Green Hills Country Club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Green Hills Country Club, located in Millbrae, California, is often referred to as the San Francisco Peninsula’s “hidden gem”. Today, the golf course, under the care of superintendent Walt Barret, is recognized for its superb condition and its fast undulating greens.
Green Hills was originally known as the Union League Golf and Country Club of San Francisco when it was built in 1929, opening to great fanfare in 1930. The Union League golf course was designed by famed architect Alister MacKenzie, who was responsible for “gems” such as Cypress Point, Augusta National and many, many others. The golf course was built upon a fertile hilly area that was used as nursery land to grow flowers and vegetables. In fact, flowers grown on the property were used by famed horticulturist John McLaren, to decorate the 1915 Pan Pacific Exhibition, or World's Fair.
In 1929, when MacKenzie was shaping the land into what is now Green Hills he said “When the Millbrae course is completed it will rank with the first three in the San Francisco district and will be one of the sportiest in the entire state. The natural topography has made it easy for us to plot the course, and with plenty of water for the tees and fairways, the new club will be one of the finest of its kind on the coast”.
Green Hills Country Club has hosted scores of prestigious tournaments, including the U.S.G.A. Open and senior Open qualifying. For many decades, the club was host of the annual Professional Baseball Player-Babe Ruth Cancer Fund golf tournament with stars such as Ty Cobb, Bing Crosby, Lefty O’Doul, Leo Dorocher and many others.
Green Hills today is a proud representation of Alister MacKenzie at his finest. The picturesque golf course has survived the test of time and remains the not so “hidden gem” of Northern California.
In 2007, the original clubhouse was demolished. A new clubhouse is scheduled to open in the fall of 2008.
