TPC Harding Park - Harding Course

When I played the course the year after the President’s Cup, I loved it. This year’s experience was a 180 turnabout.

1. Driving range and chipping green closed for over a month? Seems to me that for the price you gouge visitors you could get them repaired easily and quickly.

2. My group arrived one hour prior to tee time. We asked if we could go off earlier. Told repeatedly “NO”! Group immediately in front failed to show and instead of moving us up, they put a twosome (walking) THAT WERE SAN FRANCISCO LOCALS in front. That DELAYED our tee time further. A 3 HOUR front nine WITHOUT A MARSHALL was agonizing. Fortunately, the guy who played fron the tips and NEVER could hit the fairway or a GIR quit after 9. That left us behind a tweener and her mother.

3. Realizing we might not make 18 before carts were due, I called ProShop to complain about slow play. They told me that college teams were IN FRONT of us for PRACTICE rounds. We saw how they practiced - chipping practice repeatedly around the greens despite groups WAITING in the fairways for them to leave.

4. Cart path only even though the fairways were dry. That slowed things down even more. $25 charged for a shared cart? In addition to a $135 twilight tee fee? Ridiculous!

I enjoyed the Presidio much more and at least they had marshalls to move slower groups along. Will NOT be back!

The experience playing TPC Harding Park could not have been better. The course is challenging, but not unfair and not impossible. It was in great shape considering the amount of public play they get. The greens were especially nice; consistent and true. The pace of play was great, again considering the amount of public play. We played the round in around 4 hours and 30 minutes, which seemed very reasonable given the fact that their tee sheet was full. I got a GolfNow hot deal for $79 and that was really a great value. One of my playing partners is a local, and he said that he pays $61 as a resident. The other two players were in town on business and said that they paid $200 each; not sure on that one. They did charge me $14 for a pull cart rental, which is a bit pricey. It's an easy walking course, with or without a pull cart. Just a beautiful venue, a wonderful design, and a delightful day.

Highly recommend playing this course when conditions are dry. My first experience at this course was very fun although, wet conditions very much affected the course. Always consider weather when playing at expensive high level courses. Luckily, this course layout was pretty suitable for long hitters and target golfers. The rough was terrible to land in and balls were very hard to find and some times halfway submerged into the ground from ball flight angles landing into the rough (only when the course is wet from rainy conditions). Pace was slow for walking but enjoyable. I can’t wait to come back to this course and try my luck at a personal best on a TPC.

I loved playing this course ten years ago but this time was totally appalling. This is not the quality I would expect from a “TPC” course.

1. Winds had bent the metal polls supporting driving range nets LAST month - closing the range. The chipping green was “closed” likewise. Seems to me that a “TPC” course would rapidly fix the damage so players could warm up prior to their rounds. Profits must trump convenience I guess.

2. Our group of four showed an hour before our tee time. Despite the lack of practice facilities, we were told several times we could not move up our tee time. When our tee time came up, two people who were LOCAL walk-ons were allowed to SUBSTITUTE for the group slated for the time before us (no show). That pushed our tee time BACK. Since when does a two-some take priority over a foursome? Oh, that’s right, locals take priority over out-of-town guests.

3. THREE HOURS for the first 9 holes is ridiculous. College teams taking practice rounds coupled with the LACK of a course marshall slowed everything to a crawl. Hit and wait became the theme. The apathy for our plight was evident several times when I called the pro-shop to ask why - they have your money ($110 “twilight” + $23 for cart fee to play cart path only golf).

4. GPS system spent half the time with advertisements and was difficult to return to screen.

5. SEVERAL times our cart died WHILE ON CART PATH because of “entering restricted area” . We had to back up and try the SAME route again to move forward.

6. My friend had rented right hand clubs but they gave him a LEFT HANDED 9 IRON. They then looked at him with a smug look when he asked to have it replaced at the turn.

This was anything BUT the quality expected for a “TPC” course. Poor management Is unacceptable for the prices paid. If you do not live in the area, I urge you to spend your hard earned money elsewhere - a five hour round does not allow you to get into any rhythm and despite the beauty of the course, you will be extremely disappointed with the round.

Staff accomadated us with a change in time. Course was in great shape given large amount of rain. Truly a treat to play a world class course on a gorgeous day.

Unfortunately no range facilities in operation due to storms. Wanted to enjoy a beer after round, but bar seemed closed. Jay was very friendly at check in.

Beautiful course that drains exceptionally well. Zero muddy areas and lovely views all around. Only negatives were the rude starter & unusually high cart fees. $50 is much too high for a cartpath only course. Definitely worth playing ( w out the cart!).

My home course, always plays in great conditions and with great pace. Started 12:10pm and finished 4:45pm, walking. Greens tend to be on the slower side but rolling true and well. As a resident with the resident card I pay 65/70 for playing, can’t beat it. Even at full rate, it’s worth it.

Except for the fact that the course is kept in good Condition, it’s a municipal golf course. The front nine holes all look the same while the backside gets a little more interesting. They charge you double the price for a warm-up bucket of balls. There is no water on the course so you have to buy a four dollar bottle. Frankly there are just more interesting courses for quite a bit less money. I just feel like you’re overpaying for everything. Major thumbs down

Great experience on a glorious golf day!!

But, if you can’t walk and carry a bag, it’s not the course for you. Even if you are riding, Electric carts are programmed to stay on cart paths.

Enjoyable. Played with 3 local players. I player was long so we all played from the blue tees which is about 6800 yards. I shot an 87 and had only 1 iron in to a green the entire round. All the other holes were 3 wood and hybrids. I wanted to be courteous as an out of towner. Course is scorable if you can match the yardage to your game. My handicap is about 11.

Not worth the money because of the condition of bunkers and greens. Great layout barely makes up for the borderline conditions. Not coming back till this is improved

I liked the course but there were no bathrooms on the back nine so be ready (espaecially after a big beer at the turn). The restaurant was good

Have played a few times this year at Harding and the accompanying 9 hole Fleming. In the past the course conditions were quite nice on both. Greens are healthy and the sand light. I thought the greens were mess yesterday and the bunker sand was heavy and hard. At $93, it should be in better shape.

I researched well enough to figure out how to be one of the privileged few to book a GolfNow hot deal and managed to play this course for $57. The trick is, book one full week out early in the morning. If you wait until the end of that day the hot deal will have been booked. Anyway, that’s how you save some money if you’re an out-of-towner.

Sometimes the driving range is your first impression of a golf facility. If you allow that to happen here your first impression and final impression will be distinctly opposite. The driving range isn’t great (ok, it’s pretty bad). Completely netted in. Eight dollars for a small bucket off of a disheveled mat that has the generic hard plastic groove that you stick a tee into to hit driver. Most of the balls are missing the dimples and flutter around after impact. But at least there is a range and you actually can hit driver.

It’s a popular and well kept municipal course in the middle of a busy city, so the fact that you feel like cattle as you go to the first tee is something you should expect. Nothing to complain about there — and if you do I recommend heading 2 hours south to play Pebble Beach where you will be treated like the king you must be.

The two trademarks of this golf course are the cypress trees that line virtually every hole and once you head to the back nine many of the holes border Lake Merced. For being a course in San Francisco there are very little elevation changes.

I was very surprised at how well conditioned the golf courses. Although it is a TPC managed facility it is still a municipal and gets a ton of play. The greens had been aerated 10 days before, and that was a significant concern of mine, but they had healed phenomenally well given the short amount of time between when they were punched in the day I played. The greens had been aerated 10 days before, and that was a significant concern of mine, but they had healed phenomenally well given the short amount of time between when they were punched in the day I played. There are no gimmicky holes. What you see in front of you is what you get. The 18th hole is a beast; 440 yards or so with a tee shot that demands a 200 yard carry and keeping it down the right side of the fairway.

Note to anyone who comes from out of town to play: The ball does not travel in San Francisco. I played the course at 6800 yards and change and it played like a 7000 yard golf course (and that’s compared to the east coast of Virginia which is also at sea level). I would recommend playing up a set of tees.

Overall, I would play the golf course again provided I found the Golf Now hot deal. Otherwise, it’d be a “been there/done that.” However, if I were local I would be a frequent visitor given the value offered to local residents.

Oh ... and it was cool seeing Andre Igoudala out there too.