Playing a quick round of nine holes of golf on a foggy morning near enough to the ocean beach to hear the waves is why I love the Golden Gate Parks Golf Course. This is a short par three course, but the holes are beautifully laid out through a cypress and pine forest in the dunes. This little gem of a golf course is public, meaning play is relaxed and without fuss. It has a welcoming feel for all levels of players and if you get paired with a couple of the old regulars you will definitely hear a story or two about how "San Francisco used to be".
My favourite time to play here is early morning when it is almost 100% guaranteed to be foggy. The fog gives the course an intimate feel, particularly when, as can often happen, you are the lone player out in the early morning. Holes 4, 7 and 9 are long enough to test any player's skill, as long as you don't get distracted by the sound of the mile rock fog horn. If you are playing on weekdays, you can often just walk on, but Fridays, weekends and evenings, you'll need to make a reservation through the city's reservation system.
Find your way with 156 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
When I can hear the sound of spare coins jingling, I get an itch for a real pinball fix and head to the Haight and Free Gold Watch in San Francisco...
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When I want to know if the fog is coming in under the GG bridge in SF, I walk over to the public deck at UCSF's Helen Diller Medical Center...
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When I am in Golden Gate Park in SF, I almost always stop for a few minutes at the 6th avenue skate park to watch the skaters dance to the music...
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The SF Columbarium is one of the only cemeteries within San Francisco city limits. Pair a diorama with a dash of biography & you have me hooked...
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"Green Apple Books" in San Francisco is one of my favorite places to get lost for an afternoon. Unmatched levels of discovery await...
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"Zazie" in SF is my perfect local French bistro, whether I'm up at 8 am, peckish at lunch or in the mood for the greatest pork chop in town...
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"The Turrell Skyspace" in San Francisco is a hidden oculus buried underground that provides a moment of either meditation or social overload...
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"Ushi Taro" is a tiny ramen house that specializes in beef ramen. A personal favorite is their spicy tomato beef ramen that never fails to warm my core...
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The "Corbin Steps" represent everything delightful & quirky about San Francisco. It's an art project composed of fantasy creatures built of found objects!
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"Ferry Plaza Wine" in the San Francisco Ferry building is, perhaps surprisingly, one of the best wine bars in the Bay Area...
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