Olympic Club, Lake Course

$101 (cart included), played on Tuesday, May 2016 at

One of the world's premiere courses, don't miss if the chance to play arises.

Guest (cart included), played on Wednesday, July 2015 at 4:00 PM

Amazing place! It is a very private club - I played it as a guest (twice), so some of the questions don't apply for me. (Additionally, the greens had been punched/sanded this week, so can't evaluate the greens from yesterday's round - three weeks earlier, they were excellent, although did not hold as well as I had expected.) This is a phenomenal course. We played (as guests) in the late afternoon - and nearly had the course to ourselves. We played in a cart - as it would be a difficult walk with so much elevation change. Even from the white tees, it is about 6300 yards and rated at 72.2 and 128 - and plays much longer than 6300 yards because it is so lush. The white tees were more than enough golf course to be a challenge. At 75 years old (long for my age, but not long on any absolute standards), I had lots of long irons and hybrids for second shots. There are no water holes, only a couple of places where one could go out-of-bounds, and only one or two fairway bunkers. Don't let that make you think this course should be easy. Fairways are generous but tree-lined (often with overhanging canopies that have to be avoided), but you have to be precise for decent second shots to holes - often with big elevation changes to small, well-bunkered greens. Visually, this course is amazing. Most courses that one considers beautiful are such because of the surrounding views - oceans, lakes, mountains, or whatever. This course is beautiful because of the course itself, the shapes of the holes, the elevation changes, the huge trees lining fairways, the lush green fairways, and the thick and juicy rough (yes, keep the ball in the fairway). Would I play it again? Without doubt - any time I get the chance.

Guest (cart included), played on Monday, October 2012 at 10am

Very tough course, but very fair. Small greens and difficult chipping because of rough around the greens. Course in great condition, but plays very long because its all carry and no roll. Enjoyed it and would love to play it again with better preparation.

Member (cart included), played on Sunday, November 2011 at 6am

Just played yesterday. in getting ready for nest year's US Open, they are toughening up the already difficult course. Now the very small sloped greens are at about 12 and will only get harder and faster as they get closer to next June. By shaving the areas around greens, it is quite difficult to chip and as they keep narrowing the fairways, they become even more difficult to hit. For example, Nick Watney stopped by last week and shot a 79 and said the greens were already the fastest he's played this year. Once the rough is really allowed to grow, I pity any non-professionals trying to play it. That being said, if you can beg, borrow or steal to get on prior to June, do it.

(cart included), played on Thursday, September 2006 at 4pm

It was nice to play on a course where they absolutely follow the rules of golf etticate. Beautiful day. I played this course in 1984 but the ranking forms would not let me select that year.

Guest (cart included), played on Thursday, May 2009 at 8am

Ladies. Gentlemen. Golfers near and far. THIS is a golf course! If only those trees could talk!!! But no, they just sit there with the dangling moss on those steep hillsides waiting for the next Arnold or Jack or Payne. The thrill of my life? 18th hole when my ball somehow made it to about 4 feet, and I made the birdie putt with a small, gracious gallery up on the veranda of the clubhouse - and they actually clapped. Amazing stuff. I captured a lot of video of this gold day! The marshal we saw twice. The first time he told the member with us to not be on the cell phone. The second time he asked me to please tuck in my shirt in the back where it had come out a little bit. I LOVED IT!!! Thanks to Member John C. for letting my friends and I play that day! One of my friends was a +4 Handicap - and he shot an 81 that day. My 85 as an 8 Handicap won me about $100 bucks, which paid for half of the bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label that served as a gift for our kind host! What a day!!!!! I will never forget it! It would not have surprised me in the least if there were droves of people waving wads of hundreds at the gate just to get into this place ... but there weren't ... and I would never have traded any amount of money for this experience. Something wonderful about making a turn onto a drive with no big signs, banners, balloons that advertise "One of the Best Golf Courses in the World, Turn Right Here." Nope, no sign. No sign at all. Just local knowledge. One amazing thing I learned about the Big O while there is that it was the intention of the Founders of the Olympic Club to NOT have local members, but rather hold a membership of out-of-towners so that the facility would serve as a destination place to do business and vacation. It has pretty much stayed that way. The Member with us lives across the Bay in another City, and has been a Member for over 40 years, yet doesn't really play much golf. What an interesting, gracious man!!!

$41 (cart not included), played on Sunday, April 2009 at 8am

beautiful setting

Guest (cart included), played on Thursday, June 2008 at 8am

I can see why they play the US OPEN here!!