Ripped off by tour operator.
A group of us played Harding Park in August 08, paid $255 which included a shuttle from downtown SF.
In the pro shop we were shocked to see the green fees ranging from $45 for a SF resident to $135 for an out of state resident. Pretty expensive bus ride, dontcha think?
So...my experience thus tainted, I was pretty much underwhelmed by this course. It was all right, I guess, and I can see where it'll play well for the President's Cup, with its narrow fairways and overhanging cypress trees.
There is a rifle range across the lake that is pretty darned annoying. Gunshots going off all day long.

I can see if I paid $45 for this course, I'd be raving about the value.
For $135, I think it's a bit steep, and for what we paid....I want my money back!

Customer Service

Okay. Nothing special.
Pathetic practice facility

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Cog Hill Dubsdread in Lemont, Il., home of the Western Open (which also underwhelmed me)
Just about any decent private or semi private course. (Granted HP is a public track)

Avoid this course. Worst of the San Francisco golfing options by far. Course plays just ok. No particular nice vistas which for San Fran is surprising and a disappointment. Way, way overpriced. Scamming visitors who pay $130 or more, while locals pay $30. No water on the course, water fountains don't work inside... unforgivable. Service worse than a typical Muni, and prices out of sight? Might as well be private and save us all from this disaster of a course.

Great layout. Historic feel. Lovely trees (I got quite a lot of closeups in the trees!)

Shooting range nearby very annoying. Who would want to shoot a machine gun at 8am on a lovely Friday morning at Lake Merced, I don't know. Clubhouse still under rennovation. Coming up the 15th fairway (I think it is) I lost a ball in the RH trees (where else) among the hundreds of range balls that make it over the RH side range netting. They should just up the netting and block the balls from getting in there. If you have to hit a shot from those trees, you could likely get hit too.

I think they should erase all reviews posted on here prior to the start of '05. As the course gears up for the Accenture competition later this year, they're really turning it ship shape. If you have a SF residents card, you pay something paltry like $45. I paid $90 and it's worth every penny. Get there before they narrow the fairways any further!

Customer Service

Nice people. Helpful Marshalls. Cute snack girls.

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Range balls a little expensive. No place to put a decent tee on their artificial range tee mats.

Course condition. Layout. Cypress trees all around. Great price for residents at $45 with the resident card.

No clubhouse ... yet. Fog that clears and turns the fairways into a sauna.

Wish I had known that although they won't allow tee time bookings for single players ... you can still walk on as a single. I only find out about this by accident. When I called they didn't mention it. That aside, I'm glad I finally got a chance to play this place after all the hoopla it's generated in the press for the millions they've spent in renovating this course. Well ... they've done a great to this place. Everything was great about the course. From tee boxes to fairways to bunkers to greens, everything was tip top. I do think they need to work on some areas for the irrigation, because there were a couple of puddles from run on water from sprinkler heads. The layout is well done. Lots of variety and the bunkering is interesting. I struggled with the greens for figuring out the pace. I usually 3 putt a couple at the most in a round but here ... I had seven of them! Just couldn't dial it in. The best stretch of holes is on the back nine fro mthe 14th on. I think on the 16th, you can even see the Olympic in the distance + Lake Merced is right there to enjoy. I actually do agree that the best hole is probably the signature 18th. They've done a good job repositioning the tee box. You step up and feel excited about banging one right out there towards the bunkers. The green on this hole is also the most interesting. Multi tiered and tucked away. They call this a boomerang hole and that's exactly what it is.

Customer Service

So so. They could have told me that eventhough I can't book a tee time as a single ... I can still play as a walk on.

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Good range with real grass.

No real clubhouse or restaurant. squeezed-in astroturf driving range.

Only played it after the big rebuild, and it is fantastic. Best course less than $100 I've played. The stately monterey cypress (?) that line the fairways are majestic. I could play this one course forever if I had to. I can't believe this is a muni. From what I've heard, this place used to be a dump; extreme kudos to those who brought it back from the dead. the course itself is not too hard from the middle tees; plenty of room off the tees, but you _will_ get into the bunkers eventually. Interesting contrast to Presidion GC; from the middle tees Harding is probably a couple strokes easier, and that difference can probably be attributed to less elevation change than presidio.

Everything, fast greens, fluffy bunkers, great views, ball rolls on the fairway even in winter!

No club house. Artificial turf driving range.

Excellent championship quality course now that it has been rebuilt. The city closed the place for 15 months and redid it head to toe. It's like and old car that has been completly restored. That what the city did. Thank you Supervisor Tony Hall and Major Willie Brown!

Customer Service

City has new automated tee time system that make getting a tee time fast and easy.

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No comment.

Relatively less crowded (understandable, due to course maintenance, or its lack of). Between Feb & April, one can easily play all 18 between 2pm-5:30pm for just $15 & $18 weekends. Basically, it's the only reason I play here... Good value when Twilight...

SLOOOWWW Greens, IF available. A TON of temporary greens.
The WORST range balls I've ever hit in my life!
Completely worn out, and the range location is a shack.

This is a golf course that has a lot of potential, but is falling apart due to lack of maintenance. There are constant rumors of close-down/renovation, and maybe no one wants to spend money on keeping it in good shape...

The course's first 9 holes are very flat, and relatively easy. The back 9 gets very interesting with more variety in terrain and course design. You rarely see the flag from the back 9's tee. The lake-side location and the wide fairways make this course a very beautiful one for a public course.

Now the bad parts. The greens are absolutely awful. The greens are SO thick, that if you get used to these green's speed, you won't be able to putt anywhere else! You'll get used to putting so hard, that you lose a lot of the "feel control". It's been a nightmare getting used to normal green speed after playing here for a while...

Also, the drainage system of the greens must be very outdated. After the rains, Harding's greens are constantly changed to temporary, and it always takes longer to go back to the regular greens in comparison to other nearby courses. Since Dec 00 til now (Feb 01), there's been an average of 4 temps everyday. I went there one day (the day after a rain shower), and ALL 18 holes had temps! And NO discount! 18 temp holes!
I called another course that same day (Glen Eagle), and they had NO temps!

I do hope they renovate, and bring the maintenance aspect of this course up-to-date. I really like the aesthetics of this course, but its maintenance really kills it.

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Has an "old style country club" layout to it. Good practice putting green.

Maintenance is not up to par even for a muni. Pro shop looks like a salvation army sale inside. Cutomer service is non-existent. Driving range is falling apart. Can get backed up during the weekends.

When this place is renovated it should be a very good course, but right now its rather disappointing. The fairways and greens are not in good shape. When I played there they had a couple temporary greens that made those holes a joke to even play, whats even worse is that the staff didn't even mention it....they could have at least knocked off a percentage of the greens fees because of this. But the course does have a good layout and would be worth playing alot once they fix the place up. The 16th hole is probably my favorite since you have to place your drive away from the trees, called "the jail", on the right or your second shot is a punch back onto the fairway. The finishing hole is also pretty good since you have to hit over a ravine. Since it is close to the coast, most of the mornings are cold and foggy.

Customer Service

What customer service?

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Pro shop and range should be the first things they tear down when they close for renovation.

Wide fairways allow a wider margin of error for beginners. Plus, this is a good course to practice and learn on.

Somewhat long grass on the putting greens makes putting require more effort.

I have started playing the 9 hole Fleming course at Lake Merced at least once a week from July to now. This course has wide fairways on relatively flat terrain with somewhat long grass on the putting greens. On weekday mornings, it is much more busy than early evenings. This is probably so because the morning regulars are probably out there quite frequent. The 7th hole is probably the most difficult. This is a par 5.

The course is a par 32.

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Natural beauty and value in a no pressure enviroment.

Poor fairways.

I play this course alot. It is one of the best golf values in California. After 4:00 PM the fee is 10$ and even on weekends the fee is $23 for 18 holes. Yes the course needs more maintanance on the greens and fairways ut I can help thinking that this is the way that golf was intended to be played when it was invented; before Scots spent $100,000 BUILDING A GREEN, or golfers had to pay $100 a round to enjoy some compitition with some friends. It is a beautiful, unpretentious, challanging, and a pleasure to walk.

Customer Service

What customer service? No one even checks if you payed before you walk out on the course.

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No proshop as of 8/4/2001. Greens fees are cash only.