Harding Park: #2
View from no. 2 at Harding Park (Courtesy of KemperLesnik)
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Rating Index Rating
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4.0
479 Reviews (479)
5 Stars
235
4 Stars
143
3 Stars
54
2 Stars
28
1 Stars
19
Conditions
3.8
Value
3.5
Layout
4.4
Friendliness
4.3
Pace
4.2
Amenities
4.0
81.6%
Recommend this course
396 out of 479 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.2
11 Reviews (11)
5 Stars
1
4 Stars
5
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
2
Conditions
2.8
Value
2.7
Layout
3.7
Pace
3.8
Amenities
3.6
StaffFriendliness
4.1
63.6%
Recommend this course
7 out of 11 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.0
25 Reviews (25)
5 Stars
10
4 Stars
9
3 Stars
3
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
2
Conditions
3.6
Value
3.3
Layout
4.2
Pace
4.2
Amenities
3.9
StaffFriendliness
4.3
80.0%
Recommend this course
20 out of 25 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Public
Par 72
Length 7169 yards
Slope 129
Rating 74.3

TPC Harding Park ranks among the most famous municipal courses in the country, along with Torrey Pines South and Bethpage Black. TPC Harding Park, which is part of the San Franciso Recreation and Parks Department, hugs the shores of Lake Merced in close proximity to the Lake Merced Golf Club, The Olympic Club and San Francisco Golf Club. Dating to 1925, it has a long history of tournament golf among its stately Monterey Cypress trees. Byron Nelson won back-to-back San Francisco Opens in 1944-45. The PGA Tour's Lucky International in the 1960s attracted winners such as Gary Player (1961), Gene Littler (1962), Jackie Burke Jr. (1963), Ken Venturi (1966) and Billy Casper (1968).

After falling on hard times, the course received a $16-million renovation in 2002-03 that brought it back into the tournament fold, hosting the 2005 World Golf Championship-American Express Championship, the 2015 WGC-Match Play Championship, The Presidents Cup in 2009, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship from 2010-12 and the 2020 PGA Championship, its first major.

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TPC Harding Park Golf Club
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Course Details

Year Built 1925
Golf Season Year round
Architect Willie Watson (1925) Sam Whiting (1925) Chris Gray (2003) Jack Fleming (1934)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - $25
GPS No
Pull-carts Yes
Caddies No
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Teaching Pro Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Fivesomes Allowed No
Single Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Proper golf attire.

Food & Beverage

Bar, Grill

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Ginella's Top 50 U.S. Courses You Can Play (2016 #25) (2015 #25)
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Reviews

4.0
479 Reviews (479)

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Cold weather
Used cart

golf in the park

cold but sunny weather. pace of play is rather slow by my standard, course condition is good. green rather flat and fairway rather wide.

i think for a public course , the green and the next tee box is rather close. Any yardage error can be become a bad accident.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great Layout

The layout is fantastic with multiple tees that can challenge golfers of all skill levels. The greens are in good condition but have a slow pace rolling around a 8 on the stimpmeter (estimate). The bunkers need regular maintenance as they had been prepared the night before and then watered through the sprinkler system in the morning leaving a compact hard sand. This made the bunker play extremely difficult. The driving range was mats and the range balls were an additional purchase. No water coolers not the course as well.

The staff was extremely friendly and helpful and always had a smile on their face. The on course staff was great and came around regularly to offer refreshments.

Overall I loved the layout and will be back. I would like to see the superintendent get the bunkers prepped each morning and the greens sped up. Easy course to walk and enjoy the beauty of it.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Need to play

Great course, pace of play was slow on back 9. Great greens & fairways (but they should be as it is a cart path only course). Also, keep in mind that there is NO short game practice EVERY Wednesday. Good putting green though.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 198
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 50 Contributor
Indy Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Fun Course

Coming from the midwest, this course is a fun change of pace for me. Always enjoy playing where the pros have played, and in this case it gives you a scorable layout as long as you keep it between the trees. The front 9 is a bit of back and forth, but the back 9 is really pretty, especially the last few holes along the lake.

The greens were rather shaggy when I played in the afternoon, but they still rolled true with good speed. Rough was not very penal. I liked getting brand options with the rental set too.

Overall it's not the greatest TPC course you can play - it does have a muni feel to it - but it is a fun round and a decent value for the price. Not a long ride from the downtown SF area, just beware of surge pricing if using car services. I'd go again anytime I visit the area.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/03/2017

If you played it with the rough down you were in luck. Rough gets as thick as can be out here when they have the pros here...

Back nine one of best in West from any tee.

Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Really enjoyed this course had to drive up the coast 4 hrs to play but it was worth it. Have seen the course on tv in wgc tournaments and presidents cup and always wanted to play this classic course, and especially now with the pga championship going their in 2020 im so glad i had the chance to play it...everything was what i expected, the greens were just a little to slow look like they had arreated in the last 3 weeks and the driving range is very weak but besides that if you truly love golf and golf history and classic designs you will love harding park

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 28
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Walked

Oh My What An Awesome Course!

Best public course I've played in the Bay Area. The course is in excellent condition. We played on an unusually windy July day so the course was extremely challenging. The other cool part is that Jerry Rice played in the foursome behind me.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Cold weather
Walked

Good course but not a TPC experience

This was my first time playing Harding Park after several trips to the Bay Area. The course is a great public course for residents but not worth the out-of-town rate if you don't get a Hot Deal on GolfNow. Always fun to play a course that will be hosting a major but the layout itself isn't worth more than $75 or so. This is not the usual "TPC experience," but instead gives off the feel of a well run muni.

The staff was great. However, they did warn me when checking in that there had been numerous car break ins in their parking lot so that was a bit concerning. The range (mats only) was decent with a nice short game area. However the balls were pretty beat up. It was cart path only so I walked the course even though the cart fee was included.

As for the layout itself, the front nine feels pretty crowded with a lot of up and back and crossing over holes. The 9 hole course also is adjacent to the front nine making it feel even more crowded. For the most part the holes on the front side are not memorable.

The back nine is a much better experience with the holes being more spaced out with holes running along Lake Merced (nice view of Olympic Club).

I played on Sunday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend and the round only took four and a half hours so it wasn't too bad for a public course. Overall, I had a good time but there are better courses for the value within an hour or so.

If you are looking to spend big to play a round on your vacation, this would not be the course I would recommend. But if you get the resident rate or a decent price on GolfNow I would recommend it.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 47
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Mississippi Advisor
First Time Playing

Great Layout.

There aren't enough nice things to say about Harding Park. The routing is terrific. The vibe is a great mix of municipal-style quirkiness with TPC-level charm. It's walkable without being boring and flat. It's a little long, but it's as fair as it can be: it shows you where your shot should go, and it exacts varying levels of punishment on you for missing. This one has absolutely stood the test of time.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Cold weather
Used cart

Go play TPC Harding Park

This course has a lot to offer, appropriate tee box distance disparity, open fairways, good greens, strategic shoots...etc. If you like warm sunny condition, be sure to monitor the forecast, given its location, it is often overcast and cool-to-chilly. All-in-all it is a must play.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 15
Handicap 20-24
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0

Not worth $85+

Don't get me wrong, this course is really nice and in great shape, but if you're not a SF or county resident, it's way over priced. The twilight fee for a non-resident was $87 and as someone else mentioned in another review, the price should really be around $50.

The back 9 was significantly narrower and more challenging than the front 9. Pace of play really slowed down when a group seemed to have started on the back 9 with one bag for two players, one of whom appeared to be giving his son lessons. I was also surprised to see random people just walking the cart path and it sounded like there was a firing range down the hill.

Worth it if you can get a discount.

Conditions Excellent
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

don't pay full price

Played 5/2/17. Fun track, not terribly challenging. Not sure if they had alot of rain before I was there but the fairways were quite shaggy. I would also recommend walking - very walkable course and the day I played was cart path only for riders even though it had been sunny and dry for 4 days previous. They obviously charge a premium because of the pedigree of the course. Understandable, but between the conditions, the underwhelming clubhouse, and no range facility (I believe that is just a temporary thing for May 2017), I would hesitate to recommend this course for more than $100. It's a nice muni. Value imo is at about $50-75.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 88
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Harding Park

Play course while it rained most of the afternoon. Fairways were immaculate and greens fast but a little grainy. It was certainly a treat even with the rain. I would certainly recommend as a must play but only with a GolfNow purchase.

Conditions Excellent
Layout Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

great shape

Harding Park is in great shape right now. The rough is cut back nicely and the course was not wet and muddy like many bay area courses right now. Greens were rolling nicely.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Windy weather
Walked

Great course

Great course. It's lay out is very well thought and makes it challenging taking advantage of the hills. Greens were a little bit irregular in speed because of the rainy weeks before our play. Walking the course is a must and makes you enjoy the awesome views. Congratulations to the staff.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 13
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Harding- Worth every penny!

Got a great deal and used my bonus promo code. Sky was sunny, temp was warm. Starter added me to a group of three and there was an instant mutual respect for each other's games. We were somewhat disparate in skill levels and yet the day was so nice, the course was in great shape, that everyone was in a very thankful mood that it was not raining. We used "winter rules" (MARK, lift, clean and replace). The greens rolled true speed wise and break wise. I just had a fantastic time. Shot decently enough for not having played in two and a half weeks(during the storms). Will love going back!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 23
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Walked

Solid layout; very close to San Francisco!

TPC Harding Park was a very enjoyable round! I showed up to San Francisco without thinking I'd play any golf. I didn't have golf shoes or my clubs but after 5 days straight of rain and a perfect sunny day, I decided last minute to see if I could play.

I showed up after booking a great deal on Golfnow.com for a 11:30AM tee time after 5 days of rain. The course was definitely wet but the sun was out. I wore non-golf Nike running shoes and rented Titleist clubs from the pro shop for $50 flat, which included 2 sleeves of Velocity Titleist balls and a bag of tees (check their website for club rental options). I chose S-flex for the rentals. No mixing and matching. (I usually use Reg in my irons and Stiff in my woods.)

Some of the previous reviews said the staff was unpleasant. I had the opposite feeling. They were very accommodating and were patient when I wanted to feel out the different iron sets. The range was down as storms ripped a hole in the net. Off to the first tee.

Started out on Hole #10 first, which is the more scenic 9-holes. Starter was great and allowed me to join a group 20 minutes earlier. The course set up is awesome btw. The trees shape the holes beautifully. It's very close to some active streets but once you swing by Lake Merced on your left, the course is gorgeous. Across the Lake is Olympia, a private club.

The course played wet and I lost a ball which should have just missed the fairway as they were plugging. Not bad though, but very wet in some areas (like I said... 5 days of rain). Greens were slow. Seems to be a common thread among other reviews as well. Slow but runs true, I would say.

There's a police gun range very close by. You do hear gun shots echo throughout the course but it's not off putting at all. Some reviews have said it bothered them. It did not affect my game at all. Pace of play was solid - finished in just over 4 hours.

Hole #18 is the signature hole and it is a lot of fun. I hit a perfect tee ball onto the leftside of the fairway with a 5-iron into the wind which I needed to draw. Barely got it onto the green and left me a 60-footer for birdie. 3-putted for bogey, but hey, I got there in 2 into the wind! Beautiful hole.

I'm not sure if it's worth $200 to play without a better deal. I played from the white tees and it was not that difficult of a course. I have a 8 handicap. But the holes were good looking and I had fun with my 3 playing partners. They rode carts for a cart-path only rule, which is in effect 100% of the time, not just rainy days. I walked as I wanted to experience the course since it will host the 2020 PGA Championship. This course is not that demanding so we'll see how they change it up for the PGA to make it harder.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
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