
The Championship
A public championship, run the hard way.
Stroke-play qualifying into single-elimination match play, contested across two of the country's great municipal courses each March. This is how the City is won.
Format
Qualify, then survive.
The marquee Men’s Championship opens with 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying — one round at TPC Harding Park, one at Lincoln Park — from a field of 148. The low 64 advance into a single match-play bracket. From there it is single-elimination match play over the following weekends, culminating in a 36-hole final.
Every other division follows the same spirit at its own scale — an 18-hole qualifier seeding a bracket — while the Open flights are seeded strictly by Handicap Index and begin directly with match play, in flights named for the City’s legends. Carts are prohibited for players and caddies in the Men’s Championship.
Divisions & Entry Fees
Find your division
Each division's complete schedule — qualifying through the final — is listed on its card.
Men's Championship
148 in qualifying · 64 to match play
Eligibility. An NCGA points event for amateurs of all abilities. Exempt players enter first, from November 1; entry opens to all applicants November 15. Exemptions: reached match play in 2025 or 2026, any past SF City champion, top 5 at a 2026–27 Winter Series event, top 20 in NCGA points, or any 2026 NCGA event champion. Non-exempt players enter through the Pre-Qualifier ($129).
Format. 36-hole stroke-play qualifier (18 at TPC Harding Park, 18 at Lincoln Park). The low 64 advance to a single 64-player match-play bracket — single-elimination, with the final contested over 36 holes. Carts are prohibited for players and caddies.
2027 Schedule
- Sat, Mar 6Stroke-play qualifying — Round 1TPC Harding Park · Lincoln Park
- Sun, Mar 7Stroke-play qualifying — Round 2TPC Harding Park · Lincoln Park
- Sat, Mar 13Match play — Round of 64TPC Harding Park · Lincoln Park
- Sun, Mar 14Match play — Round of 32 & Round of 16TPC Harding Park · Lincoln Park
- Sat, Mar 20Quarterfinals & SemifinalsTPC Harding Park
- Sun, Mar 2136-hole FinalTPC Harding Park
Men's Championship Pre-Qualifier
First 104 entries
Eligibility. Open to any amateur without a Men's Championship exemption. Low finishers advance into the Championship field.
Format. 18-hole stroke-play qualifier at Lincoln Park. The leaders earn one of the places reserved for qualifiers in the Men's Championship; the rest of that field is filled by exempt players.
2027 Schedule
- Fri, Mar 518-hole stroke-play pre-qualifyingLincoln Park
Qualifiers advance into the Men's Championship, which begins its own stroke-play qualifying on March 6.
Women's Championship
Inkster FlightFirst 80 entries (shared with Women's Senior)
Eligibility. Open to women amateurs of all abilities. No handicap required.
Format. 18-hole stroke-play qualifier. Low 16 to the Championship bracket, 17–32 to the Inkster Flight. Single-elimination match play; 36-hole final.
2027 Schedule
- Fri, Mar 1218-hole stroke-play qualifyingLincoln Park
- Sat, Mar 13Match play — Round of 16TPC Harding Park · Lincoln Park
- Sun, Mar 14Quarterfinals (Round of 8)TPC Harding Park · Lincoln Park
- Sat, Mar 20SemifinalsTPC Harding Park
- Sun, Mar 2136-hole FinalTPC Harding Park
The Inkster Flight (places 17–32 from qualifying) plays its match-play rounds on the same days.
Men's Senior Championship
First 84 entries · 32 to match play
Eligibility. Men 55 and over with a Handicap Index of 9.4 or lower.
Format. 18-hole stroke-play qualifier; low 32 advance to single-elimination match play.
2027 Schedule
- Tue, Mar 1618-hole stroke-play qualifyingTPC Harding Park
- Wed, Mar 17Match play — Round of 32TPC Harding Park
- Thu, Mar 18Round of 16TPC Harding Park
- Fri, Mar 19QuarterfinalsTPC Harding Park
- Sat, Mar 20SemifinalsTPC Harding Park
- Sun, Mar 21FinalTPC Harding Park
Men's Super Senior
First 48 entries · 16 to match play
Eligibility. Men 65 and over with a Handicap Index of 9.4 or lower.
Format. 18-hole stroke-play qualifier; low 16 advance to single-elimination match play.
2027 Schedule
- Wed, Mar 1718-hole stroke-play qualifyingTPC Harding Park
- Thu, Mar 18Match play — Round of 16TPC Harding Park
- Fri, Mar 19QuarterfinalsTPC Harding Park
- Sat, Mar 20SemifinalsTPC Harding Park
- Sun, Mar 21FinalTPC Harding Park
Women's Senior
Within the 80-player women's field
Eligibility. Women 50 and over. No handicap required.
Format. 18-hole stroke-play qualifier seeding a match-play bracket.
2027 Schedule
- Fri, Mar 1218-hole stroke-play qualifyingLincoln Park
- Sun, Mar 14Match play — First roundTPC Harding Park · Lincoln Park
- Sat, Mar 20SemifinalsTPC Harding Park
- Sun, Mar 21FinalTPC Harding Park
Open Flights
First 108 entries
Eligibility. Open to all handicap levels. Flighted by Handicap Index.
Format. Seeded strictly by Handicap Index and begun directly as single-elimination match play, in named flights.
2027 Schedule
- Sat, Mar 13Match play — First roundTPC Harding Park · Lincoln Park
- Sun, Mar 14Second roundTPC Harding Park · Lincoln Park
- Sat, Mar 20SemifinalsTPC Harding Park · Lincoln Park
- Sun, Mar 21FinalTPC Harding Park
Seeded strictly by Handicap Index; each named flight (Archer, Rosberg, Susko, Ward) plays on these days.
Venues
Two courses, a century of the City
The championship is played where San Francisco golf began — and where it still lives, on public land above the Pacific.
TPC Harding ParkTPC Harding Park
Primary championship venueOpened July 18, 1925 · Par 72 · 7,169 yards
Laid out along the shores of Lake Merced and named for President Warren G. Harding, the course opened in 1925 to the same design partnership — Willie Watson and Sam Whiting — behind the Olympic Club's Lake Course next door.
Lincoln Park Golf CourseLincoln Park Golf Course
Original venue · qualifying & Open flightsOpened 1902 (City play from 1916) · Par 68 · 5,416 yards
The championship's birthplace. Perched on the bluffs above the Golden Gate, Lincoln Park wraps around the Palace of the Legion of Honor with the bridge filling the horizon from the 17th tee — arguably the finest view in municipal golf.
2027 Schedule
Championship week by week
All divisions, qualifying through the finals. Tee times and pairings are posted to Results as the draw is set.
Friends of the City
A championship this old stays affordable only on purpose.
Gifts from players, families and local businesses keep entry fees within reach and the oldest city championship in golf on the tee every March.