COURSE REVIEWS

Harding Park Golf Course
Remodeling Contract Awarded

By David R. Holland,
Senior Regional Staff Writer

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- The city commissioners voted unanimously to award Arnold Palmer Golf Management a 35-year contract to remodel, manage and operate the 18-hole course adjacent to Lake Merced. An amendment designed to keep the historic 9-hole Fleming Golf Course was also approved.

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Most city residents who frequent the course have expressed concern over what kind of green-fee increase will also follow. Palmer Management has proposed an increase to $27.50 for walking residents and $39.50 for riding residents. City residents would also get 65 percent of the tee times.

Palmer Golf will begin its $11 million improvement next fall and it will probably take a full year to complete.

The last time the PGA Tour played at the 18-hole Harding Park was the annual Lucky Strike Open of the 1960s. This left only the private Olympic Club to host professional tournaments in San Francisco. The Olympic Club has the 1987 and 1998 U.S. Opens.

Last July PGA commissioner Tim Finchem announced The Tour Championship, which includes the 30 top players at year’s end, will be played at San Francisco’s Harding Park every third year beginning in 2002.

However, Finchem said the course, built in 1925, needed a facelift.

Harding Park is the host of the San Francisco City Golf Championship and hosted the United States Public Links tournaments in 1937 and 1955. Arnold Palmer Management sldo runs The Presidio layout.