Olympic (Lake)

Always a delight to find a course that rewards the lost art of shaping shots. The 4th hole, for instance, features a reverse-camber fairway: the hole swings right to left but the fairway tilts left to right, mandating a draw from the tee. The next hole, a dogleg right, calls for a fade. The ability to shape tee balls played to Lee Janzen’s strength when he won the 1998 U.S. Open here. Recent clearing has helped to highlight the stunning nature of the cypress trees that line this hillside overlooking Lake Merced. (Photo: Patrick Koenig)