599 Skyline Drive,
Daly City, California 94015
The Course:
45 holes. Tree-lined & open parkland. Some slopes to climb
Surroundings:
Woodland, seaside and residential.
Designer:
Lake course: originally designed by William "Willie" Watson and built by Sam Whiting (1924); subsequently redesigned by Sam Whiting in 1925/6 after severe winter storm damage. Later modifications by Robert Trent Jones (1953) and Bill Love (2016).
Ocean course: originally designed by Willie Watson (1924); substantially remodelled by Sam Whiting (1927); completely redesigned by Tom Weiskopf (2000), and renovated by Bill Love (2012).
Above distances are for the Lake course. Also at The Olympic Club is the 18-hole Ocean course (par-71; 6926 yards from back tees), and the 9-hole Cliffs course (par-27; 1800 yards).
37.709191
-122.494892
7 miles SW of San Francisco centre
From I-280 / Hwy 1, just north of Daly City, take exit 49A and head west on John Daly Blvd. After 2 miles turn right onto route 35 (Skyline Blvd North) direction San Francisco Bay. After o.9 miles, Olympic Club's entrance is on your right.
Olympic Club
The Olympic Club: This illustrious private golf club (exclusive to its members and their invited guests) is home to the world renowned Lake and Ocean courses, as well as the nine-hole par-3 Cliffs course.
The Lake course, one of the most famous layouts on the US Open Championship roster, is laid out on the lake side of a sandy ridge, which lies between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Merced. This mainly tree-lined, parkland layout, occupies sloping terrain that offers little in the way of flat lies.
As the layout sweeps down towards (but never quite reaches) Lake Merced, the many gently dog-legging holes are full of golfing challenges, not least a plethora of bunkering and clinging rough around the lightning fast and very testing greens. If you do ever get the chance to play the Lake course, you will perhaps be surprised to discover the layout is devoid of water hazards, while totalling up the number of fairway bunkers is also a rather quick task - there is but one!
Complementing the majestic Lake course, and occupying the ocean side of the sandy ridge, is the aptly named Ocean course (which was originally known as the Pacific Links). More open and less tree-lined than the Lake, it is another fine layout guaranteed to fully test your game.
Private club; guests may only play if hosted by a member.
Excellent
Historical notes: In 1918, the Olympic Club took over the Lakeside Golf Club, which had opened in 1917 but was struggling financially. Lakeside's 18-hole course was designed by Wilfred Reid, but following additional land purchase the Olympic Club decided to replace it with two courses. These were designed by Willie Watson, a well-known Scottish architect, and opened as the Lake and Ocean courses in 1924.
Not long after its 1924 opening, the Ocean course was damaged by landslides. Sam Whiting, who had managed the construction of the Lake and Ocean courses, was asked to remodel and rebuild both courses in 1927. He remained the Olympic Club's golf course superintendent until 1954.
The Lake course was modified by Robert Trent Jones in preparation for the 1955 US Open. Altered several times over the years, the Ocean course sustained heavy storm damage in 1996, and was completely redesigned by Tom Weiskopf, reopening for play in 2000.
The Olympic Club's Lake course has hosted numerous top level golf tournaments, including several US Opens and US Amateur Championships (see our Tournaments section >by Venue >Olympic Club).
2019/20 Golf Digest rating: Lake course rated 33rd best course in the USA and 5th best in California.
Tournaments:
US Women's PGA Championship: located just outside Philadelphia, the famed Donald Ross layout of Aronimink Golf Club hosts the third women’s major championship of 2020 (Oct 8-11).
Scottish Open: first played in 1972, this year’s championship is again played on the Tom Doak-designed Renaissance Club course, which sits alongside mighty Muirfield in East Lothian (Oct 1-4).
Who's Who:
Jim Furyk: in winning the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links, “The Grinder” joined Arnold Palmer and Bruce Fleisher as the only players to win their first two starts on the PGA Tour Champions.
Georgia Hall: recorded her first win in an LPGA Tour event on American soil at this year’s Portland Classic, played at Columbia Edgewater Country Club … on the edge of the Columbia River.
Traigh Golf Course (pronounced "try", and meaning "beach" in Gaelic): You'll find this nine-hole seaside gem on the scenic coast road (as opposed to the more inland and quicker A830) between Arisaig and Morar. Although not on the well-beaten path of Scotland's "trophy" courses, if you are passing through this area, it's a must play.
Read More...
Cullen Links Golf Club: "immensely scenic", "quirky as golf can get", "short!", "hugely enjoyable" ... Cullen Links attracts as wide a variety of comments as it lays down golfing challenges. Shoehorned into this 4,600 yard treasure trove are ten par-3s, seven par-4s and a good-length par-5. Here you'll find all the seaside scenery a golfer could ask for, and a lot more besides. Read More...
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