TPC Harding Park: How many steps?

We’ve been living in the Bay Area since March and I’ve had the pleasure of playing some amazing golf courses. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting and networking with some incredible people through The Golden State Chapter of CMAA. A few months ago I was in the city for some continued education at The Olympic Club. After my round I stopped by TPC Harding Park to introduce myself to Mr. Tom Smith, general manager.

Tom and I had originally connected via email, so it was nice to put a face to a name. He gave us a quick tour of the clubhouse and shared some insight on the 2020 PGA Championship coming to TPC Harding Park later this year. He also shared some stories about his time at TPC Scottsdale. We shook hands and promised to stay in touch.

In December, my boss asked me if I’d be willing to coordinate golf every month for various members of our leadership team. In December we played Marin Country Club. In January we played Contra Costa Country Club and in February we made plans to play Harding Park. Unfortunately, Ron couldn’t make it, but Eric Tereky and Doug Wiggers were up to the challenge.

As they begin to prepare for the PGA Championship, they have started to narrow the fairways. After our round, Tom said they average 22 yards wide. The rough is also thick and the greens are quick. It will be fun to see the best players in the world take on this course in May. We didn’t play the tips, but after only hitting 2 fairways all day, I was pleased with my round. Good thing I was able to advance the ball in this rough! You can see a photo below just how thick it is.

There was a frost delay the day we played, so I got the chance to dine at the Cypress Grill. I ordered an iced coffee and some granola. The driving range is currently closed and the practice putting green is closed every Monday, so we had some time to kill. It gave Eric, Doug and I a chance to catch up.

When it was time to tee off, we were paired with a nice young lady that lives in the city. She plays a lot of golf, has a great swing, and hit almost every fairway. I gave her my card, so I hope she reaches out. Would love a chance to play with her again.

In addition to the driving range and practice putting green being closed, they were cart path only. That doesn’t bother me. I was hoping to walk, anyway. I play better when I walk, and it gave me a chance to track my steps for this blog post. Due to the frost delay, we started on the back 9. The back ended up being 7,059 steps/3.15 miles. There isn’t a lot of undulation here, but it was still a nice hike. The front 9 was 7,563 steps/3.35 miles for a grand total of 14,595 steps/6.5 miles.

After golf Eric and I spent some time with Tom in his office. We talked about the golf course, their preparation for the tournament, and where all the TOUR players will be staying while in town. It was great to catch up with him. Eric enjoyed the conversation, too. We did spend a few minutes talking about building maintenance, Eric’s speciality!

After golf I met my dear friends Michelle and David Green for dinner. We shared dumplings, enjoyed a few cocktails and couldn’t stop laughing. Always enjoy spending time with them. After that I headed back to my room to reflect on an unforgettable day of golf.

Tom, thank you again for the invite. Can’t wait to play it again and I look forward to hosting you at The Fountaingrove Club. It will be fun watching the PGA Championship knowing what fairways I missed, what bunkers I found and what holes I birdied. Hope to see Tiger hoisting the trophy again this year! He’s won here before, you know.

On your next golf trip to San Francisco, make sure you book a tee time at TPC Harding Park, the only city-owned public course managed by the PGA TOUR.