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Point Counterpoint


You have three days to play as much golf as you can; would you rather play in San Francisco or on the Monterey Peninsula?


San Francisco T


he San Francisco Giants won the World Series. There. Had to get that out into the


universe for all to appreciate, ponder, enjoy, reflect, bask. On that heady note, who wouldn’t want to spend all his or her time in the fair City by the Bay?


I understand this is a Monterey Pen-


insula vs. San Francisco golf showdown, but let’s make sure we move forward acknowledging that after every round of golf played in San Francisco between April and October you can attend a Gi- ants game—at the home of the World Series champions. Now, the golf. As regards the Monterey Peninsula:


yeah, yeah, blah, blah, Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, Spyglass, blah, blah, heard it, done it, enough already. Let’s try a music analogy. Think of


golf on the Monterey Peninsula as The Beatles: timeless, classic, everybody loves The Beatles. But isn’t it cooler to be less obvious once in a while? Isn’t cool to say, “Hey, I like The Kinks, as well. Ray Davies was a genius. Give him a listen.” That’s San Francisco golf to me: The Kinks of the golf world. That’s the nice way of putting it. If you


want me to put on the brass knuckles and get dirty here, I can. Because San Francis- co golf is not only as worthy as Monterey Peninsula golf, it can be argued its meld of municipal gems mixed with world-class private courses, all set in the urban atmo- sphere of one of America’s most diverse, exciting and beautiful cities (and home of


28 / NCGA.ORG / WINTER 2011


the World Series champs), makes San Francisco golf a superior experience. After all, how many views from 17-


Mile Drive can one man take? Let’s devise a proper three-day golf


itinerary of golf in The City—that’s right, capital “T”, capital “C”—that will properly blow your doors off. Thank me later. Day One: Start big. I’ve landed you


a morning tee time at Olympic Club’s Lake Course. That’s right: site of four U.S. Opens and a fifth in 2012. Be tested by a layout demanding precise drives, long irons into stingy greens and featuring deceptive distances affected by the ever-changing sea air. If that’s not enough, consider that you will eat Earth’s greatest cheeseburger when you stop at the snack shack between 10 green and 11 tee. Don’t be shy. Have two. Fueled by the burgers, head across


the street for an afternoon 18 at Harding Park, otherwise known as the greatest muni in America.


What about Torrey Pines? If you


like average golf holes camouflaged by ocean vistas, and if you like bogus, man- made water hazards on your finishing hole, have at it. Some would argue for Bethpage Black. I would answer: East Coast bias much? At Harding, a classic 1920s layout


builds and builds its pleasures as your round progresses. At 14 tee box, gaze west to the Spanish-styled roof of the Olympic Club poking through the trees. Before you tackle a fantastic par 4, say to yourself: “I just played golf at that world-class golf course, and the cheeseburger was phenomenal.” When you play 18’s tee shot over magnifi- cent Lake Merced—not man-made, Torrey Pines-lovers—you will feel sated by Mother Nature, tested by the golf gods, and ready for your evening entertainment—a Giants game, to see the World Series champs. Day Two: A morning round at Presidio Golf Club spins through a hilly, tree- laden 18 that takes you through your bag and fills your lungs with the sweet feel of morning fog. Even better, when you’re done, head a few blocks west to a muni gem for your afternoon 18: Lincoln Park. On your way, stop at Bill’s Place on


Clement for a cheeseburger and a shake. Read the Sporting Green. That’s City living. Lincoln Park may have issues with the


quality of its greens, but pretty much gives you the greatest urban walk in the history of golf, out to the coast, past the Palace of Legion of Honor, including 17’s legend- ary par 3 on the cliffs above the Golden Gate—where your tee shot can either find


Lincoln Park


PHOTO: JOANN DOST


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