TPC Harding Park
This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2020) |
WGC-Cadillac Match Play (2015), PGA Championship (2020) | |
Greens | Bentgrass (007, Tyee)[1] |
---|---|
Fairways | Poa annua, bentgrass, and ryegrass[1] |
Website | tpc.com/hardingpark |
Designed by | Sam Whiting Willie Watson |
Par | 72 |
Length | 7,169 yards (6,555 m)[2] |
Course rating | 74.1 |
Slope rating | 129 [3] |
TPC Harding Park, formerly Harding Park Golf Club and commonly known as Harding Park, is a
It is now a part of the
History
Harding Park Golf Course opened 99 years ago on July 18, 1925.[6] It is named after President Warren G. Harding, an avid golfer, who had died in office while visiting San Francisco two years earlier. The course covers 163-acre (0.66 km2) along the shores of Lake Merced, in the city's southwest corner. Willie Watson and Sam Whiting, who also designed the nearby Olympic Club's Lake Course, drew up a design plan for a course at Harding Park for a price of $300.
The golf course attracted national attention, hosting a number of important tournaments, including The
Around the turn of the century, Sandy Tatum, a prominent San Francisco attorney, champion golfer, and former United States Golf Association president, led a campaign to restore Harding Park to its former glory. He eventually got approval from former mayor Willie Brown to allow Arnold Palmer Golf Management, a Florida-based company, to renovate and operate the park. In 2001, however, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, namely former District 7 Supervisor Tony Hall, opposed the project based on fear that Arnold Palmer's involvement in the project represented privatization of a municipally-owned golf course. As opposition grew, Arnold Palmer backed out, primarily over concern about revenue estimates. Palmer Golf and the city could not agree on a greens fee schedule. The city's proposed management contract, at the urging of the Harding Park Men's Club, specified a percentage of tee times that would be held for city residents at a greatly reduced rate, albeit an increase over the previous rate.
When all hopes to renovate Harding Park seemed unrealistic and far fetched, Sean Elsbernd, Tony Hall's Chief of Staff helped to revive the project. He was the one who later succeeded Hall. He and Tatum convinced Hall that the renovation could be a significant revenue producer for the city, by attracting the PGA Tour back to town. They thought it would provide the adequate stimulus for the city to move forward. They also addressed funding concerns by tapping grant money from Proposition 12, a measure passed in 2000 to fund parks across California. But advocacy groups such as the Neighborhood Parks Council continued to oppose the project, claiming that renovating the golf course was not a priority for the city, and that those state grants should be used to help improve other recreation facilities across town. Despite opposition, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the resolution to use Prop. 12 money in 2001, citing potential revenue for the city, should Harding become a regular host of professional golf events.
Renovation finally began in the spring of 2002. The 15-month-long project expanded the course from 6,743 yards (6,166 m) to nearly 7,200 yards (6,580 m) in length, and upgraded the driving range and clubhouse to PGA Tour standards. The course property remained under the ownership of the city and county of San Francisco. The city's parks and recreation department is responsible for course maintenance, which remains an ongoing concern, for everyday players as well as for PGA Tour officials looking to conduct future events at the course.
Before the 2010 deal with the PGA Tour that made Harding Park a member of the TPC network, Kemper Sports operated the course, including the pro shop and tee-time reservations. Following the deal, which lasted through the spring of 2010, the course is now operated by the tour's Golf Course Properties arm for no management fee.[5] Facilities have become world class and include a modern clubhouse and restaurant capable of hosting special events, and a full-sized practice range. The renovation budget also covered the park's picturesque and challenging nine-hole layout, The Fleming 9, named for John Fleming, the long-time San Francisco Parks' superintendent. The fee schedule includes a substantial discount for San Francisco city residents, and a smaller discount for residents of Bay Area counties.
On August 22, 2003, the Harding Park Golf Course was officially reopened.[8] Since the renovation's completion, Harding Park has hosted several men's professional golf tournaments.[5][9]
Tournaments hosted
Having hosted the PGA Tour's
Scorecard
Tee | Rating/Slope | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Championship | 74.3 / 129 | 395 | 449 | 183 | 606 | 429 | 473 | 344 | 230 | 525 | 3634 | 562 | 200 | 494 | 428 | 467 | 405 | 336 | 175 | 468 | 3535 | 7169 |
Blue | 72.9 / 126 | 395 | 430 | 165 | 580 | 395 | 440 | 335 | 200 | 495 | 3435 | 550 | 185 | 480 | 405 | 440 | 405 | 330 | 175 | 440 | 3410 | 6845 |
White | 70.5 / 121 | 375 | 400 | 155 | 540 | 365 | 390 | 325 | 190 | 475 | 3215 | 530 | 155 | 450 | 375 | 410 | 375 | 310 | 165 | 420 | 3190 | 6405 |
SI | Men's | 13 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 17 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 2 | |||
Par | Men's | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
Par | Women's | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 37 | 73 |
SI | Women's | 17 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 4 | |||
Red | M: 68.1 / 116
W: 73.4 / 126 |
345 | 360 | 135 | 500 | 335 | 350 | 305 | 170 | 455 | 2955 | 500 | 125 | 410 | 365 | 370 | 345 | 280 | 125 | 400 | 2920 | 5875 |
References
- ^ a b "PGA Championship: TPC Harding Park" (PDF). GCSAA. (Tournament fact sheet). August 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "Scorecard" (PDF). TPC Harding Park. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
- ^ "Course Rating and Slope Database: TPC Harding Park - tour tees". USGA. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "Harding Park". SF Recreation and Park. Archived from the original on 2010-07-07.
- ^ a b c d Elliott, Cindy (November 3, 2010). "Harding Park completes rebound by joining TPC network". PGA Tour.
- ^ Kroichick, Ron (October 2, 2005). "Reinventing Harding Park: Can the everyman course be as glam as Pebble Beach?". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ Sullivan, Pat (March 7, 1998). "Harding Park To Be Open's Parking Lot". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ Murphy, Brian (August 23, 2003). "Mayor Brown leads opening". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ Garcia, Ken (December 7, 2001). "Bringing Harding Park Golf Course up to par". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ Spousta, Tom (October 6, 2005). "San Francisco course no longer below par". USA Today.
- ^ "Harding Park to Host Future Tour Events". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04.
- ^ "Tournament Information - The Presidents Cup 2009, Harding Park Golf Course, San Francisco". Archived from the original on 2009-06-28.
- ^ a b c "Match Play gets new format for '15". ESPN. Associated Press. July 2, 2014.