Golf in San Francisco is replete with famous and storied courses, including Olympic Club, host of five U.S. Opens, a U.S. Women’s Open and four U.S. Amateur Championships. The city also boasts San Francisco Golf Club and the California Club, which has received much-deserved attention in recent years. All are private and if you have any connections, go out of your way to play any of them.
If not, don’t be discouraged because the Bay Area has plenty of public access courses, a few with quite a bit of rich heritage. Although it would be tempting to make the two-hour drive each way to Pebble Beach or half that to Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz, we only have 48 hours to get in four rounds, so we are going to stick with the courses closest to the city.
On arrival day, the choice is Presidio Golf Club. Located about 16 miles north of San Francisco International Airport, Presidio is the course on the peninsula with the deepest history. The Presidio is a national park and a former military base located in the heart of the city. Golf at the Presidio dates to 1895 when nine holes were constructed on the base.
Today, the park is a National Historic Landmark District and the golf course has been open to the public since 1995. The course tips out at 6,481 yards but plays much longer because of the amount of elevation change through hills lined with eucalyptus and Monterey Pine trees. Not to mention what can be the cold and damp air that is a signature of San Francisco.
Speaking of climate, San Francisco’s is notoriously unpredictable. It can be cold in summer and warm in autumn. It’s always best to be prepared with appropriate layers.
After golf at Presidio, if you’re tired from traveling and you want to keep it simple, Ironwoods Bar & Grill in the Presidio clubhouse offers a diverse menu for a golf course grill room. In addition to the usual burgers and sandwiches, you can get Smoked Brisket Chili, a Cubano Sandwich and Grilled Fish Tacos. The bar offers Stella Artois beer, among others, including Guinness on tap and a selection of wines from Monterey.
If you still have something left in the tank after golf, you can always head into town for dinner. San Francisco has so many diverse neighborhoods and restaurant choices that it shortchanges visitors to attempt to pick one or two. That said, for first-timers to the city, Fisherman’s Wharf is a must-see and Scoma’s is the most famous seafood restaurant, located at Pier 49. Chinatown is another can’t-miss neighborhood and House of Nanking is one of the most often-recommended restaurants.
During baseball season, if the San Francisco Giants are in town, Oracle Park is perhaps the most scenic stadium in Major League Baseball. And you won’t get shortchanged on dinner, as the food — and drink — offerings are well above standard ballpark fare.
The 36-hole day features Half Moon Bay Golf Links, along the coast of San Mateo County about 20 miles south of San Francisco. The two 18s — the Old Course and the Ocean Course — are part of the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay but it’s not required to be a guest of the hotel to play the courses.
The Old Course, which opened in 1973, was Arnold Palmer’s first as a course designer. It’s a parkland course, winding through the interior of the property until the par-3 17th, which has the Pacific in the background, and the par-4 18th, which plays along the cliffs, bordered by the ocean on the right.
The Ocean Course, designed by Arthur Hills and opened in 1997, is not quite a links course but is a second cousin. Fairways are firm and wide open and are bordered by native grasses and wildflowers. The Ocean can be seen from nearly every hole but the vistas are more stunning when the course turns for home on holes 16-18.
Between rounds, Mullins Steakhouse on the resort property is open for both lunch and dinner and the dinner menu is full-on steak.
On getaway day, the choice is TPC Harding Park, which began life as a municipal course in 1925 and is now part of the PGA Tour’s Tournament Players Club course network. Harding Park is located on Lake Merced, just down the road from the famed Olympic Club.
For years, the finals of the San Francisco City Amateur Championship, the oldest consecutively played championship in the world — known to locals simply as “The City” — has been played at Harding Park.
The course underwent an extensive renovation in 2002-03, which turned it into a true championship course. A number of PGA Tour events have been played at Harding Park, including the 2020 PGA Championship, the site of Collin Morikawa’s first major championship title.
Much like Olympic, Harding Park is lined with cypress trees, which can act like a catcher’s mitt if you hit a ball into them, so watch carefully to make sure the ball isn’t stuck in the tree. The course tips out for normal play at 6,845 yards, but before you jump on the back tees, be aware that the course can play much longer due to wind and cold temperatures.
The Cypress Grill at Harding Park features standard grill room fare and is a convenient spot for lunch before heading for home. For flyers, San Francisco International Airport is about a 20-minute drive from Harding Park. If you’re taking the red-eye so you can be to work on the morning of your arrival, that’s quite ambitious not to mention dedicated. Here’s hoping your boss appreciates it — and the workday is light.