Lake Course

The Lake Course was once called “the best in the west” by famed champion Bobby Jones. With forest-lined fairways and spectacular views of San Francisco, the Lake Course is one of the premier courses in the U.S. The Lake Course has played host to countless tournaments and championships, including six U.S. Opens, most recently our first U.S. Women’s Championship in 2021.

In 1918, the Club assumed operations of the Lakeside Golf Club, including an 18-hole golf course. By 1922, the Club had acquired enough acreage to replace the original golf course with two 18-hole golf courses. William Watson and course superintendent Sam Whiting designed the first Lake and Ocean Courses in 1924. Unfortunately, storm damage led Sam Whiting to redesign both courses in 1927.

The Lake Course remains true to the 1927 design with minimal renovations in the intervening years. Prior to the 1955 U.S. Open, the Club brought the USGA’s official course architect, Robert Trent Jones Sr., to toughen the Lake Course for competition. In 2009, the Club completed the Lake Course Greens Replacement project, which rebuilt and renovated greens while converting them from poa annua to bent-grass. The new 8th hole, the first routing change to the course since 1927, was sculpted into the surrounding hillside with views of the clubhouse. Most recently, the Lake Course underwent a bunker renovation project in 2016.

In 2020, the Club hired renowned golf course architect Gil Hanse to enhance the day-to-day member golf experience for generations to come, while also ensuring that our iconic courses are positioned to perform and recover as we navigate a busy championship schedule leading up to, and beyond, the 2033 Ryder Cup.

In November 2022, Hanse and his team broke ground on the historic renovation of the Lake Course and construction of the new Lombard Putting Course. The updated Lake Course features greens that are 35% larger, which connect more naturally to the surrounding bunkers. The expanded green complexes will provide a new variety of pin placements for both day-to-day and championship play. The fairways have been expanded by 25%, allowing for new fairway bunkers throughout the course, including the reintegration of historic bunkers on the 18th hole. The most exciting change is the complete re-routing of the 7th hole, to provide a green complex which sits closer to the 8th tee.

The brand-new Lombard Putting Course is sure to delight everyone, from beginners to experts, with a fun experience just off the patio of our recently renovated Champions Bar.

Select a hole:
Hole 1  |  Hole 2  |  Hole 3  |  Hole 4  |  Hole 5  |  Hole 6  |  Hole 7  |  Hole 8  |  Hole 9
Hole 10  |  Hole 11  |  Hole 12  |  Hole 13  |  Hole 14  |  Hole 15  |  Hole 16  |  Hole 17  |  Hole 18