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polished private club, sprang largely from its staging of the San Francisco City Golf Championship, which was born at Lincoln Park in 1917. Fiercely contested, frequently in


inclement conditions, “The City,” as the still-thriving event is known, has long embodied San Francisco public golf in all its wild inclusiveness and color, never more so than in those early years. Its eclectic fields pitted plumbers against plutocrats, cab drivers against corporate lawyers. And its unforgiving, multi-day format produced a roster of champs (Venturi, Archer Juli Inkster) that is rivalled in prestige by the list of those who came up short. (Tom Watson, Bob Rosburg, Johnny Miller). As many see it, the tournament’s most epic iteration took place in 1956, when native son Venturi, freshly returned from military service, squared off in the finals against his friend and defending champ, Harvie Ward, in a match that drew more than 10,000 fans. Standing on the first tee, Venturi, who cut his teeth at Harding, and


who claimed the City title in 1951, turned to Ward and stage-whispered in a tone of amiable aggression: “You’ve stolen my city, and I want it back, so I’m going to whip you.” Which he did, 5 and 4. As decades passed, Harding’s


golden era gradually gave way to a prolonged period of neglect, the noto- rious nadir coming in 1998 when the course was used as a parking lot for the U.S Open at The Olympic Club. But that was then. Following a $16 million renova-


tion lead by the city of San Francisco and the PGA Tour, completed in 2005, these are heady days once more for Harding. The course, which now operates as TPC Harding Park, has regained its status as a marquee venue, having hosted the 2005 WGC- American Express Championship, the 2009 Presidents Cup and three Schwab Cups, the season-ending Champions Tour event. This past summer, the PGA Tour and the PGA of America added to that luster with the announce- ment that Harding had landed three


big-time events, scheduled over the next 11 years (the 2015 WGC Match Play Championship; the 2020 PGA Champi- onship; and the 2025 Presidents Cup). Play Harding today, and you under-


stand its renewed appeal. The layout’s lovely bones remain


intact, as does (with minor tweaks) its distinctive routing in which a dramatic backside wraps around a nuanced front.


TPC Harding Park will host WGC Match Play Championship, the PGA Championship and the President’s Cup over the next 11 years.


The stirring scenery of Lincoln Park, its peak splendor on the 17th hole, a 240-yard par-3 set on bluffs along the Golden Gate. FALL 2014 / NCGA.ORG / 39


PHOTO: JOANN DOST


PHOTO: TPC HARDING PARK


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