Olympic Club Lake

[PrincipalsNose]

How have people found this course? I see Hanse just completed a restoration. Elite major championship history obviously. 
 

would you rather play here or on Pasatiempo? 

[puttnforthe8]

1 minute ago, PrincipalsNose said:

How have people found this course? I see Hanse just completed a restoration. Elite major championship history obviously. 
 

would you rather play here or on Pasatiempo? 

Olymipic 7-10 for me

[PrincipalsNose]

18 minutes ago, puttnforthe8 said:

Olymipic 7-10 for me

You mean like 7 out of 10? 

[puttnforthe8]

19 minutes ago, PrincipalsNose said:

You mean like 7 out of 10? 

yup

[PrincipalsNose]

10 minutes ago, puttnforthe8 said:

yup

Thoughts on it when you played? 

[sabram]

I've played both Olympic Lake and Pasa a couple times. Olympic was before the Hanse reno. Pasa was after the Doak reno. They were both very challenging, but I found Olympic too difficult for my game.Based on that I'd say for a single digit player It would be 5-5. For me it would be Pasa 6: Olympic 4. That might be different today because of the changes at Olympic.

[PrincipalsNose]

1 hour ago, sabram said:

I've played both Olympic Lake and Pasa a couple times. Olympic was before the Hanse reno. Pasa was after the Doak reno. They were both very challenging, but I found Olympic too difficult for my game.Based on that I'd say for a single digit player It would be 5-5. For me it would be Pasa 6: Olympic 4. That might be different today because of the changes at Olympic.

What do you think the changes tried to do? Make it more playable? 

[sabram]

9 hours ago, PrincipalsNose said:

What do you think the changes tried to do?

Here's some good information:

 

Golf Club Atlas Discussion about Hanse restoration of Olympic Club  Lake Course

[PrincipalsNose]

1 hour ago, sabram said:

Here's some good information:

 

Golf Club Atlas Discussion about Hanse restoration of Olympic Club  Lake Course

Sounds more playable forsure. Similar to what Hanse did at Oakland Hills, was fantastic. 

[monty09]

I did not like O club prior to renovation I am however seeing it again this winter and will report back

 

Pasa is great but so damn tough

[carrera]

Olympic will surely be more interesting and playable than it has been in the past.  Looking forward to playing it sometime in 2024.  Was a golf member there for 30+ years but I haven't played the Lake in over 10 years. 

[Mullenboy]

Olympic will surely be more interesting and playable than it has been in the past.  Looking forward to playing it sometime in 2024.  Was never a member there but was hosted by Carrera and others several times.  🙂

 

Pasatiempo is a very interesting and fun golf course.

 

Both places ooze history.

 

Generally I'd prefer Pasatiempo because the barrancas and other features make it more interesting.  But maybe the Lake renovation closes this gap?  Hope to find out.

[jjr]

I'd go with 5-5, love both tracks. The weather plays such a factor at OC, I will say I preferred OC in the past too. 

[TheOrange2002]

Quite a different feel at the renovated/restored Olympic Lake than the previous version(s).  Mother nature helped out by felling close to 100 trees the past few years but Hanse and team widened the fairways (the mowing patterns were changed about three months before the close was closed) so the vistas are greatly improved and perceived narrowness of the fairway corridors is gone (except for two holes, 16 and 18).  For some, that may make the driving more difficult.

 

Greens are considerably larger, openings to the greens are wider (these aspects were restored in many holes back to the 1920s design features) but there is more subtle, natural feeling, undulations in the greens surfaces.  

 

Bunkers are much better, different style and restored fairway bunkers from years gone by.

 

While some may expect the scratch players to eat it up, wider fairways, bigger greens, shorter rough, I'm not so sure if that will happen.  The course was also stretched out a bit, sneakily adding 5 yards on seemingly every hole.  As with any course, firming up the course and greens, will keep the course plenty tough.  It is more playable for the everyday golfer and I always recommend that guests don't try to be a hero ("I want to play the US Open tees"), play the tee box based on your driving distance minus 10-15 yards, the heavy air is real, the ball does not fly all that well in the City by the Bay. 

 

 

[Mullenboy]

13 hours ago, TheOrange2002 said:

Quite a different feel at the renovated/restored Olympic Lake than the previous version(s).  Mother nature helped out by felling close to 100 trees the past few years but Hanse and team widened the fairways (the mowing patterns were changed about three months before the close was closed) so the vistas are greatly improved and perceived narrowness of the fairway corridors is gone (except for two holes, 16 and 18).  For some, that may make the driving more difficult.

 

Greens are considerably larger, openings to the greens are wider (these aspects were restored in many holes back to the 1920s design features) but there is more subtle, natural feeling, undulations in the greens surfaces.  

 

Bunkers are much better, different style and restored fairway bunkers from years gone by.

 

While some may expect the scratch players to eat it up, wider fairways, bigger greens, shorter rough, I'm not so sure if that will happen.  The course was also stretched out a bit, sneakily adding 5 yards on seemingly every hole.  As with any course, firming up the course and greens, will keep the course plenty tough.  It is more playable for the everyday golfer and I always recommend that guests don't try to be a hero ("I want to play the US Open tees"), play the tee box based on your driving distance minus 10-15 yards, the heavy air is real, the ball does not fly all that well in the City by the Bay. 

 

 

But how the hell do you know?  🙂

[knock it close]

On 10/9/2023 at 11:13 AM, monty09 said:

I did not like O club prior to renovation I am however seeing it again this winter and will report back

 

Pasa is great but so damn tough

The thing about pasa being tough is it didn't feel like it beat me over the head with how tough it is. You have to hit pretty exacting shots but it just doesn't "feel" that hard until you add up your score if that makes sense. 

[monty09]

14 hours ago, knock it close said:

The thing about pasa being tough is it didn't feel like it beat me over the head with how tough it is. You have to hit pretty exacting shots but it just doesn't "feel" that hard until you add up your score if that makes sense. 

 

 

yup.  It seems vert playable until you bogey 5 in a row or back to back double bogeys where are so easy to pile up

[PrincipalsNose]

What is the club’s attitude towards unaccompanied guests thru your club pro? 

[Mullenboy]

No clue re unaccompanied guests through one's club pro but others in this thread would know...

 

Anyway cool this came up again.  I played the Lake a few weeks ago with a certain Orange2002 dude.  It was very fun.  Now all my rounds there have been so... in the past more due to the company and the history of the place, the course being painful.  Now the great company remains, as does the history but the course is... actually fun.  It doesn't kick you down and stomp on your head as it used to.  It is... to use an overused trite word... playable!  Oh it's still tough.  But damn I like it a whole hell of a lot better now.

 

6-4 v. Pasa.  But I haven't played the "restored" Pasa.... may never do so given the price.... happy to accept any and all invites to Olympic any time.  🙂

Edited January 22 by Mullenboy