As is often the case when there's a major tournament on TV, golf's Masters Tournament is likely to inspire players of all skill levels to visit their local course. It may also inspire them to plan a golf vacation, a true travel treat that's exploded onto the leisure scene. With hundreds of gorgeous courses in the U.S. and the world-over (including of course birthplace Scotland), there's a seemingly endless wish list of where to go next.
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Yet, contrary to what you may think, not all golf destinations are of the exclusive types. San Francisco's Harding Park (est. 1925) for example is one of the country's great muni courses and since 2002, has been renovating and reinventing itself to compete on a national stage. In 2005, it successfully hosted the World Golf Championship (to rave reviews) and this year, it welcomes the bi-annual President's Cup. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be there, as well as international stars like Geoff Ogilvy, Vijay Singh, and 2009 Masters Champion Angel Cabrera.
What's cool about Harding Park is that it's a public course, open to everyone. From local enthusiasts to the traveler visiting the City by the Bay. Green fees are $135 Monday through Thursday and $155 Friday through Sunday. To put this into perspective, a single round of golf at the famed Pebble Beach in Monterey is a hefty $495(!). For the same price, you can play Harding, as well as put the difference towards your S.F. airfare and hotel stay.
Harding Park's signature hole is the 18th, which is being converted into the 15th for the President's Cup TV coverage. Tee times are (usually) a mere nine minutes apart. Located at 99 Harding Rd., this marvelous urban muni is found less than one mile from the Pacific Ocean.
Harding Park Municipal Golf Course
Location: 99 Harding Rd. (map)
Course: Par-72 measuring 6,743 yards
Layout: 27 total holes (including 9 executive holes)
Designer: Chris Gray
Green Fees: $135 Mon-Thurs; $155 Fri-Sun
Website: www.harding-park.com
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