The Olympic Club’s Lake Course, located in San Francisco, California, is a private 18-hole golf course originally designed by Willie Watson and Sam Whiting in 1924, with subsequent enhancements by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1955 and Gil Hanse in 2022. Stretching 7,170 yards from the championship tees, this par-70 course has a rating of 75.4 and a slope of 143, featuring bentgrass greens, forest-lined fairways, and dramatic views of San Francisco. Renowned for hosting six U.S. Opens, the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, and the 2025 U.S. Amateur, it underwent a 2016 bunker renovation and a 2022 redesign that expanded greens by 35% and fairways by 25%, adding strategic bunkers and rerouting the 7th and 8th holes. Its challenging terrain, small greens averaging 4,500 square feet, and proximity to the Pacific Ocean make it a bucket-list course, ranked among Golf Digest’s top 100.

The Lake Course plays as a formidable test, with its tight, tree-lined fairways and firm, contoured greens demanding precision and strategic shot-making. The reverse camber fairways tilt against the natural shot shape, challenging golfers to shape shots carefully, especially on holes like the par-4 9th (454 yards) and the par-4 12th (460 yards). Wind off the Pacific adds unpredictability, and the course’s elevation changes and deep bunkers punish errant shots, requiring a strong short game. Golfers describe it as “brutal yet beautiful,” emphasizing the need for accuracy on approach shots to avoid the penal rough and bunkers, with the rerouted par-3 8th offering stunning clubhouse views but a tough 200-yard carry. The course favors thoughtful players who can navigate its subtleties, making it less forgiving for high handicappers but exhilarating for those who relish a classic, championship-level challenge.