in first week of august this summer i'm going to San Francisco area. I will have a few chances to play golf and have a few courses i want to play. Some courses I would like to play(not all only two or three): Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hills, Harding Park, Poppy Hills, The Links at Spanish Bay, Cypress Point. I know some of these courses are a hour or two drive away, which is fine with me. Does anyone have any other courses you would recommend for me to play? Also does anyone know if it would be tough to get a tee time for any of those courses, what are the prices, etc. Tell me EVERYTHING about your experience there as i would love to play some of the best courses in san fran area.

Play Harding Park. It's the host course for this years Presidents Cup in October.

I played it last Oct when I visited and enjoyed the course. It's very conveniently located in the San Fran area.

Harding park would be a no brainer. Its looks fantastic. Half Moon bay is about 45 min out of the city on the ocean. I played the Links course about 8 years ago and really enjoyed it. Its probably a 4 star course, some boring holes, but all in all a really fun experience. Last 3 holes are on the ocean and all day its great scenery. Pasietempo in Santa Cruz is also really great. thats about an hour, maybe a little more. Thats a really great old course.

I played Pebble in 1997, if I was down there again, i'd test one of the other tracks, although if you want to belly up for the big greens fee at Pebble, its forth playing once.

Cypress point? HAHHHAAHAAAAAA you better know somebody. They once threw JFK out of the CLUBHOUSE for not being a member. I know the Super at Harding, Wayne... cool dude and he keeps the greens in great shape, great course. He played at Cypress with their Super (guess its a super thing) and two other dudes. One of the others pulled out a cell phone on a tee box and turns to his caddie and goes, "cool if i make a quick call". Caddie says "yeah man , but you'll never play here again."

Oh,
sorry got caught up in my cypress story, Really check out Pasatiempo, its the jewel of northern cali also designed by Mc Kenzie (agusta, cypress point), on your way to monterey off of HWY 17 from San Fran. Also see if someone can get you on the Olympic Club (6600 yard haunted house)... also here in SF (private) Harding and Olympic are on opposite sides of lake merced, same place like twin sisters. All these prime courses other than harding are gonna cost like 250$ + depending on the day you go. Also the Presidio in SF is about 95$ great course with lots of history... used to be beat up but was renovated recently and its right under the golden gate bridge, now run by Arnold Palmer management and they take good care of it.

The only coursess in SF "worth" playing would be Harding Park or The Presidio, public that is.

I also like Half Moon Bay, but I prefer the Ocean Course over The Links. It gets ripped alot on Internet forums but I feel the place is spectacular, wide open links-style golf. The LPGA had the Samsung World Championships there this past year.

There are no courses in the San Jose area worth playing. Pasatiempo is the crown jewel in non-Monterey golf. Absolutely the ultimate challenge and a course recently redone by Tom Doak back to its original glory. San Juan Oaks is off the beaten path somewhat but it's a fantastic 2nd tier course.

Pebble, Spanish, Poppy, Spy, there all the same, they just cost more or less, but whatever course you play here, you'll have a memory for a liffetime.

In summary,

TOP TIER: Pebble, Spanish, Poppy, Spy, Pasatiempo
2nd TIER: Half Moon Bay, Harding, Presidio, San Juan Oaks, Wente Vineyards, Poppy Ridge, Pacific Grove.

oh please the 1 and only course in san fran is san francisco golf club, always ranked in the top 25, its tillinghast and is one of his best and ive played them all

if you have the means blow off olympic,harding,lake merced and even the new cal club and go to sfgc

G

I live about an hour outside of San Francisco. August is a great time to play golf, just make sure you bring a sweater (you won't need rain gear, it never rains this time of the year). You can get some great deals right now in Monterey if you buy multiple rounds. Spanish Bay is probably the best, however, like most it's really pricey. Add a round at Spanish Bay and you can probably score a great rate. Poppy Hills is a good track, however, not sure if it's worth the rate if you aren't a No Cal Golf Association member. Del Monte in Monterey, while the oldest course west of the Mississippi river, just isn't worth your time.

About an hour north of San Francisco is a little town along the coast, Bodega Bay. It's an old fishing village where Hitchcock filmed 'The Birds'. There is a great golf course there, The Links at Bodega Harbour, with ocean views on probably fifteen of the eighteen holes. They just remodeled the bunkers and some tee boxes. You won't be disappointed. Your rate will be less than half than courses in Monterey.

If you need any other recommendations, send me a PM and I'll get back to you with more info from my friends as well.

Good luck!

Have never played any courses in SF, but August is cold. Be sure to pack like you would for late fall in Milwaukee.

I live 5 minutes from the Presidio, so it's my normal go to. It's a fairly nice track and generally easy to get on. Certainly there are nicer in the area, but as far as public goes in SF, it's Presidio and Harding. Both can be very foggy and cold or absolutely beautiful in August, so be prepared for just about anything. The best weather in SF occurs in September and October - by far.

If you go down to Monterey, take a look at the tee time reservation requirements. When I played Pebble, unless you were staying at the resort for two nights, you couldn't book a tee time more than 24 hours in advance and even with two nights, you are looking at 2 weeks in advance. It may have changed since then, but give them a call and see what you can do. Pebble, is well, Pebble - history alone, I think it's worth playing. Sure it's expensive, but it's like seeing a game at Wrigley - you just gotta do it once.

San Francisco is a beautiful city - I'm sure you will enjoy your stay.

First of all, Olympic club is not a waste of time. It's obvious you haven't played it. I've been a member since 1987. San Francisco is a great course, but next to impossible to get on. If you're in Monterey, do yourself a favor and play Bayonet. They may still be in the midst of upgrading the course, but you should call and see. One of the true gems in Monterey and very reasonable as far a green fees. you will love this course.

unfortunetly i have played olympic club municipal< its always in bad shape unless something is going on, theres always 100 foursomes on the course, and i always get paired with bill getty, so its never a good time
G

Now that's the kind of policy I can really stand behind. Friggin' things don't belong on the golf course.

Play Pasatiempo for sure. Allister MacKenzie design. It's only an hour south of SF in Santa Cruz, and an hour closer than Monterey bay.

Also, play San Juan Oaks in San Juan Bastista if you can. It's be about an hour and a half south of SF.

It's a challenging Fred Couples Design. 7,100 yards and always breezy. Definently not 2nd tier. Q-school qualifying held there every year.



Pasatiempo: $220 public walking rate
San Juan Oaks: $40-80

Make sure you play Pasatiempo. It is the best of the bunch you are considering. Pebble is very overrated imo but if you have the money and want to go for it. You will definitely enjoy it and the scenery is great. Harding is also very overrated imo the front 9 is flat and all holes are straight except 1 90* dogleg hole. The back is better but nothing that special. For what you pay its not what I would have expected. SFGC is by far the best in the city (and one of the best in the country) but is very hard to get on. Olympic Club Lake is much easier to get on and has alot of history. Good luck and have a great trip!

Another reminder to bring layers! Even though SF is very small in area, you could wake up to sunshine at your downtown hotel and by the time you are at Harding or Half Moon Bay, it's chilly and foggy. On the same day inland courses like San Juan or Poppy Ridge can be approaching 100 degrees! We call it micro climates

If you must, spend a couple of hours at Fisherman's Wharf and the rest of your time visiting SF's unique neighborhoods. There you will find the real San Francisco. North Beach, the Mission, Haight-Ashbury, Inner Richmond, the Castro etc. Trek up and down the steep Russian and Telegraph Hills and take in the fantastic views. Have a great time!

I think your wrong there.

The Ranch is great, very challenging with a slope rating of 150 from the tips. Its beautiful, every hole is different and is placed along the hills.

Cinnabar hills is nice too, they have 3 9 holes and will send you out on two of them. Go Canyon course if you can.

Poppy Hills is a great deal if you are a NCGA member, either way its still a great course.

if you take I-80 East for about 45 min (depending on traffic) and head up to Vallejo (Hiddenbrooke Golf Club) and Fairfield (Paradise Valley Golf Course) those are two hidden gems and not very expensive..i highly recommend those. The courses are always in great great shape.

Have not played the Ranch, I hear it is a bear. Did play Cinnabar and it's certainly worth a go! They also have a cool golf museum.

Worth looking into, for sure.

http://www.cinnabarhills.com/subpage.php?p...ame=Course_Tour

That's going in my memory bank........farkin' guests that want to do business on the course.........
drive me nutz. Stay at the office please......

Ranch = tricked up dog track.

It quite possibly is the most tricked up place that I ever played.

A newer course worth noting is the TPC of San Francisco Bay located about 40 minutes away in Hayward, CA. Starting this year the course will host a Nationwide Tour event (in previous years the event was held at Wente Vineyards). It's a very challenging David McLay Kidd design (Bandon Dunes).


http://www.tpcsfbay.com/

HAHAHA.....i hope you are joking about being paired with Bill Getty, he is like a member at every golf club in the bay area.....ive played with him a few times and he is a pretty cool dude and a great fan of golf !!! and a pretty decent stick too !

I havent been to Harding in a year or so even though i have a residence card.....The course is definitely not in good shape and the greens are horrible......maybe decent for a muni but definitely not like Bayonet or Hiddenbrooke or Cinnabar greens.....Half Moon Bay is a good golf course, I prefer Ocean to the Old Course and Bodega Bay is only interesting if there is a heat wave in the Bay area. If you have access to country clubs by reciprocity then i would say, Olympic Club is worth playing and if you got serious hookups then San Francisco Club.....In the neighborhood is Lake Merced but i have not been there in years......