SAN FRANCISCO – From the first tee up to the 18 th, golfers can expect to see many differences in the newly renovated Lake Course, which was originally designed in 1924.
Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner will renovate the Lake Course in 2020. This course is scheduled to host several professional and amateur top-tier events. The layout was ranked No. The layout ranked No. 8 on Golfweek’s Best 2023 ranking for top private courses California and was No. Golfweek’s Best 2023 ranking of all classic courses in the U.S.
Hanse and Wagner, as they did with several other championship courses including the Los Angeles Country Club that will host the 2023 U.S. Open, planned for the future through studying the past.
Tommy Naccarato, Hanse Design’s associate, said this meant looking at old aerial photographs from the 1920s to 1930s as well Spring Valley Water Company plans. The team was able to identify abandoned fairway bunkers over the years, as well as information on fairway widths and approaches, green surrounds and other historical details.
The Spring Valley Water Company historical plans show the Lake Course’s routing at Olympic Club. Hanse Golf Course Design. (Courtesy Hanse Golf Course Design).
The Hanse plan ultimately calls for the reinstatement of fairway bunkers at Nos. The Hanse plan would eventually call for the reintroduction of fairway bunkers on Nos. The course was also refined by expanding the greens by approximately 33 percent in order to create more pinnable area, by widening the fairways by about 25 percent, and by extending the approaches to the greens so that there are more options for ground-games.
The seventh hole was created to connect the Nos. After the 2009 repositioning of the tees at No. 8. The new No. The new No. 7 is still an uphill par 4 that can be driven, but the green has been moved down a small hill to the left. Hanse, via zoom, said that the teeshot offers many options. The best is when players take on a new bunker located about 50 yards away from the green.
The site for the new No. The Olympic Club’s Lake Course, San Francisco, before Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner restored it (Courtesy Hanse Golf Course Design).
No. The Olympic Club’s Lake Course was restored by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner. (Photo courtesy of Hanse Golf Course Design).
No. The Olympic Club’s Lake Course was restored by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner. (Courtesy Hanse Golf Course Design).
The changes are noticeable from the very first tee, where dense shrubs were removed between the tee and the second green, allowing a better view of the entire property, including Lake Merced. This continues all the way up to the 18 th where fairway bunkers and a larger green have been added.
The Lake Course now has a consistent Golden Age feel and look, as well as an improved playability on a daily basis.
Hanse and Wagner were fortunate to be able tap into the rich history of The Lake Course. William Watson and Sam Whiting created the first version in 1924. However, storm damage forced Whiting to redesign the course in 1927.
The Lake Course has been a popular venue for USGA championships since 1955. It hosted the U.S. The Lake Course hosted the U.S. Opens of 1955, 1966, 1987, 1998 and 2012. The U.S. It also hosted the U.S.
The routing was left intact throughout the history of the championship. Robert Trent Jones Sr. redesigned the course before the 1955 U.S. Open. In 2009, the par-3 uphill eighth hole was moved to the north. The greens were also converted from poa grass to bentgrass. Bill Love directed the bunker renovation in 2016.
No. The Olympic Club’s Lake Course, San Francisco, before Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner restored it (Courtesy Hanse Golf Course Design).
No. The Olympic Club’s Lake Course, San Francisco, after restoration by Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner. (Courtesy Hanse Golf Course Design).
The course was played perfectly during a media day thanks to the efforts of Director of Grounds Troy Flanagan, his team and shaper Shaymus Maly. They worked together with Hanse’s team.
Hanse, who worked with Flanagan on the course’s design, said: “We were able to improve our performance and respond more quickly when we tapped into his enthusiasm and knowledge.” “I cannot think of a better opening day green I have played on.”
Olympic Club President Jim Murphy was delighted by the praise for the course. He led the club during a time that is usually a stressful one for the membership.
Murphy said that his members had responded to Hanse’s and Wagner’s works with a mixture of jubilation and anticipation.
Pat Murphy, a long-time Golfweek’s best rater and Olympic Club Member, echoed these sentiments. “I have been a member of Olympic Club for over 65 years and served previously as the green chair, the board, and vice president. This renovation does a wonderful job honoring the past and preparing us for the present. “The golf course is beautiful, engaging and fun as it’s ever been.”
No. The Olympic Club’s Lake Course, San Francisco, before Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner restored it (Courtesy Hanse Golf Course Design).
No. Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner restored the Olympic Club’s Lake Course at San Francisco (Courtesy Hanse Golf Course Design).
No. The Olympic Club’s Lake Course, San Francisco, after restoration by Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner. (Courtesy Hanse Golf Course Design).
The membership will certainly embrace the improvements, but the real question is: how will it perform in championships? The Lake Course will host the U.S. Amateur in 2025. The Lake Course will host the 2025 U.S.
Due to the match-play format, amateur events and Ryder Cup will be able tee off with the additional fairway width. It will be fascinating to see how the PGA of America and chief championships officer Kerry Haigh prepare the course for 2028 PGA Championship. Conventional wisdom suggests that fairways should be narrowed to increase the challenge. We can only hope that a ball rollback and the possibility of more hole locations to choose from, as well as more rough around greens will encourage them to embrace the extra width.
