Harding Park renovation on track

Golf Course News, Jun 2002 by Saunders, Doug

SAN FRANCISCO - After four years of debates, proposals, and false starts, the City of San Francisco has finally developed a plan to take on the renovation of city-owned Harding Park Golf Course located on the shore of Lake Merced, just across from the renowned Olympic Club.

In April the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a $15 million renovation plan that will transform the 80-year-- old course into a championship-quality venue that will host the 2006 PGA Tour Championship. The approval of city and state funds to finance the much-needed upgrade will allow work to begin in June on an optimistic plan that was first proposed by San Francisco resident and former United States Golf Assocation president Sandy Tatum in 1998 (GCN April 2000).

The plan to rebuild the neglected course has been a labor of love for Tatum. His first concept was to find a way to make the project economically feasible by securing the presence of the PGA Tour to use the course. The city signed a 35-year lease of the course with Arnold Palmer Golf Management in January 2000 with the intent to let Palmer Golf do the renovation work and allow them to recoup expenditures through a sliding greens fee schedule over the period of the lease.

MANAGEMENT COMPANIES RETREAT

Palmer Management backed out of the agreement in January 2001 when continuous wrangling with city officials, concerned golf groups and environmental activists caused project delays making it economically unfeasible. City officials attempted to attract other management companies, including KemperSports Management of Chicago, to step into the deal but had no success.

In the past year, new members of the board of supervisors looked more favorably upon the idea. As a result, the project will be paid for with a combination of $2 million of city funds and a $13 million grant from California State Parks bond fund that will be paid back over time through greens fees. The Harding Park complex includes the 18-hole layout, the Fleming Nine executive course, and a driving range and generates close to 160,000 rounds annually.

Board member Tony Hall created the Golf Fund to finance the project and has made it clear that all revenues from greens fees will go back into Harding Park and toward the operations of the other city-- owned courses.

"We are going to turn Harding Park into a world-class venue that all the residents of San Francisco can be proud of and we will maintain municipal control over the golf courses," Hall said.

This guarantee addresses a concern voiced by local golf groups who feared that an outside management firm would eventually shut out local players from a rebuilt course. Now a citizens advisory committee will recommend a new fee structure and the parks and recreation commission will have the final say. But it is certain that a sliding fee schedule will be implemented that will keep greens fees lower for city residents and will see fees for out of town players increase substantially.

A COMPLETE REBUILD

The year-long project will implement a redesign that was drawn up by the Palmer group with input from Tatum and PGA Tour course consultant Chris Gray. After eliminating the current turf stands of broadleaf weeds, the layout will receive a new irrigation and drainage system, soil improvements, greens rebuilt to USGA specs, and new bunkers and tees. Some holes will be lengthened to accommodate the Tour Championship. In addition, the Fleming Nine will be completely rebuilt, a new driving range will be located near the new clubhouse, and a First Tee Program sponsored by the PGA of America will be added to the complex.

Shawn Sweeney, an area supervisor for the department of parks and recreation, will oversee the renovation project.

"We have several firms bidding on the renovation work at this time. Our city workers will be sent to other projects while the major construction work is done. Once we start planting the new courses, we will increase our staff at Harding from 12 to 17 workers. It is important the city finally took control of this much-needed project," Sweeney said.

PGA Tour officials have agreed to bring the Tour Championship to the new Harding Park every third year starting in 2006. Earlier plans called for the Tour to pay $500,000 in fees for each visit, which will help to pay off the bond loans. It is estimated that each visit by the Tour will generate over $20 million to the local economy.

No one will be happier when work begins than Tatum, whose vision has remained true to save a great public course for his hometown.

"I understand how much it matters to play a really great golf course in wonderful condition, what it does to the entire experience," Tatum said. "I also understand there's a concept about municipal golf that it's okay for municipal golfers to be given a third-rate experience. One of the things this project can do is demonstrate just how dead wrong that is."