[Robert_Ball]

Jon Spaulding and I recently had the opportunity to play Bel-Air.  I hadn’t played the course in over 10 years and it was the first time for Jon.

• Founded in 1926 by Alphonso Bell, a produce farmer who upon drilling for water in the Santa Fe Springs area found oil instead.  His riches allowed him to purchase the land which is now the unincorporated area of Bel-Air.
• Along with Lakeside, this is the SoCal club of the stars including; Clark Gable, Bing, Nicholson, Eastwood, Chris O’Donnell, Tom Cruise and Jon’s favorite, Jack Wagner.  Not to turn this into a TMZ thread but earlier this year Cruise added Katie Holmes to his membership in an effort to bond with Katie’s father, a devout Catholic and not a fan of Tom’s Scientology leanings.
• It has hosted the 1976 US Am (Bill Sander) and 2004 US Senior Am (Mark Bemowski).
• While working as a caddy at Bel-Air, Greg Puga won the 2000 US Mid-Am at The Homestead.

To design the course, Bell brought in George Thomas, construction foreman Billy Bell (no relation) and former California Am champ & Pebble Beach designer Jack Neville.   The first nine at Bel-Air was built in 1925 with the current par 3 fifth temporarily serving as the opening hole.  The land originally planned for the second nine was instead purchased by the state and used for the UCLA campus.  While searching for additional land to route the remaining holes, Neville, Thomas and Billy Bell came to a spot near the current clubhouse and decided that if a golfer could carry the adjacent canyon it would open up the other side of the canyon for more holes.  Neville made the 150 yard carry using a putter, and the swinging bridge hole and back nine were born.

The strength of the course is the circuitous routing that winds through the canyons, exposing several different wind conditions while taking advantage of natural ground contours, elevation changes and spectacular views.  Fairways are bermuda, greens poa annua.  Missing unfortunately are Thomas and Bell’s artistic, natural bunkers, the victims of several modern architects who have been permitted to mark their territory at Bel-Air.  As you’ll see below, the ongoing work of consulting architect and Bel-Air member Tom Fazio is evident throughout.

Hole 1
Par 5  453-505 yds
Once a typically gentle Thomas opener, the growth of trees on the left has made hitting the fairway a must.  The diagonal creek crosses the fairway 80-100 yards from the green and was recently widened.
Approach to the reverse cant green fronted by a newly renovated bunker.


Hole 2
Par 4  382-441
Originally a sporty risk/reward play with a bunker in the left center of the fairway.  Now just a wide open “bomb it” shot.


Remnants of the carry bunkers along the left side of the 2nd fairway.


Sketch of #2 from The Captain by Geoff Shackelford showing aggressive play “B” aimed directly down today’s tree-line.


Hole 3
Par 3  156-170
The lake was originally two bunkers.



Hole 4
Par 4  424-434
No 1 handicap on the front plays slightly uphill with the ideal drive flirting with a large sycamore on the right.  Based on a 1929 aerial I think there were two large bunkers in front of the green which has some of the most severe contours on the front nine.
Tee Shot:

Approach:

Green:


Hole 5
Par 3  154-165
Originally the opening hole when the course was 9 holes.  Green was a plateau and closer to the hillside and was lowered by Dick Wilson in the late 60s.  Tee shot challenge is probably similar to how it was in 1926.

Circa 1926.  It sure would look nice if that bunkering was restored.


The 5th hole dead ends in a canyon.  Golfers had to scale the large ridge to get to the next tee before a connecting tunnel was built.  It was added before carts but as luck would have it carts fit through with about half an inch to spare.


Hole 6
Par 4  353-371
Severe left sloping fairway with an option to drive the bunker and ridge on the right.
Tee shot from the RTJ rebuilt tee box:

Approach:


Hole 7
Par 4 373-391
Downhill dogleg left with a semi-blind tee shot.   The safe shot left used to be followed with a tougher approach but now it just requires a chip out from the 10-20 pines that have been added.


7 green was rebuilt in the 70s by George Fazio to include five distinct tiers.  You can make out at least three of them in this picture looking back up the fairway.


Hole 8
Par 5  465-482
View from the tee to the wide fairway.  If you carry the crest of the hill, you’ve got a 190-210 approach from a downhill lie.  Howard Hughes once landed his plane on this fairway to impress Katherine Hepburn who lived on the 14th hole.  Hughes was later banned from the club.



The ho-hum approach had been changed in the 60s by either Wilson or Jones to look similar to 15 ANGC- fronting rectangular lake, right greenside bunker.  T Faz has now taken the water theme a step further.  Personally, I think Shadow Creek does a better job at being Shadow Creek.



Hole 9
Par 4  386-420
Another great lost hole.  Originally this was a short hole with a fairway diagonally crossed by the creek that runs in front of #1.  Likely the handy drainage work of Billy Bell, it would’ve been 40-50 yards from the green and would require a carry of 230-250 depending on the angle.  Now it’s piped under the fairway.  You can clearly see where the creek would’ve been in this photo:



Hole 10
Par 3  195-200
The chasm-like 10th provides one of the great tee shots in golf.  Originally did not have bunkers on the right.






Hole 11
Par 4  384-392
The Thomas alternate fairway was accessed via a blind drive over the knoll on the left.  The alternate fairway is now a pond surrounded by trees.  The club claims this was done to protect golfers on 15 and to avoid having balls hook into the mansion on the left.  The green itself and the new bunkering are completely incongruous with the rest of the course.
Tee shot:

Alternate fairway/pond from the right fairway:

From green, looking back toward alternate fairway:



Hole 12
Par 4  347-393
Formerly the famous “Mae West” hole


Approach -  NOW YOU SEE MAE…..NOW YOU DON’T



Hole 13
Par 3  193-225


Hole 14
Par 5  562-584
The rebuilt bunker 40-50 yard short of the green is in relatively the same spot as the original


View of the bunker from the creek on the left:



Hole 15
Par 4  436-468
Looking back down the fairway from front-to-back green.


Hole 16
Par 3  174-195


Hole 17
Par 4  449-468
A great hole despite tree growth on the right to protect houses.  Aggressive drive down the right will bounce toward the green.  Long hitters need to either cut the corner or hit 3W.  Ben Hogan called it one of the best par 4s he had played.
Tee shot:


Approach:


Right side fall-off:


Hole 18
384-416
Solid uphill finisher to a blind putting surface located under the swinging bridge- one of the great green sites in golf.  Like #9, a new back tee was recently added by “The Little Pro” Eddie Merrins.
Approach showing what might be the closest thing to a Thomas/Bell bunker remaining on the course.  The side bunkers were added by Wilson or RTJ.


18 green from the swinging bridge:



Bel-Air is still a special place in my opinion and much more challenging than when I last played it.  Also, the club has a friendly atmosphere and a welcoming staff.  But they sure aren’t interested in protecting their classic Thomas design.  If you haven’t played Bel-Air I recommend you get out there in the next year or two.  After that, any other Fazio will suffice.



-Robert

[John Kirk]

Robert,

This is an outstanding review.  Great work, my friend.  Paging Art Fuller to edit the master index.

[Ryan Farrow]

Sweet post, I was susposed to visit Bel-Air about 2 years ago but things did not get worked out. Looks like, as with all Thomas courses that a if a true restoration was done this place would be a world class golf course.   Can we get a Tommy N opinion .

[Matt_Cohn]

It looks like two totally different courses in one!!! Looks very fun though.

Does 18 remind one of 18 at Olympic?

[BVince]

Fantastic review...I really enjoyed seeing the historical photos along side the modern picture.  Looks like hole 5 was better in 1926.

[Robert_Ball]

Thanks John.

It looks like two totally different courses in one!!!

Yep, that's how it feels too, Matt- very inconsistent at times.

Does 18 remind one of 18 at Olympic?

Jon might know better since he's played Olympic often but I don't think so.  You're hitting a middle/long iron into 18 BA and the green is pretty flat.  And visually the front bunker isn't cut into a hill.

[JimFatsi]

Approach -  NO YOU SEE MAE…..NOW YOU DON’T

Robert, fantastic post....Can you explaind this photo, looks like you added a huge mound that was there at one time, seems like a huge removal project to get rid of a blind shot

[Robert_Ball]

Approach -  NOW YOU SEE MAE...NOW YOU DONT

Robert, fantastic post....Can you explaind this photo, looks like you added a huge mound that was there at one time, seems like a huge removal project to get rid of a blind shot

Sorry, I shouldn't assume everyone is familiar with this hole- Thomas built two large mounds in front of the green to create strategy off the tee- the safe shot left is obstructed by a mound while the aggressive shot right (the angle of my picture) gets an open view of the green.  There may have been a ridge that he and Bell were working off of but the mounds are mostly man made.  Due to its appearance the hole was nicknamed "Mae West" after the buxom actress of that era.

Here's a better rendition of what 12 might look like today, compliments of some quick Photoshop work tonight by Tommy N.


It was a very unique, fun hole.  I wish I could've played it.

[David Stamm]

Thanks Robert and excellent work. Still some good things there, but overall much of the Thomas/Bell original design is gone. Very sad. The course has something alot of drastically changed GA courses don't, and that's the ability to restore much of the greatness that was once there. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening with the arch that is advising them. Other than the routing, I'm not sure we can still call this a Thomas/Bell course today. 
 

[Sean_A]

Robert

Thanks for the tour.  I had never seen so many pix of Bel Air before.  Its not what I thought it would like.  For some reason perhaps old pix) I thought the course was more wild n wooly. 

Have you played Cal Club?  If so, is the terrain similar? 

Ciao

[Steve Kline]

Sean - while those pics are great, if you have never played Bel-Air before they do not (as pictures never do) capture the hilliness of the terrain. There are hardly any flat shots on the golf course. I thought the routing was tremendous. It is very compact and the trees are overgrown. For example on #9 from the back tee to have a shot at the green you must hit at some trees not far from the tee (not a good description but I didn't like that tee shot). When I played it last February I didn't know anything about the original design or who did what rework. All I can say is that I loved it and had a great time playing it. Now with some of these pictures and comments I probably would like it better if it was restored. Sometimes I think I'm better off just playing the course and not knowing the history and what it used to look like.

My host told me to arrive at the club whenever and the locker room attendant would take care of me, which he did. I ended getting a surprise emergency nine as well. Also, the review didn't mention the elevator after the 9th green that takes you right into the clubhouse - never seen that before - or the unusual (ahem) "movies" that used to be filmed along the 17th hole - which is why I was told the trees had been added.

[Chuck Brown]

For those who have played a fair bit on both; if you had ten rounds to split between Bel Air, Riviera and LACC, what would the numbers be?

[tlavin]

For those who have played a fair bit on both; if you had ten rounds to split between Bel Air, Riviera and LACC, what would the numbers be?

My split would be:

LACC: 6
Riviera: 3
Bel-Air: 1

Let me hasten to add that Bel-Air is an amazing experience.  The setting, the history, the celebrity members and the special nature of a handful of holes make it a must-do while you're in Los Angeles.  Riviera is a masterpiece architecturally, but it's a bit of a golf factory, so my nod for a plurality of rounds goes to LACC, which has a gem in the North course, a fun course in the South and an unbelievably welcoming feel from the locker room to the 18th green.

If I were deciding based purely on architectural merit, Riviera would get the most rounds and Bel-Air might not make the cut, but golf is surely about more than just the architecture.

[Jeff Fortson]

For those who have played a fair bit on both; if you had ten rounds to split between Bel Air, Riviera and LACC, what would the numbers be?

Riviera 7
LACC 2
BelAir 1


Riviera is THAT good, regardless of all the little amenities that come with playing LACC.  LACC (North) is a phenomenal golf course.  It is truly one of Thomas's gems.  Unfortunately, Riviera is a Top 10 golf course anywhere in the world, IMHO. 

You get an exclusive feel at Riviera but at LACC you feel like you got on one of the "impossibles".  I think that is the big thrill for most players, they love LACC's ultra-private feel.  It's more of a challenge to get on it. 

Architecturally, LACC is one of the best 100 courses anywhere, but like I said, Riviera is one of the truly GREAT courses of the world.  In a head to head fight between LACC and Riviera I think Riviera smashes LACC.  And, while architecture certainly isn't the only reason one plays golf or enjoys it, Riviera is THAT special architecturally, that I would rather spend most of my rounds playing it over LACC or BelAir.  BelAir is a must play in the LA area and has some great holes.  The modern game has made the course seem a little tight and short but it is still a great place and a great setting.



Jeff F.

[John Mayhugh]

Robert,
Thanks for posting the pics and commentary.    The photoshopped 12th looks like a blast. 

It seems like a trip around one of these classics would feel a lot like a trip back in time to the glory days of Hollywood.  That's probably over-romanticized, but the era that courses like Bel Air evoke for me is really cool.

[Robert_Ball]

John,

You're not over-romanticizing it.  The feeling starts when you turn through the gate and on to Bellagio...


And while playing the course you pass former homes of Hitchcock, Reagan, Presley and others.  It can be surreal at times.

[David Panzarasa]

For those who have played a fair bit on both; if you had ten rounds to split between Bel Air, Riviera and LACC, what would the numbers be?

LACC 4
Riviera 4
Wilshire 2
 (I know, one of those people that put in another course then mentioned, but its in the same city, and I like Wilshire that much

[Sean_A]

Sean - while those pics are great, if you have never played Bel-Air before they do not (as pictures never do) capture the hilliness of the terrain. There are hardly any flat shots on the golf course. I thought the routing was tremendous. It is very compact and the trees are overgrown. For example on #9 from the back tee to have a shot at the green you must hit at some trees not far from the tee (not a good description but I didn't like that tee shot). When I played it last February I didn't know anything about the original design or who did what rework. All I can say is that I loved it and had a great time playing it. Now with some of these pictures and comments I probably would like it better if it was restored. Sometimes I think I'm better off just playing the course and not knowing the history and what it used to look like.

My host told me to arrive at the club whenever and the locker room attendant would take care of me, which he did. I ended getting a surprise emergency nine as well. Also, the review didn't mention the elevator after the 9th green that takes you right into the clubhouse - never seen that before - or the unusual (ahem) "movies" that used to be filmed along the 17th hole - which is why I was told the trees had been added.

Steve

The photos do give me the impression of a hilly course.  Considering the similarities in terrain and bunkering, what surprises me is how different Bel-Air and Cal Club look.  Is this all down to the current renovations at Cal Club?  I get the feeling that at Cal Club one can swing away and in retrospect figure out where the places to be an avoid are - it looks less obvious.  While BA looks a bit crowded, like its a road map course where the player is steered around or else. 

Ciao   

[Steve Kline]

I'd agree that Bel-Air felt a bit crowded.  There are a few holes that aren't that way. Some of the holes require you to hit a certain part of the fairway to even have a shot.

[Bill_McBride]

I was lucky enough to play Bel Air in 1962 in a match, our UCSB team vs. UCLA.  I don't remember the course all that well, but I sure don't remember all those trees!  I do remember hooking my tee shot on #1 OB left.  I remember the #9 green being quite a bit more elevated, it was an uphill tee shot. 

Great report and photos, Robert, amazing you could do all that while playing.  How did you do the dissolve into Mae West photo?  That's very cool. 

And please say hello to TN for me. 

[tlavin]

For those who have played a fair bit on both; if you had ten rounds to split between Bel Air, Riviera and LACC, what would the numbers be?

LACC 4
Riviera 4
Wilshire 2
 (I know, one of those people that put in another course then mentioned, but its in the same city, and I like Wilshire that much

No need to apologize, this is a very good call.  I also love Wilshire.  It tends to get forgotten, which is a bit of a pity, but it is a terrific course, with fabulous greens, fun history and a funky design, with two nines divided by a busy arterial street, connected by a one-cart tunnel.  A special place, indeed.

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Riviera    7
LACC      1
Bel-Air    2

Bel-Air gets more than one because of the setting, friendly club, unique setting of clubhouse, 10th tee, 1st tee, elevators and great grill room and food.

Fortson is right, Riviera matches up with the best designs in the world, even with the messed up 8th.

[David Stamm]

For those who have played a fair bit on both; if you had ten rounds to split between Bel Air, Riviera and LACC, what would the numbers be?

LACC 4
Riviera 4
Wilshire 2
 (I know, one of those people that put in another course then mentioned, but its in the same city, and I like Wilshire that much

No need to apologize, this is a very good call.  I also love Wilshire.  It tends to get forgotten, which is a bit of a pity, but it is a terrific course, with fabulous greens, fun history and a funky design, with two nines divided by a busy arterial street, connected by a one-cart tunnel.  A special place, indeed.

Concur. I think Wilshire is probably number 3 behind Riviera and LACC North as far as classic private clubs in LA, strictly course-speaking. I love the place and it has some wonderful holes.

[Don Dinkmeyer]

Wow,
I am a bit late to chime in _ been off the board too long_ but that is one fantastic course, report, and pics!

[ChipOat]

In 1980, I made arrangements to play Bel-Air on a Monday afternoon courtesy of Eddie Merrins.  I had never been to Los Angeles, to Beverly Hills or to Bel-Air before.

Since it was a Monday and I'm from the northeastern U.S., I drove along the road looking for a club (directions from the golf shop the week before said it was on the left side of the street) that would be closed.  I happened upon a very large clubhouse-looking building behind a high wall with closed gates and no cars parked in a very large driveway.  Sure that I had found the club as directed, I pulled my Hertz special up to the gates and pushed the intercom button.  When a voice answered, "yes?", I explained that my name was Chip Oat and that I was a guest of the pro shop.  When the voice replied, "what??", I repeated the purpose of my visit and asked where I should park my car once the gates were opened.  The voice then informed me in a rather impatient tone that this was a private residence and that I was trespassing!

Rather puzzled as to who would ever live in a house that large, I continued up the road (is it Stone Canyon Road?) until I saw the well marked entrance to Bel-Air CC, about 100 cars in the parking lot and a somewhat smaller structure that was clearly the clubhouse.  Imagine a club that was open 7 days a week - I thought that only happened in Florida or Palm springs during the winter months.

Anyway, my experience was every bit as friendly as that of others on this thread.

Two things:

My caddie pointed out the private home that I had attempted to invade as that of Conrad Hilton - you could see even more of it from the 3rd or 4th hole than was visible from the road.

Alas, no mention was made of any movie production to the right of the 17th fairway (damn!!).  I guess real estate prices in 1980 weren't so astronomical - that's a pretty upscale neighborhood for porn producers to be renting a house for any purpose.

I wonder if Paris Hilton filmed any home video's in her grandpa's house when she was coming of age?

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