The Lowlands at McLaren Park

The Only Flat Lies at Gleneagles

Jun 26, 2024

The holes at the edge of McLaren Park are unique. It’s the only section of the course where elevation and fairway contours don’t play a major role. That doesn’t mean it isn’t challenging though. When the wind is up, these holes can be the toughest on the course.

This post is part of a series.1

Gleneagles could close at the end of 2024.

Gleneagles GC at McLaren Park is arguably the most challenging course in San Francisco, but many folks in the city have never played it. Unfortunately, it may be closing if the city does not renew its lease this year. I think this Jack Fleming design is incredibly interesting. So I am writing a series on its architecture, and why a course that is less than 6000 yards is able to test the best players in the region. “The Eagle,” as it’s known by its regulars, is a nine-hole course, but with two very different sets of tees that allow it to be played as a full 18.

Due to water constraints, the fairways are often in poor condition. It’s serious enough that the club plays preferred lies in tournaments. So, those who prefer conditioning over architecture will likely not see the course’s value. Yet, despite its short length, it is one of the very few courses that has not been made obsolete by improvements in equipment. It rewards people who think hard about every shot, and more often than not, asks players to take shots they don’t want to hit. I want to share and preserve the architecture of this course, so I’ll be writing (way too much) about each pair of holes and the challenges and strategies that make them great.

I don’t want to wait until it is too late to bring attention to this course. If more people play the course or join the club this year, it’s much more likely to remain open. The course is worth a visit.

Part 1: Visible and Invisible

Hole 4: par 3, 157 yards.

Hole 13: par 3, 128 yards.

The fourth at Gleneagles is an exercise in sleight of hand. On most summer days, there are two obstacles, one obvious, one hidden. From the tee box you see a tree… that %$#@ tree. It’s intimidating enough to distract many players from other potential concerns.

The Tree

The tree is probably the most unwelcome feature on the course. Half the regulars are one lightning strike away from throwing a party. However, others know that the hole would suffer without it. The tree sits slightly off center, on the right side, at just the distance where most shots hit their apex. It also happens to stand just below the height of a well struck long iron. Hit it well, and the tree isn’t even there, but hit it just a bit thin and you’ll be ruing. The obvious solution would seem to be playing left-to-right, to take it out of play, but that solution means dealing with the wind.

The Wind

The reason why many players hit it straight at the tree is the prevailing wind. Almost every day through the summer a strong headwind, moving left-to-right, blows through the gap here. While players should remember the wind from the previous hole, the tee box is tucked away from it, so it’s not always obvious. This left-to-right movement means a standard fade can balloon, and a slice will reach the sixth fairway. Thus, to get around the tree, the best tactic is simply to play left-handed.

The wind also affects distance control. How much more club is always the question: one club certainly, maybe two? This is where that %$#@ tree makes you second guess your better judgment. From the back tees, one club up brings the launch angle down a bit, but two clubs might bring it down noticeably. A low draw against the wind won’t always get high enough, so forget the adage telling you to “swing easy.”

The Nuance

The obvious answer to a headwind and an encroaching tree is to hit it low and run the ball up to the green. Unfortunately, this isn’t really possible here because the green is slightly elevated above the apron, and that ridge complicates a runup shot, especially for right-side pins. This ridge especially punishes players that didn’t take the wind into account off the tee. The green itself slopes from back-right to front-left, with a significant contour that moves diagonally across the middle, pushing running shots left. Everything breaks toward the Cow Palace.

A contour that moves across this green makes the right-side miss tough. That miss leaves a flippy chip into a green that wants to run away. It’s makeable, but it isn’t easy.

Missing left can be trouble simply because the shot will likely kick further left, or end up in one of the bunkers. These two bunkers are neither deep, nor particularly challenging to escape from, but complicate access to the green from the left side.

Improvements

It’s a minor quibble, but the back bunker seems unnecessary. Any shots from behind the hole will be downhill chips, and the player will likely be short-sided. It’s probably there to prevent shots from running onto the next tee, but the location doesn’t prevent that either. On a municipal course with limited resources, I think it might be better to simply remove it.

History

The hole remains mostly intact. There is no left-side bunker, but all the other features are in place: the tree, wind, and the front ridge and bunker.

Part 2: Short and Long

Hole 5: par 4, 292 yards.

Hole 14: par 4, 377 yards.

The Short Version: Be Aggressive

The short version of this hole is a fairly routine example of decent architecture. This version of the hole is a slight dogleg, drive and pitch hole, to an elevated and shallow green. The green slopes strongly back-to-front, so players want to end up below the hole. However, multiple deep bunkers are there to threaten anyone playing to the front edge.

Players who know their distances and can adjust them for subtle elevation changes can attack any pin here. Players who want a bit more safety can even play to the opposite side of the fairway to add a bit of depth to their landing zone. Players who are happy with bogey can easily take the bunkers out of play by playing to the back of the green, which should allow for a routine three putt.

The Long Version: Don’t Miss Left.

On the back nine, this hole becomes a terrifying mirror image of itself. It has the same architectural principles, but with exaggerated penal threats. The hole is now long, plays uphill the whole way, and the tees directly face the headwind.

It’s now a long half-par hole where players must drive through a narrow chute. Even without the prevailing winds, any mistake will be penalized. Shots that move right will be knocked down, and players who miss left will be lucky if their shot is even playable. There is even a barely visible fairway bunker on the left side of the dogleg.

The approach for most players will require a long iron, if not a hybrid or fairway wood, making it significantly more challenging to hold the shallow green. And the deep bunkers are still there to catch anything poorly struck.

History:

The first thing to notice here is that the original back bunker, shown here, has been lost. It’s hard to see the point of such a placement, unless it is meant to interact with shots missing left on the 9th/18th hole.

The other big change is the complete lack of vegetation along the left side. This should completely change the way the hole plays. The prevailing headwind through the hole should be significantly stronger, and would probably blow noticeably across the approach.

Right-side fairway bunker that has appeared and disappeared since at least 1993.

There was another fairway bunker gained as far back as 1993, which has come and gone multiple times since. At one point a bunker existed just below the first tree short-right of the green. That bunker could punish overzealous drivers on #5, but was mostly out of play.

Improvements

This hole is one of the least strategic on the course, so it makes plenty of sense that it is more penal. However, I find some of the hazards unwarranted.

The thick vegetation along the left side would make more sense as a red-stake penalty area. The existence of an effective out-of-bounds zone along the left here is harsh when players need to swing for the fences just to have a chance at par. Another solution here would just be to open up the left side as the course was originally laid out. The fairway bunker on the left side also seems needlessly penal and unnecessary, especially as it is poorly maintained anyway.

For some, I’m sure, the risks involved on both shots are exactly what make the hole exciting.

I think a fun improvement could be to cut the grass on the hill behind the green to fringe height. This way players could safely hit shots over the green with hopes that they roll back to the hole, which would also bring the risk of rolling into the front bunkers. It could add some drama, and a bailout for poorer players that would be exciting for everyone to watch.

Conclusion

The lowland holes at Gleneagles offer unique challenges within the course. What they lack in dramatic fairway contours, they compensate for with subtle difficulties, particularly when the wind is up. The subtle complexities of #4/13, and the Jekyll and Hyde nature of #5/14, showcase the course's ability to challenge players with more traditional parkland concerns. Don't be fooled by this momentary calm though. These holes just give players a breather before returning them to the slanting fairways and undulating greens that the course is known for.

Thanks for reading. Please do all the things that help the algorithm so I can bring more attention to this course while it’s still here.

Wigs on the Green

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