Olympic Club Lake Course

The verdict

The Lake Course does not look like a brute. There is no ocean carry, no desert, no water in play to speak of; just thousands of cypress, pine and eucalyptus, narrow sloping fairways and a cool blanket of San Francisco fog. Yet it is one of the most respected US Open venues in the game, precisely because it tests the things championship golf most wants to test: driving the ball straight off canted lies, controlling distance into small greens, and keeping a cool head when the trees close in.

Willie Watson and the long serving superintendent Sam Whiting built the original course in the 1920s, Whiting rebuilt it after storm damage, and Robert Trent Jones Senior tightened it before 1955. Ever since, it has been the course that humbles favourites, denying Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson their moment and handing the trophy to Jack Fleck, Billy Casper, Scott Simpson and others. Private and rarely seen by visitors, it is a bucket list venue, and with the PGA Championship arriving in 2028 its legend only grows.

The holes worth the trip

The Lake's defense begins on the tee. The fairways tilt and roll, so a drive that lands flat will often kick toward the trees, and the cypress lined corridors punish anything loose. Holding the short grass on these canted lies, into greens that are among the smallest on the US Open rota, is the relentless examination that has undone so many great players.

There is no easy stretch to make up ground. The closing holes are a famously demanding finish, the par 3 short holes asking precise irons and the par 4s playing long into the prevailing fog and chill. The greens are firm and subtly contoured, and pars feel earned all the way home.

It is golf stripped to its fundamentals: hit the fairway, control your number, putt sensibly and survive. That purity, with no scenic gimmicks to distract from the test, is exactly why the Lake Course is so admired by those who have walked it, and why a round here ranks among the most coveted in American golf.

Where to stay nearby

San Francisco is the obvious base, with its full range of hotels from the downtown landmarks to boutique stays, and the club is a short drive from the city near Lake Merced. A trip built around the Lake Course can fold in the food, culture and waterfront of one of America's great cities.

For a wider golf itinerary, San Francisco is the natural gateway to Northern California's coast, an easy two hour drive from the Monterey Peninsula and its cluster of famous courses. It is a fine region to base a California golf tour, pairing a hard won round at Olympic with the seaside classics to the south.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near The Olympic Club.