Olympic Club
Encyclopedia
The Olympic Club is a San Francisco, California
, athletic club
and private social club
with three golf course
s located at San Francisco's border with Daly City
, California
. The club's main "City Clubhouse" is located in downtown San Francisco. The club's "Lakeside Clubhouse" is located just north of the city's border with Daly City. The two clubhouses are separated by about 10 miles. The three courses at the Olympic Club are the Cliffs, Lake and Ocean courses. The Lake and Ocean are 18-hole par
-71 courses, and the Cliffs is a nine-hole par-3 course that is on the bluffs
of the Pacific Ocean
. All three courses are lined with many tree
s (almost 40,000 on the Lake course) and offer views of the Golden Gate Bridge
and Golden Gate Park
. The United States Golf Association
recognizes the Olympic Club as one of the first 100 golf clubs established in the United States
.
The City Clubhouse is located at:
The Lakeside Golf Facility is located at:
in the United States. Established on May 6, 1860, its first officers were President, G.W. Bell, Secretary, E. Bonnell, Treasurer, H.G. Hanks, and Leader, Arthur Nahl
.
James J. Corbett
, the heavyweight boxing champion from 1892 to 1897, joined the club in 1884. He later went on to coach boxing
at the club for many years. On January 2, 1893 the club opened its first permanent clubhouse on Post Street. That building did not survive the San Francisco earthquake
.
in preparation for the 1955 U.S. Open. The Ocean course was altered several times over the years, and following heavy storm damage in 1996 was completely redesigned by Tom Weiskopf
and reopened in 2000.
The Cliffs Course opened in 1994 with Jay Morrish
and Tom Weiskopf
as the course architects.
The Olympic Club hosted the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur (won by Sihwan Kim) and the U.S. Amateur in 1958 (won by Charles Coe
) and 1981 (won by Nathaniel Crosby
, son of Bing Crosby
). The Lake and Ocean Courses were used for the 2007 U.S. Amateur, which was won by Colt Knost of Dallas, Texas, who earned a 2-and-1 victory over Michael Thompson of Tucson, Arizona.
set a world record
shot put
throw of 51 feet.
In 1915, the club's amateur
basketball
team won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
Basketball Championship. In 1934, club member Fred Apostoli
won the National Amateur Middleweight boxing title. In 1937, the Olympic Club track and field
team won the Track and Field National Championships. In 1941, club member Hank Luisetti
helped lead the Olympic Club basketball team to win the AAU Basketball Championships again. In 1950, Olympic Club member Arthur Larsen won the U.S. Open
of tennis
in Forest Hills, New York. The Olympic Club water polo
team won the 1959 Water Polo National Championship.
Cycling is one of the sports with the longest tradition at the Olympic Club. From 1893-1903 the Olympic Club Cycling Team was one of the club's premier teams. Although the sanctioned cycling team disbanded in 1903, many Olympians participated in cycling on an individual basis, and the most illustrious of these was Ernest Ohrt. Ohrt capped his cycling career by being named coach of the United States Olympic Games cycling team in 1924.
Beginning in the mid-1990s a revived Olympic Club cycling team supported several cyclist who went on to become professional road cyclists. Former Olympic Club cyclist who have later become professionals include Skyler Bishop, Nick Kelez, James Hibbard
, Jackson Stewart
, Mike Tillman and Zach Walker.
In addition to being a springboard for aspiring professional cyclists, the modern cycling team also boasts some of the finest masters-age cyclists in the nation, including Brian McGuire, Hal Johnson, Cynthia Mommsen and Lisa Hunt.
Club member Maureen O'Toole
won a silver medal in water polo at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
Two Olympic Club members have won the Dipsea Race
. They include Norman Bright
in 1970 and Shirley Matson in 1993.
In 1992, the Club set up the Winged "O" Foundation, which changed its name to The Olympic Club Foundation
in 2002. Its purpose is to fund youth sports programs which primarily target less advantaged youth who live in the Bay Area
.
team that played Bay Area colleges such as Stanford, Cal, St. Mary's, and Santa Clara. The team was formed in 1890. That year, the Olympic Club was accused by a rival club of enticing athletes to jump to its ranks with offers of jobs. An investigation by the Amateur Athletic Union
ruled that the Olympics' practice was not actually professionalism but only a "semi" form of it, thus inventing the term "semi-pro
". Although the Amateur Athletic Union didn't like the idea very much, it decided that clubs could indeed offer employment without losing their amateur status
or compromising the athlete. From 1891 through 1934, Olympic club had a 12-30-8 record against Stanford and a 6-49-5 record against Cal.
In 1913, the Olympic Club's top rugby union
side held the All Blacks
of New Zealand
, then (as now) one of the world's top teams in that sport, to a draw. Olympic Club members would later form the core of the US national team
that would win gold medals in rugby at the 1920
and 1924 Summer Olympics
, the last two times the sport was part of the Olympic program.
In 1926, Percy Locey
played football at the Olympic Club. He was a member of the Olympic's "Winged-O" football eleven that handed the University of California
's "Wonder Team" their first loss in five seasons. In 1928, Locey took over as the head football coach at the Olympic Club. In his first year with the Olympic Club, his team posted an undefeated season, with wins over future Pac 10 schools Stanford
and 1929 Rose Bowl
bound California. After the success of that season, Locey was promoted to head coach of all sports at the athletic club. He was named the coach of the West team in the annual East-West Shrine game in 1929, though his team was defeated that year, 19-7.
SETUP for the 2007 U.S. Amateur Championship
PAR AND YARDAGE - The Lake Course played at 6,948 yards and par 35-35—70. The Ocean Course, which was used for the first two days of stroke play only, played at 6,786 yards and par 35-35—70.
COURSE SETUP – The Lake Course was set for green speeds of approximately 11 feet, 6 inches on the Stimpmeter. The primary rough was grown to 4 inches, with a strip of intermediate rough cut to 1½ inches in height.
USGA SLOPE RATING AND COURSE RATING – The Lake Course carried a USGA Course Rating of 74.8 and a USGA Slope Rating of 143. The Ocean Course carried a USGA Course Rating of 74.0 and a USGA Slope Rating of 136.
The Lake Course has been recognized by Golf Magazine
in its list of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S. It has also been recognized in Golf Week's category of "America's 100 Best Classical Courses." In Golf Digest
s list of the U.S. 100 Greatest Courses for 2007–2008, the Lake Course was ranked 23. It is almost entirely within the borders of San Francisco.
The yardage of the Lake Course is 7,060 yard
s from the new championship tees, with a course rating of 75.7 and a slope rating
of 143. From the next set of tees forward, the course measures 6,529 yards, and has a course rating of 72.3 and a slope rating of 132. From the next set of tees forward, the course measures 6,235 yards, and has a course rating of 70.9 and a slope rating of 129. From the front tees, the course measures 5,593 yards, and has a course rating of 68.6 and a slope rating of 122.
The Lake Course has been lengthened in recent years to prepare for the 2007 U.S. Amateur and 2012 U.S. Open by architect Bill Love. Included in the on-going improvements by Bill Love are new tees that have added significant length to the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 12th, 13th and 16th holes. In addition, drastic changes were made to the par-4 seventh and par-3 eighth holes as part of the greens replacement project. A new two-tiered green at the seventh replaces the old three-level green constructed in the 1970s. This green is located approximately 20 yards behind the old one. The most dramatic alterations were made at the par-3 8th. Previously just a short uphill pitch, a completely new hole has been built with a teeing area well back and to the right of the original, changing the angle of approach and pushing the length of the hole back to 200 yards. A new green has also been built at the par-3 15th. The controversial 18th green has also been changed further to reintroduce, in a more playable manner, the slope that was previously removed while at the same time creating more diversity in pin placements for the finishing hole. The new 7th and 8th holes opened for play in May, 2009.
The regular yardage for the Ocean Course is 6,925 yards from the championship tees with a course rating of 73.6 and a slope rating of 136. From the next set of tees forward, the course measures 6,496 yards and has a course rating of 71.1 and a slope rating of 129. From the next set of tees forward, the course measures 5,898 yards with a course rating of 68.8 and a slope rating of 121. From the front tees, the course measures 5,386 yards with a course rating of 66.5 and a slope rating of 115.
In preparation for the 2007 U.S. Amateur, the 14th hole was changed, to allow the 15th hole to be lengthened. The course is almost entirely within the borders of Daly City.
in 1955, 1966, 1987, and 1998. It is scheduled to host the U.S. Open again in 2012.
Jack Fleck
won the 1955 U.S. Open. He defeated Ben Hogan
in an 18-hole playoff
after the two had tied at the end of 72 holes with scores of 287. Billy Casper
defeated Arnold Palmer
in a playoff to win the 1966 U.S. Open. In 1987, Scott Simpson
won the U.S. Open by one stroke over Tom Watson
.
Lee Janzen
won the most recent U.S. Open at Olympic in 1998 with a score of 280 (even par, as the course played a par 70 for the U.S. Open). In the 1998 U.S. Open, players complained about the pin position at the 18th hole in the second round. The pin was set at the top of a ridge, and, with the U.S. Open's knack for making hard, fast greens, many balls rolled on way past the cup. Kirk Triplett
incurred a two-stroke penalty when he used his putter to stop the ball from rolling. Payne Stewart
, the runner-up to Janzen, complained as he three-putted the hole. The putting green was flattened around 2000 as a result, but was given more slope in the recent renovation to the course. This decision was made by the club, not the USGA.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, athletic club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
and private social club
Gentlemen's club
A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of...
with three golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s located at San Francisco's border with Daly City
Daly City, California
Daly City is the largest city in San Mateo County, California, United States, with a 2010 population of 101,123. Located immediately south of San Francisco, it is named in honor of businessman and landowner John Daly.-History:...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The club's main "City Clubhouse" is located in downtown San Francisco. The club's "Lakeside Clubhouse" is located just north of the city's border with Daly City. The two clubhouses are separated by about 10 miles. The three courses at the Olympic Club are the Cliffs, Lake and Ocean courses. The Lake and Ocean are 18-hole par
Par (score)
The word "par" is a term in the game of golf used to denote the pre-determined number of strokes that a scratch golfer should require to complete a hole, a round , or a tournament...
-71 courses, and the Cliffs is a nine-hole par-3 course that is on the bluffs
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. All three courses are lined with many tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s (almost 40,000 on the Lake course) and offer views of the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
and Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
. The United States Golf Association
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association is the United States' national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the Rules of Golf. The USGA also provides a national handicap system...
recognizes the Olympic Club as one of the first 100 golf clubs established in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The City Clubhouse is located at:
- 524 Post Street
- San Francisco, CA 94102
- +1 (415) 345-5100
The Lakeside Golf Facility is located at:
- 599 Skyline Boulevard
- San Francisco, CA 94132
- +1 (415) 404-4333
History
First named the "San Francisco Olympic Club", it is the oldest athletic clubSports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
in the United States. Established on May 6, 1860, its first officers were President, G.W. Bell, Secretary, E. Bonnell, Treasurer, H.G. Hanks, and Leader, Arthur Nahl
Hugo Wilhelm Arthur Nahl
Arthur Nahl was a German-born artist, daguerreotyper, engraver, portraitist, and landscape painter. Nahl was a painter known for his American Old West paintings of California...
.
James J. Corbett
James J. Corbett
James John "Gentleman Jim" Corbett was an Irish-American heavyweight boxing champion, best known as the man who defeated the great John L. Sullivan. He also coached boxing at the Olympic Club in San Francisco...
, the heavyweight boxing champion from 1892 to 1897, joined the club in 1884. He later went on to coach boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
at the club for many years. On January 2, 1893 the club opened its first permanent clubhouse on Post Street. That building did not survive the San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
.
Golf club
In 1918, the club took over the Lakeside Golf Club, which had just opened in 1917 but was struggling financially. Lakeside had one 18-hole golf course designed by Wilfrid Reid, but following additional land purchases the club decided to replace it with two courses. These were designed by Willie Watson, a well-known Scottish architect, and the Lake and Ocean courses opened in 1924. The Ocean course was shortly thereafter damaged by landslides, and Sam Whiting (who had constructed the two courses, and would remain as superintendent until 1954) remodeled and rebuilt both courses in 1927. In 1953, the Lake course was modified by Robert Trent JonesRobert Trent Jones
Robert Trent Jones, Sr. was a golf course architect who designed about 500 golf courses in at least 40 US states and 35 other countries all around the world...
in preparation for the 1955 U.S. Open. The Ocean course was altered several times over the years, and following heavy storm damage in 1996 was completely redesigned by Tom Weiskopf
Tom Weiskopf
Thomas Daniel Weiskopf is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. His most successful decade was the 1970s, and he won 16 PGA Tour titles between 1968 and 1982. After winding down his tournament career, Weiskopf has become a noted golf course...
and reopened in 2000.
The Cliffs Course opened in 1994 with Jay Morrish
Jay Morrish
Jay Morrish is an American golf course designer. Jay Morrish graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Landscape and Nursery Management. In 1964, he taught Horticulture at that university while pursuing graduate degrees....
and Tom Weiskopf
Tom Weiskopf
Thomas Daniel Weiskopf is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. His most successful decade was the 1970s, and he won 16 PGA Tour titles between 1968 and 1982. After winding down his tournament career, Weiskopf has become a noted golf course...
as the course architects.
The Olympic Club hosted the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur (won by Sihwan Kim) and the U.S. Amateur in 1958 (won by Charles Coe
Charles Coe
Charles Robert "Charlie" Coe was an American golfer who is considered by many to be one of the greatest amateur golfers in history. A two-time U.S...
) and 1981 (won by Nathaniel Crosby
Nathaniel Crosby
Nathaniel Patrick Crosby is an American golfer.Crosby was born at Hillsborough, California. He is the seventh child of the actor and singer Bing Crosby and the youngest of his three children from his second marriage to the actress Kathryn Grant.Crosby performed with his father, mother, brother...
, son of Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
). The Lake and Ocean Courses were used for the 2007 U.S. Amateur, which was won by Colt Knost of Dallas, Texas, who earned a 2-and-1 victory over Michael Thompson of Tucson, Arizona.
Competition
In 1909, Olympian and club member Ralph RoseRalph Rose
Ralph Waldo Rose was an American track and field athlete.He was born in Healdsburg, California....
set a world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
throw of 51 feet.
In 1915, the club's amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
Basketball Championship. In 1934, club member Fred Apostoli
Fred Apostoli
Alfredo "Fred" Apostoli was a rugged, accomplished body punching middleweight, who was recognized as the world champion when he defeated Marcel Thil on September 23, 1937. He was elected to The Ring's Boxing Hall of Fame...
won the National Amateur Middleweight boxing title. In 1937, the Olympic Club track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team won the Track and Field National Championships. In 1941, club member Hank Luisetti
Hank Luisetti
Angelo "Hank" Luisetti was an American college men's basketball player and one of the great innovators of the game. In an era that featured the traditional two-handed set shot, Luisetti developed the running one-handed shot...
helped lead the Olympic Club basketball team to win the AAU Basketball Championships again. In 1950, Olympic Club member Arthur Larsen won the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
of tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
in Forest Hills, New York. The Olympic Club water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
team won the 1959 Water Polo National Championship.
Cycling is one of the sports with the longest tradition at the Olympic Club. From 1893-1903 the Olympic Club Cycling Team was one of the club's premier teams. Although the sanctioned cycling team disbanded in 1903, many Olympians participated in cycling on an individual basis, and the most illustrious of these was Ernest Ohrt. Ohrt capped his cycling career by being named coach of the United States Olympic Games cycling team in 1924.
Beginning in the mid-1990s a revived Olympic Club cycling team supported several cyclist who went on to become professional road cyclists. Former Olympic Club cyclist who have later become professionals include Skyler Bishop, Nick Kelez, James Hibbard
James Hibbard
James H. Hibbard is an American road racing cyclist who competed for the Shaklee and Health Net-Maxxis Cycling Teams...
, Jackson Stewart
Jackson Stewart (cyclist)
Jackson Stewart is an American former road racing cyclist, who last rode for the BMC Racing Team.-Multifaceted:...
, Mike Tillman and Zach Walker.
In addition to being a springboard for aspiring professional cyclists, the modern cycling team also boasts some of the finest masters-age cyclists in the nation, including Brian McGuire, Hal Johnson, Cynthia Mommsen and Lisa Hunt.
Club member Maureen O'Toole
Maureen O'Toole
Maureen O'Toole is an accomplished American water polo player and coach. In over 30 years in the sport, she set multiple firsts for women in water polo, received all the top honors, and in her time was recognized as one of the best water polo players in the world.O'Toole started playing water polo...
won a silver medal in water polo at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
Two Olympic Club members have won the Dipsea Race
Dipsea Race
The Dipsea Race is the oldest cross-country trail running event—and one of the oldest foot races of any kind—in the United States. The 7.5 mile long Dipsea Race has been held annually almost every year since 1905, starting in Mill Valley, and finishing at Stinson Beach, in Marin County,...
. They include Norman Bright
Norman Bright
Norman "Norm" Bright was an American long distance runner, mountaineer, and teacher. Bright once held the American record in the two-mile run.-Biography:...
in 1970 and Shirley Matson in 1993.
In 1992, the Club set up the Winged "O" Foundation, which changed its name to The Olympic Club Foundation
Olympic Club Foundation
The Olympic Club Foundation was established in the United States in 1992 and provides support for athletic programs and physical culture for disadvantaged youth.The Olympic Club has a long history of philanthropy, dating back to its origins in 1860...
in 2002. Its purpose is to fund youth sports programs which primarily target less advantaged youth who live in the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
Winged-O football and Rugby
The Olympic Club fielded a footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team that played Bay Area colleges such as Stanford, Cal, St. Mary's, and Santa Clara. The team was formed in 1890. That year, the Olympic Club was accused by a rival club of enticing athletes to jump to its ranks with offers of jobs. An investigation by the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
ruled that the Olympics' practice was not actually professionalism but only a "semi" form of it, thus inventing the term "semi-pro
Semi-pro
Semi-pro may refer to:* a semi-professional athlete* Semi-Pro, a 2008 sports comedy starring Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, and Andre Benjamin...
". Although the Amateur Athletic Union didn't like the idea very much, it decided that clubs could indeed offer employment without losing their amateur status
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
or compromising the athlete. From 1891 through 1934, Olympic club had a 12-30-8 record against Stanford and a 6-49-5 record against Cal.
In 1913, the Olympic Club's top rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
side held the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, then (as now) one of the world's top teams in that sport, to a draw. Olympic Club members would later form the core of the US national team
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
that would win gold medals in rugby at the 1920
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
and 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
, the last two times the sport was part of the Olympic program.
In 1926, Percy Locey
Percy Locey
Percy P. Locey was a college football player, a college football coach, and a college athletic director, the latter at Oregon State College from 1937-1947...
played football at the Olympic Club. He was a member of the Olympic's "Winged-O" football eleven that handed the University of California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
's "Wonder Team" their first loss in five seasons. In 1928, Locey took over as the head football coach at the Olympic Club. In his first year with the Olympic Club, his team posted an undefeated season, with wins over future Pac 10 schools Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
and 1929 Rose Bowl
1929 Rose Bowl
The 1929 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game and the 15th annual Rose Bowl Game. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defeated the California Golden Bears by a score of 8-7. The game was notable for a play by California All-American Roy Riegels in which he scooped up a Georgia Tech fumble and ran...
bound California. After the success of that season, Locey was promoted to head coach of all sports at the athletic club. He was named the coach of the West team in the annual East-West Shrine game in 1929, though his team was defeated that year, 19-7.
General Course Information
Bent grass covers the greens. The fairways are a rye and poa annual grass combination. The roughs also have a bit of bluegrass mixed in.SETUP for the 2007 U.S. Amateur Championship
PAR AND YARDAGE - The Lake Course played at 6,948 yards and par 35-35—70. The Ocean Course, which was used for the first two days of stroke play only, played at 6,786 yards and par 35-35—70.
COURSE SETUP – The Lake Course was set for green speeds of approximately 11 feet, 6 inches on the Stimpmeter. The primary rough was grown to 4 inches, with a strip of intermediate rough cut to 1½ inches in height.
USGA SLOPE RATING AND COURSE RATING – The Lake Course carried a USGA Course Rating of 74.8 and a USGA Slope Rating of 143. The Ocean Course carried a USGA Course Rating of 74.0 and a USGA Slope Rating of 136.
The Lake Course
Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine is a monthly golf magazine owned by Time Inc.. It was started in 1960 by Universal Publishing and Distributing, who sold it to Times Mirror in 1972. Time Inc. acquired it in 2000. It was the world's most widely read golf publication from August 2006 to January 2007. The magazine is...
in its list of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S. It has also been recognized in Golf Week's category of "America's 100 Best Classical Courses." In Golf Digest
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
s list of the U.S. 100 Greatest Courses for 2007–2008, the Lake Course was ranked 23. It is almost entirely within the borders of San Francisco.
The yardage of the Lake Course is 7,060 yard
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
s from the new championship tees, with a course rating of 75.7 and a slope rating
Slope rating
The slope rating of a golf course is a measure of its difficulty for bogey golfers. The term comes from the fact that when playing on more difficult courses, players' scores will rise more quickly than their handicaps would predict. The "slope rating" of a course thus predicts that rise...
of 143. From the next set of tees forward, the course measures 6,529 yards, and has a course rating of 72.3 and a slope rating of 132. From the next set of tees forward, the course measures 6,235 yards, and has a course rating of 70.9 and a slope rating of 129. From the front tees, the course measures 5,593 yards, and has a course rating of 68.6 and a slope rating of 122.
The Lake Course has been lengthened in recent years to prepare for the 2007 U.S. Amateur and 2012 U.S. Open by architect Bill Love. Included in the on-going improvements by Bill Love are new tees that have added significant length to the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 12th, 13th and 16th holes. In addition, drastic changes were made to the par-4 seventh and par-3 eighth holes as part of the greens replacement project. A new two-tiered green at the seventh replaces the old three-level green constructed in the 1970s. This green is located approximately 20 yards behind the old one. The most dramatic alterations were made at the par-3 8th. Previously just a short uphill pitch, a completely new hole has been built with a teeing area well back and to the right of the original, changing the angle of approach and pushing the length of the hole back to 200 yards. A new green has also been built at the par-3 15th. The controversial 18th green has also been changed further to reintroduce, in a more playable manner, the slope that was previously removed while at the same time creating more diversity in pin placements for the finishing hole. The new 7th and 8th holes opened for play in May, 2009.
The Ocean Course
The Ocean Course has seen many changes over its history. Winter El Nino storms in 1983, and 1997 caused significant damage, and required major changes to the course and layout. During the mid 1990s, the club built 4 holes west of Skyline Blvd. along the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Holes of par 4, par 3, par 5, and par 4 had dramatic views. These holes were lost due to erosion in 1997. The current course was finished in 2000.The regular yardage for the Ocean Course is 6,925 yards from the championship tees with a course rating of 73.6 and a slope rating of 136. From the next set of tees forward, the course measures 6,496 yards and has a course rating of 71.1 and a slope rating of 129. From the next set of tees forward, the course measures 5,898 yards with a course rating of 68.8 and a slope rating of 121. From the front tees, the course measures 5,386 yards with a course rating of 66.5 and a slope rating of 115.
In preparation for the 2007 U.S. Amateur, the 14th hole was changed, to allow the 15th hole to be lengthened. The course is almost entirely within the borders of Daly City.
The Cliffs Course
The 9-hole, par 3 Cliffs Course is the windiest because it is set on the bluffs above the Pacific Ocean. Though it is short, it is very challenging. Designed by Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf, it is the most scenic of all three courses. It measures 1,800 yards.The U.S. Opens
The Olympic Club has hosted four U.S. Open ChampionshipsU.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
in 1955, 1966, 1987, and 1998. It is scheduled to host the U.S. Open again in 2012.
Jack Fleck
Jack Fleck
Jack Fleck is an American professional golfer best known for winning the 1955 U.S. Open. He is the oldest living U.S. Open champion....
won the 1955 U.S. Open. He defeated Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan
William Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game...
in an 18-hole playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
after the two had tied at the end of 72 holes with scores of 287. Billy Casper
Billy Casper
William Earl Casper, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s.-Early years:...
defeated Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
in a playoff to win the 1966 U.S. Open. In 1987, Scott Simpson
Scott Simpson (golfer)
Scott William Simpson is an American professional golfer.Simpson was born in San Diego, California. He attended the University of Southern California, where he was two-time medalist at the NCAA Championship . He turned professional in 1977 and graduated in 1978...
won the U.S. Open by one stroke over Tom Watson
Tom Watson (golfer)
Thomas Sturges Watson is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and now mostly on the Champions Tour....
.
Lee Janzen
Lee Janzen
Lee McLeod Janzen is an American golfer who is best known for twice winning the U.S. Open, in 1993 and 1998.-Early years and amateur career:...
won the most recent U.S. Open at Olympic in 1998 with a score of 280 (even par, as the course played a par 70 for the U.S. Open). In the 1998 U.S. Open, players complained about the pin position at the 18th hole in the second round. The pin was set at the top of a ridge, and, with the U.S. Open's knack for making hard, fast greens, many balls rolled on way past the cup. Kirk Triplett
Kirk Triplett
Kirk Alan Triplett is an American professional golfer, currently playing on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Triplett was born in Moses Lake, Washington, and grew up in Pullman. He graduated from Pullman High School in 1980 and accepted a golf scholarship to the University of Nevada in Reno,...
incurred a two-stroke penalty when he used his putter to stop the ball from rolling. Payne Stewart
Payne Stewart
William Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42....
, the runner-up to Janzen, complained as he three-putted the hole. The putting green was flattened around 2000 as a result, but was given more slope in the recent renovation to the course. This decision was made by the club, not the USGA.
Major tournaments hosted
| Year | Tournament | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
Jack Fleck Jack Fleck Jack Fleck is an American professional golfer best known for winning the 1955 U.S. Open. He is the oldest living U.S. Open champion.... |
| 1958 | U.S. Amateur | Charles Coe Charles Coe Charles Robert "Charlie" Coe was an American golfer who is considered by many to be one of the greatest amateur golfers in history. A two-time U.S... |
| 1966 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
Billy Casper Billy Casper William Earl Casper, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s.-Early years:... |
| 1981 | U.S. Amateur | Nathaniel Crosby Nathaniel Crosby Nathaniel Patrick Crosby is an American golfer.Crosby was born at Hillsborough, California. He is the seventh child of the actor and singer Bing Crosby and the youngest of his three children from his second marriage to the actress Kathryn Grant.Crosby performed with his father, mother, brother... |
| 1987 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
Scott Simpson Scott Simpson (golfer) Scott William Simpson is an American professional golfer.Simpson was born in San Diego, California. He attended the University of Southern California, where he was two-time medalist at the NCAA Championship . He turned professional in 1977 and graduated in 1978... |
| 1998 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
Lee Janzen Lee Janzen Lee McLeod Janzen is an American golfer who is best known for twice winning the U.S. Open, in 1993 and 1998.-Early years and amateur career:... |
| 2007 | U.S. Amateur | Colt Knost Colt Knost Colt Knost is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Knost was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Pilot Point, Texas. He was the Class 3A State Champion his senior year of 2003. He graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2007. While at SMU,... |
| 2012 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
TBD |
- Bolded years indicate professional major championshipsMen's major golf championshipsThe men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
. - Bolded-Italics years were determined by 18-hole playoff.
External links
- Official website
- The Ocean Course at GOLFCOURSE.com
- The Lake Course at GOLFCOURSE.com
- The Cliffs Course at GOLFCOURSE.com