Golden Gate Park Golf Course opened in 1951 at the western edge of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, just inland from the Pacific and tucked behind the Dutch Windmill and Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden. The original nine-hole, par-27 layout was designed by Irishman Jack Fleming, a longtime associate of Alister MacKenzie who served as construction foreman on Cypress Point, Pasatiempo, and Sharp Park before spending decades as Sharp Park's superintendent. The course was built on the same rolling shore dunes that underlie the rest of the park.

On the course

After years of deferred maintenance left the property overgrown and soggy, First Tee – San Francisco took over operations in 2013 and privately funded a roughly $2.5 million renovation led by Palo Alto–based architect Jay Blasi, with shapers Justin Carlton and Brett Hochstein. The course closed in March 2023 and reopened in late 2023. Blasi's team scraped down to the native sand, planted fescue to play firm and fast, removed more than 80 trees to restore ocean views, and enlarged and contoured the greens. The footprint stayed at roughly 20 acres, with a shared double green serving holes 1 and 4 and a single ridge-top teeing ground feeding the 2nd, 5th, and 7th holes in different directions.

Who it suits

The nine plays around 1,300 yards from the back, with holes ranging from the 95-yard 8th to the 9th at roughly 200 yards. The lone formal bunker fronts the 7th green, though sandy scrapes appear throughout. It is walking-only, with rates kept low for San Francisco residents. The course suits beginners, juniors in First Tee programs, and anyone looking to work on wedges and the short game, while the firm fescue surfaces and contoured greens give experienced players room to be creative.

Architect: Jack Fleming · Opened: 1951