Lincoln Park Golf Course ·
The Course: 18 holes of history on the San Francisco coast
An 18-hole, par-68 public course of 5,146 yards along the clifftops of Lands End. It is short by modern standards, and harder than the card suggests.
- Established
- 1902
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 68
- Length
- 5,146 yds
- Type
- Public
- Hours
- Daily, 7am–sunset
How the course came to be
Lincoln Park sits on the northwestern corner of the San Francisco peninsula, on land once known as Golden Gate Cemetery. As the city moved its burial grounds south to Colma, the heights above Lands End became public parkland, dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln in 1909.
Golf came first. In 1902 local golfers laid out three holes here. The course was built in stages, credited by the City to the municipal architect Tom Bendelow, and reached 14 holes by 1914 and a full 18 by 1917. That makes Lincoln Park San Francisco's oldest municipal golf course and one of the oldest public courses in California.
Today it is part of the San Francisco Recreation & Park golf system and is operated by Yugi Golf Management. The holes run around the grounds of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor.
A short timeline
- 1902
A three-hole course is laid out by local golfers.
- 1909
The parkland is dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln.
- 1914
The course expands to 14 holes.
- 1917
Lincoln Park reaches a full 18 holes.
The holes you'll remember
Lincoln Park alternates between sheltered, tree-lined corridors and exposed clifftop holes with some of the best views in public golf.
The 17th, the Golden Gate hole
A clifftop par 3 with a clear view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific. It is one of the most photographed holes in public golf.
Coastal front nine
Tight fairways run between Monterey cypress, then open onto views of the ocean and the Marin Headlands.
Legion of Honor turn
Several holes run around the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, so the museum is in view for part of the round.
Views from the course
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Pacific Ocean
- Marin Headlands
- San Francisco skyline
- Legion of Honor Museum
Harder than the yardage suggests
At par 68 and 5,146 yards, Lincoln Park looks gentle on paper. Wind off the Pacific, sharp elevation changes, narrow tree-lined fairways and small, sloping greens make it play much longer.
It rewards accuracy more than power, it is quick to walk, and it gets harder when the fog comes in. Lincoln Park is a cart-path-only course, and walking is welcome and popular.
Scorecard
18
Holes
68
Par
5,146
Yards
Course rating 65.9 · Slope 113 (Blue)
- Blue tees
- 5,146 yds · par 68
- White tees
- 4,948 yds · par 68
- Red tees
- 4,732 yds · par 70
The scorecard
Yardages from all three tee sets, par and stroke index, exactly as the official card has them.
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 316 | 257 | 156 | 321 | 359 | 285 | 334 | 170 | 309 | 2507 |
| White | 299 | 245 | 140 | 313 | 344 | 267 | 325 | 163 | 294 | 2390 |
| Red | 281 | 231 | 133 | 304 | 336 | 251 | 314 | 150 | 279 | 2279 |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 34 |
| Handicap | 3 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 5 | — |
| Par (forward) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 34 |
| Handicap (forward) | 3 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 17 | 5 | — |
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 268 | 265 | 203 | 500 | 259 | 282 | 239 | 240 | 383 | 2639 |
| White | 256 | 260 | 193 | 486 | 251 | 277 | 229 | 230 | 376 | 2558 |
| Red | 246 | 247 | 177 | 464 | 242 | 272 | 219 | 218 | 368 | 2453 |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 34 |
| Handicap | 18 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 2 | — |
| Par (forward) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 36 |
| Handicap (forward) | 12 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 18 | 4 | — |
| Tee | Yards | Rating | Slope | Ratingforward | Slopeforward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 5146 | 65.9 | 113 | 70.3 | 123 |
| White | 4948 | 65.0 | 112 | 69.1 | 119 |
| Red | 4732 | 64.2 | 110 | 68.1 | 117 |
Par is 68 from the Blue and White tees and 70 from the Red, which play the 16th and 17th as par 4s. Ratings and slopes are USGA figures from the official card; the forward columns are the women’s ratings for the same tee set. Lincoln Park is cart-path only.
About the course
What is the par and length of the course?
Lincoln Park is an 18-hole, par-68 course playing 5,146 yards from the back (Blue) tees, with a course rating of 65.9 and a slope of 113. It is short by modern standards, and the wind off the Pacific, the elevation changes and the small greens make it harder than the yardage suggests.
Which hole has the Golden Gate Bridge view?
The par-3 17th is the signature hole, with an unobstructed view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The course also overlooks the Pacific Ocean, the Marin Headlands, and the San Francisco skyline from several holes.
Is there a driving range at Lincoln Park?
Lincoln Park does not have a full-length driving range, but it offers putting and short-game practice areas plus two indoor TrackMan simulator bays for full-swing practice and lessons year-round.
Can I walk the course, and is there a cart?
Walking is welcome and popular at Lincoln Park. It's a cart-path-only course; carts are available first-come, first-served for $50 and must be returned 45 minutes before sunset.
Is Lincoln Park Golf Course open to the public?
Yes. It's a public, city-owned course in the San Francisco Recreation & Park system. Anyone can book a tee time, and SF residents get discounted rates.
Book online
Book a round at Lincoln Park
Book your tee time online up to 6 days in advance, or 7 days with an SF Resident Card.