Harding Park Golf Course

It's no wonder the city is so crowded.

Harding Park Golf Course is a must-play, even at $76 during the week, without a cart. But the $33 rate for San Francisco residents just might cause you to look for a little townhouse near Lake Merced.

Harding Park has been a solid city track since the 1920s, but a renovation completed last fall turned it into a flat-out gem.

It's so solid, the PGA Tour probably will come to town next summer or fall. But don't let that scare you ... you'll remember the huge, 100-year-old Cypress trees, lush fairways and soft-sand bunkers long after your forget your score.

This course is long ... it was lengthened, ostensibly to cater to pro tournaments ... but it is a true park course. There are few hills and no water, except for the views of Lake Merced far off the track.

The white-tee yardage is a whopping 6,405, and the reds play at nearly 6,000 (5,875). But the white slope is just 123, so this course can be had.

Just make sure you stay in the fairway. The rough isn't overly tough, but the ancient Cypress trees are big and wide.

There are respites. The first hole has one of the widest fairways on the course, a great way to start your day.

Most greens are guarded by bunkers, but most guard the front. If you get in them, you will find some of the nicest sand around, even though you still may struggle.

The greens provide tests ... they're big, and subtle slopes are the norm. They roll true, but they don't break nearly as much as they look like they should, so aim right at the hole if your have any doubts.

The course narrows starting with the second hole, a long par-4. The bunkers can mess with longer hitters, but they provide good targets for shorter hitters and right-handers who fade the ball.

Birdie opportunities await on the par-3s, Nos. 3 and 8.

No. 4 is a monster, a 540-yard, par-5 from the whites with trees lining the left side. But the par-5 ninth is about as good a chance as you'll have at birdie all day - a short 5 with little trouble.

The back nine is much tougher, starting with No. 10, another long par-5 that doglegs around trees to the left.

The fourth par-5, No. 12, is one of the best holes on the course, a short dogleg left where 4 or 8 both are possible scores. Play it safe with an iron off the tee to a narrow fairway, and you'll get par more often than not.

Another tough par-4 awaits at No. 14, where the fairway slopes, the green is elevated and the distance is long.

Even the short par-4s provide tests, albeit beautiful ones. The 16th is a wonderful hole, if you can avoid the huge trees on the right and the huge bunkers on the left. The green also is tough to read.

Ignore the bunkers on No. 17 and knock it close, because the medium-length par-3 is your last realistic chance for birdie.

The 18th is another bear, a 420-yard par-4 doglegging left around the inlet of the lake. The fairway is big but deceptive, and everything in front of the fairway bunkers slopes back down the hill and to the right, away from the green. Miss right if you have to on the approach. Just remember the green is huge, so watch where the flag is.

Harding Park has an attractive upside, including beautiful scenery and great conditions. It also is a pleasant walk in the park, if you so desire.

The downside comes if you don't want to - or can't - walk. Because of the probability of the PGA coming to town, carts aren't permitted off the paths ... ever.

And because of aesthetics, there are no 200-, 150- and 100-yard markers. Sprinkler-head yardage is abundant, but can't be seen from the cartpaths, so you may be taking three or four clubs with you when you walk out to your ball.

Spend the extra $5 and buy one of the best yardage guides anywhere.

The price ($76 weekdays, $88 weekends without cart) is steep for out-of-towners, although this course is an incredible deal for San Francisco residents. That leads to crowded conditions, even though you should still get around in 4 1/2 hours or less ... most tee boxes are right next to the preceding greens.

A new clubhouse should be done before the PGA comes to town, but everything is in trailers right now. That means one word all golfers hate ... outhouses.

But break out your pull cart and use the facilities on the way into town. This is as nice as golf in the city gets, and if you go now you'll be able to say, "I played there," when the world's best golfers tee it up at Harding Park next year.

Directions: Take Interstate 80 west to Highway 37 west. Take Highway 101 south. Take the 19th Avenue/Golden Gate Park exit. Turn right on Sloat Boulevard, and left on Skyline Boulevard. Turn left on Harding Road.