretty sandy like they'd been aerated recently, which seems od... Continue »

The poor condition of the greens made scoring well here impossible. Slow with pock marks made the shortest of putts missable. Some were pretty sandy like they'd been aerated recently, which seems odd given that it is mid-July. I would have expected a discounted green fee at a course that had greens this bad. TPC is going to have to perform a miracle to get the greens ready for the President's Cup to be held here is a couple years.
Otherwise the course is fairly easy, without a lot of hazards in play. Turf was in great shape and well manicured. Very scenic San Francisco setting.