No. 1 at Golden Gate Park Golf Course in San Francisco after an extensive renovation (Courtesy of Golden Gate Golf Course/Riley Largent)
No. 1, 95-137 yards: The hole plays from the clubhouse area uphill about 25 feet. The fairway is a bit of a saddle between dunes with tall trees on both sides. There is a large multi-trunk cypress tree behind the green. During the renovation the teeing ground was expanded, and a sandscape was exposed right of the tees. Numerous trees were removed or pruned to provide more room to play and improved turf conditions. A new double-green (combined with No. 4) is deep with helping contours on the left. To the right of the green, an old tree stump remains that the team refers to as Sandy’s Stump in honor of the late Sandy Tatum, the founder of The First Tee of San Francisco.
No. 2, 90-114 yards: The hole plays from the high point on the property then downhill about 20 feet into a grove of mature trees. A large cypress tree frames the left side of the green. The teeing ground was expanded and combined with the tees on Nos. 5 and 7. A bunker short of the green was removed so players can choose to putt down the hill on this hole if they desire. A chain-link fence behind the green was removed, and the green was expanded back. The new green is roughly three times the size of the original with a lower-right portion, a diagonal spine in the middle and a lower back-left section. A sandscape was exposed behind the green that catches balls before they reach the woods.
No. 3, 81-126 yards: The third hole is nestled down in a valley on the backside of the main dune. The hole plays from south to north with a large hillside left of the green. The hole was shortened to make room for the expanded second green and to improve safety. Dozens of dead trees were removed from the left side while large eucalyptus trees were pruned along the right. The green was elongated with a skinny front section as well as a small area tucked behind the dune on the left. The approach was softened to allow for shots along the ground.
No. 4, 75-115 yards: This hole sends players back up to the high point of the property. The hole plays uphill about 10-15 feet from north to south to a green that sits in a large amphitheater setting. Numerous dead trees were removed left of the hole, and trees on the right were pruned. The green complex was combined with No. 1. The green is a giant punchbowl with a spine in the middle to create a left bowl and a right…
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