Harding Park Golf Club
Encyclopedia
TPC Harding Park, formerly Harding Park Golf Club and commonly known as Harding Park, is a municipal golf course owned by the city and county of San Francisco. It is now a part of the PGA Tour
's Tournament Players Club
(TPC) network of courses, following an agreement between the tour and the city that was announced on November 3, 2010. It sits in the southwest corner of San Francisco -— west of San Francisco State University
, and is surrounded by Lake Merced
on its other three sides. The entrance is at Harding Road, which connects to Skyline Boulevard on the east.
, an avid golfer, who had died while visiting San Francisco two years earlier. The course covers 163 acre (0.65963818 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.
members such as Ken Venturi
, Johnny Miller
, and Michael Allen
frequented the course during their junior years, developing their games in the challenging conditions. In the 1960s, Harding Park became a regular stop for the PGA Tour, and produced many big-name winners, including Venturi, Gary Player
, and Billy Casper
.
left Harding Park, due to deteriorating conditions and antiquated facilities. Course conditions worsened during the 1970s and 1980s, as the city budget cuts wreaked havoc on course maintenance. The low point came in 1998 when Harding was used as a parking lot during the U.S. Open
in the nearby Olympic Club.
, a prominent San Francisco attorney
, champion golfer, and former United States Golf Association
president, led the crusade 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.
, Tony Hall's Chief of Staff, who later succeeded Hall, helped to revive the project. He and Tatum convinced Hall that the renovation could be a revenue producer for the city, by attracting the PGA Tour back to town. 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. In spite of this 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.
Before the 2010 deal with the PGA Tour that made Harding Park a member of the TPC network, KemperSports operated the course, including the pro shop and tee-time reservations. Following the deal, which lasts through the spring of 2020, the course is now operated by the tour's Golf Course Properties arm for no management fee. Facilities 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 Park's superintendent. The fee schedule includes a substantial discount for San Francisco city residents, and a smaller discount for residents of Bay Area counties.
Since the renovation's completion, Harding Park has hosted four men's professional golf tournaments. On August 22, 2003, the Harding Park Golf Course was officially reopened.
and Phil Mickelson
from around the world. In a thrilling finish, Woods outlasted John Daly
, when Daly missed a short par putt on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff. Over the next ten years, several more PGA Tour events are scheduled to be hosted at Harding Park, according to an agreement between the City and the PGA Tour.
in October 2009. It was won by the U.S. team in convincing fashion, with a five-point margin of victory. Again, showing a strong affinity for the course, Tiger Woods led the U.S. side with a perfect 5-0 match record.
's season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship
in 2010 and 2011. The tournaments were respectively won by John Cook
and Jay Don Blake
.
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
's Tournament Players Club
Tournament Players Club
Tournament Players Club is a chain of public and private golf courses operated by the PGA Tour. Most of the courses either are or have been hosts for PGA Tour events, with the remainder having frequently hosted events on the second-tier Nationwide Tour or the over-50s Champions Tour.The first...
(TPC) network of courses, following an agreement between the tour and the city that was announced on November 3, 2010. It sits in the southwest corner of San Francisco -— west of San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, and is surrounded by Lake Merced
Lake Merced
Lake Merced is a freshwater lake in the southwest corner of San Francisco. It is surrounded by three golf courses , as well as residential areas, Lowell High School, San Francisco State University, Fort Funston and the Pacific Ocean...
on its other three sides. The entrance is at Harding Road, which connects to Skyline Boulevard on the east.
Founding
Harding Park Golf Course was opened on July 18, 1925. It is named after U.S. President Warren G. HardingWarren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
, an avid golfer, who had died while visiting San Francisco two years earlier. The course covers 163 acre (0.65963818 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
Olympic Club
The Olympic Club is a San Francisco, California, athletic club and private social club with three golf courses located at San Francisco's border with Daly City, California. The club's main "City Clubhouse" is located in downtown San Francisco. The club's "Lakeside Clubhouse" is located just north...
's Lake Course, drew up a design plan for a course at Harding Park for a price of $300.
Fame
The golf course quickly attracted national attention when it hosted a number of important tournaments, including The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in 1937 and again in 1956. Future PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
members such as Ken Venturi
Ken Venturi
Kenneth Venturi is an American former professional golfer and golf broadcaster.-Early years and amateur career:Venturi was born in San Francisco, California. He learned golf from an early age, and developed his game at Harding Park Golf Course and other public courses in the area...
, Johnny Miller
Johnny Miller
John Laurence Miller is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s; he ranked second in the world on Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in both 1974 and 1975 behind Jack Nicklaus. He is currently the lead golf...
, and Michael Allen
Michael Allen (golfer)
Michael Louis Allen is an American professional golfer.Allen was born in San Mateo, California. He attended the University of Nevada and turned professional in 1984. He played on the European Tour 1986-89 and 1992, winning the 1989 Scottish Open. He played on the PGA Tour 1990-95, 2002, and 2004-09...
frequented the course during their junior years, developing their games in the challenging conditions. In the 1960s, Harding Park became a regular stop for the PGA Tour, and produced many big-name winners, including Venturi, Gary Player
Gary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six...
, and Billy Casper
Billy Casper
William Earl Casper, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s.-Early years:...
.
Decline
But by the end of the decade, after the San Francisco Open Invitational in 1969, the PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
left Harding Park, due to deteriorating conditions and antiquated facilities. Course conditions worsened during the 1970s and 1980s, as the city budget cuts wreaked havoc on course maintenance. The low point came in 1998 when Harding was used as a parking lot during the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
in the nearby Olympic Club.
Initial struggles
Finally, a turning point for the course came when Sandy TatumSandy Tatum
Frank Donovan "Sandy" Tatum, Jr. is a former amateur golfer and an attorney.-Golf career:Tatum attended Stanford University where he was a member of Stanford's golf team, which won back-to-back NCAA Men's Golf Championships in 1941 and 1942. In 1942, Tatum won the individual title. He is a member...
, a prominent San Francisco attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, champion golfer, and former United States Golf Association
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association is the United States' national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the Rules of Golf. The USGA also provides a national handicap system...
president, led the crusade to restore Harding Park to its former glory. He eventually got approval from former mayor Willie Brown
Willie Brown (politician)
Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served over 30 years in the California State Assembly, spending 15 years as its Speaker, and afterward served as the 41st mayor of San Francisco, the first African American to do so...
to allow Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
Golf Management, a Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
-based company, to renovate and operate the park. In 2001, however, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the legislative body within the government of the City and County of San Francisco, California, United States.-Government and politics:...
, 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.
Proposition 12 funding secured
When hope to renovate Harding Park seemed unrealistic, Sean ElsberndSean Elsbernd
Sean Elsbernd is an American politician currently representing District 7 for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. District 7 includes neighborhoods west of Twin Peaks, the Villas at Parkmerced, Lake Merced, Harding Park Golf Course, San Francisco State University, City College of San...
, Tony Hall's Chief of Staff, who later succeeded Hall, helped to revive the project. He and Tatum convinced Hall that the renovation could be a revenue producer for the city, by attracting the PGA Tour back to town. 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. In spite of this 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 begins
Renovation finally began in the spring of 2002. The 15-month long project expanded the course from 6,743 yds to nearly 7,200 yds in length, and upgraded the driving range and clubhouse to PGA Tour standards. The course property remains 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, KemperSports operated the course, including the pro shop and tee-time reservations. Following the deal, which lasts through the spring of 2020, the course is now operated by the tour's Golf Course Properties arm for no management fee. Facilities 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 Park's superintendent. The fee schedule includes a substantial discount for San Francisco city residents, and a smaller discount for residents of Bay Area counties.
Since the renovation's completion, Harding Park has hosted four men's professional golf tournaments. On August 22, 2003, the Harding Park Golf Course was officially reopened.
Hosts world's best once again
On October 6, 2005, Harding Park hosted the WGC-American Express Championship, its first PGA Tour event since 1969, drawing top golfers such as Tiger WoodsTiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
and Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...
from around the world. In a thrilling finish, Woods outlasted John Daly
John Daly (golfer)
John Patrick Daly is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour.Daly is known primarily for his driving distance off the tee , his non-country club appearance and attitude, and his rough-and-tumble personal life. Daly remains one of the most popular and intriguing figures on the PGA Tour...
, when Daly missed a short par putt on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff. Over the next ten years, several more PGA Tour events are scheduled to be hosted at Harding Park, according to an agreement between the City and the PGA Tour.
Hosts Presidents Cup
Harding Park hosted the Presidents CupPresidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
in October 2009. It was won by the U.S. team in convincing fashion, with a five-point margin of victory. Again, showing a strong affinity for the course, Tiger Woods led the U.S. side with a perfect 5-0 match record.
Hosts Charles Schwab Cup Championship
Harding Park hosted the Champions TourChampions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
's season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship
Charles Schwab Cup Championship
The Charles Schwab Cup Championship is the final event of the season on the U.S.-based Champions Tour, the world's leading golf tour for male professionals aged 50 and above. Played in late October or early November each year, it is the Champions Tour's equivalent of the PGA Tour's Tour...
in 2010 and 2011. The tournaments were respectively won by John Cook
John Cook (golfer)
John Neuman Cook is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour....
and Jay Don Blake
Jay Don Blake
Jay Don Blake is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour; he currently plays on the Champions Tour....
.