SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - What a historic major the 2020 PGA Championship will be.
It will be the first major hosted by the TPC Harding Park, a municipal course that's no stranger to tournament golf. It will also be the first major - one of potentially three this year - played without fans. It would have been spectacular to hear the roars ride the wind off of Lake Merced and bellow through the trees, but alas, the pandemic has dashed those dreams for San Francisco Bay Area golf fans.
The TPC Harding Park - which has hosted two World Golf Championships (2005 and 2015) and the 2009 Presidents Cup - has two defenses: The heavy air off of the ocean that San Francisco is famous for and thick, juicy rough. The tall Monterey Cypress Pines lining the fairways look formidable, although they're only in play after poor shots. The layout - revitalized during a 2002-03 renovation, spearheaded by Sandy Tatum - is fairly straightforward with a few doglegs and fairway bunkers steering pros around the course. Its greens are more subtle than severely sloped.
It really favors no one. A bomber could overpower the course, but just as easily, an accurate plodder who putts well could find himself lifting the Wannamaker Trophy, too.
Here's a hole-by-hole look at TPC Harding Park:
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Par 4 | 393 yards
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It's a gentle starting hole at TPC Harding Park unless pros get too aggressive as the fairways narrows closer to the green. Gary Kellner/PGA -
Par 4 | 466 yards
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Once players avoid the two left-side fairway bunkers, the crowned green at No. 2 introduces one of the harder green complexes at TPC Harding Park. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 3 | 185 yards
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The third green at TPC Harding Park is elevated and bracketed by bunkers. It shrinks in front and back, featuring multiple sections. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 5 | 607 yards
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The key to the longest hole and no. 1 handicap at TPC Harding Park is carving the tee shot right to left around the steep dogleg left. Even after finding the fairway, a laying to set up a scoring approach might be the prudent play. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 4 | 436 yards
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Without any bunkers or dogleg, the only defense on the straight fifth hole at TPC Harding Park is a tricky green complex. Keyur Khamar/US PGA TOUR -
Par 4 | 472 yards
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The par-4 six doglegs gently left through a narrow chute of trees. Pros who can work the ball could set up shorter approaches and better scoring chances. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 4 | 340 yards
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No. 7 is the second shortest par 4 at TPC Harding Park. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 3 | 251 yards
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No. 8 is the longest par 3 at TPC Harding Park at 230 yards. The famous municipal course hosted the 2020 PGA Championship. Keyur Khamar/US PGA TOUR -
Par 4 | 515 yards
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The par-5 ninth hole at TPC Harding Park is being converted into a stout par 4 for the PGA Championship. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 5 | 562 yards
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The par-5 10th at TPC Harding Park is one of the more dynamic holes on property with a sweeping fairway along Lake Merced ending at a well-bunkered green. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 3 | 200 yards
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No. 11 at TPC Harding Park can be sneaky tough with two bunkers smothering misses. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 4 | 494 yards
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A 494-yard par 5 during everyday play, No. 12 will be a supersized par 4 with out-of-bounds left along Lake Merced Boulevard for the pros. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 4 | 472 yards
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A new back tee adds 44 yards to No. 13 at TPC Harding Park. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 4 | 470 yards
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Playing along Lake Merced, the 14th hole at TPC Harding Park requires an uphill approach, often from an uneven lie, to a sloping green. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 4 | 401 yards
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There's little reward for challenging the dogleg left on the 15th hole at TPC Harding Park, so most players will hit iron or fairway wood toward the aiming bunker on the right side. Gary Kellner/PGA -
Par 4 | 336 yards
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No. 16 is the shortest par 4 at TPC Harding Park, tempting players to go for it. Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 3 | 171 yards
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The par-3 17th at TPC Harding Park, a historic San Francisco municipal course that hosted the 2020 PGA Championship Gary Kellner/PGA of America -
Par 4 | 480 yards
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A new tee on No. 18 at TPC Harding Park adds 12 yards at an angle that brings the right-side bunkers more into play. It's long, tough, scenic and doglegs left along Lake Merced, finishing at an elevated green. Gary Kellner/PGA of America
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Looks fairly boring for a major.
While attending SFSU in the 70’s, the course became rundown, most played for free b/c they just never went in clubhouse and they never came out. Wonderful to see what it looks like now. All props to S. Tatum and the SFGC support in bringing a “ beautiful Classic” back to Life.....great memories...
Amazing to see a course I grew up on, waaaay back in the 1950s. Some of the trees trees were mere saplings then and now look like monsters.