Top 20 Courses in the LA area?

[Bruce Bearer]

Saw the responses to the "Heading to LA" post and got me thinking about the how all (Private/Public/Resort) courses would rank these days.  With many courses having been recently (last 5 years) been renovated/updated it would be interesting to see where the LA Area Courses  (Geographically, I'm thinking no more than 1 hour from LAX so parts of north Los Angeles and Orange County courses would qualify) Some of the recent renovations I have seen or heard about are LACC, Riviera, Valley Club, Hacienda, Wilshire, Annandale and I'm sure there's been many more.  Some of the possible courses that come to mind are below.  Please add to the list at will!

Riviera (Fazio tweaking)
LACC North (significant renovation)
Brentwood CC
Bel Air CC
Wilshire CC (all new bunkers?)
Hillcrest CC
Anandale CC (complete renovation)
San Gabriel CC (renovated bunkers?)
Lakeside CC
Mountain Gate CC
Trump National (significant renovation)
Rolling Hills CC
Palos Verdes CC
Virginia CC (Long Beach) (renovated greens? bunkers?)
Hacienda CC (significant renovation)
Mesa Verde CC
Santa Ana CC
Big Canyon CC
Shady Canyon CC
Newport Beach CC
Coto De Caza CC (might be more than an hour from LAX)
Pelican Hill Resort  (re-planted fairways, greens. Revised some bunkers)

I know I'm forgetting several good tracks.  Other than the top 3 (Riv, LACC, Bel Air) it will be interesting to see how the rest of the courses will fare. 

[David Kelly]

I'm going to add a course that is seldom if ever mentioned on GCA - Rustic Canyon.  LACC, RIV and Rustic Canyon are the three best courses in the Los Angeles area and maybe not in that order. 

I would throw out about half that list and add Valencia, Oakmont in Glendale and Santa Anita.

[Dan Grossman]

Oak Quarry and Goose Creek would be other publics that would / should rate on that list.

[Bobby Jones]

Are you talking about adding a bunch of courses to a master list and then handpicking the top 20?  B/C there are a few names on there i definitely wouldn't include.

If you're talking about 20 best...Brentwood CC shouldn't come anywhere close to that list.  Rancho is better IMHO.

If Trump somehow made the list, might as well put Strawberry Farms on there.

I'd put Penmar above Mountain Gate.  I know it's only 9 holes, but best $10 i've ever spent in LA County.  9th hole on the south course at MGCC is possibly the worst golf hole i've ever played.  Don't get me wrong, i enjoy playing at MGCC....but if we are talking from a design standpoint, i don't believe it should be on a 20 best list.

[Bruce Bearer]

I'm talking about which courses are the best designs/overall experience. 

Maybe the way to this is put out my favorites and let others comment or put out there own list?  And let's expand the geographic area to include up to Santa Barbara which brings many of the courses brought up into play.  Having not played (yet) Rustic Canyon, Oakmont, Valencia, here's mine:

1.  Riviera
2.  LACC North
3.  The Valley Club
4.  Bel Air
5.  Ojai
6.  Lakeside
7.  Hacienda
8.  Shady Canyon
9.  San Gabriel
10. Hillcrest
11. Santa Ana
12. Palos Verdes
13. Big Canyon
14. Wilshire
15. Pelican Hill (South)
16. Coto De Caza (North)
17. Newport Beach
18. Rancho Park
19. Mesa Verde
20. Virginia

 

[Tom Yost]

I don't know where you live Bruce, but if in SoCal, your homework assignment is to play Rustic Canyon, this weekend.

[Bobby Jones]

I don't know where you live Bruce, but if in SoCal, your homework assignment is to play Rustic Canyon, this weekend.

Couldn't agree more.  If you've never played Rustic, that should be at the top of your list.  Hate to say it, but i put it third best in the LA area.

[Mark Saltzman]

I'm talking about which courses are the best designs/overall experience. 

Maybe the way to this is put out my favorites and let others comment or put out there own list?  And let's expand the geographic area to include up to Santa Barbara which brings many of the courses brought up into play.  Having not played (yet) Rustic Canyon, Oakmont, Valencia, here's mine:

1.  Riviera
2.  LACC North
3.  The Valley Club
4.  Bel Air
5.  Ojai
6.  Lakeside
7.  Hacienda
8.  Shady Canyon
9.  San Gabriel
10. Hillcrest
11. Santa Ana
12. Palos Verdes
13. Big Canyon
14. Wilshire
15. Pelican Hill (South)
16. Coto De Caza (North)
17. Newport Beach
18. Rancho Park
19. Mesa Verde
20. Virginia

 

I haven't played much in the LA area, but is Trump LA so bad (or are there that many other good courses) that it doesn't even make a top 20?

Mark 

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

I ve been fortunate to have played everthing worth playing and quite a few that I hope to never see again. This should be pretty much the order :
Riviera
LACC
Rustic Canyon
Wilshire
Victoria
Bel Air
Oakmont
Lakeside
Annandale
Palos Verdes
Hacienda
San Gabriel
Brookside.  There is quite a bit of Tillie/Bell in tact
Virginia
Valencia
Goose Creek
Lost Canyons
Woodland Hills
Santa Anita
Recreation Park
 South Hills

[David Stamm]

  LACC, RIV and Rustic Canyon are the three best courses in the Los Angeles area and maybe not in that order. 

 

+1. Other than LACC and Riv, Rustic is better than any other public or private course in LA.

[Wade Whitehead]

I enjoyed the Sky Course at Lost Canyons.  Is the other course as good or better?

All this talk about Rustic Canyons makes me think I should take my sticks when I'm in town in three weeks.

WW

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Rustic Canyon is absolutely great
Rustic should be comfortably in the top half of Golfweeks modern 100. The fact that Raters can have Bel Air in its Fazio detruction state ranked ahead of Wilshire shows the raters don t have a clue on quality architecture.  I drive up 3 hours with fiends to play there paying to play when SD golf is free not one fevery friend has become a Rustic roadtrip regular!

[John Mayhugh]

I've been fortunate to have played everything worth playing and quite a few that I hope to never see again.

That's priceless.  And no doubt true.

[Bill Seitz]

In my opinion, the original list is a perfect example of the problem with golf in SoCal.  Not that the original poster's list is necessarily the end-all be-all, but every single course listed is private.  The area has some good publics, notably Rustic Canyon, Brookside 1, and a few others, but not all are easy to get on, and good publics are few and far between. 

I grew up in the area, and Santa Anita was our home course in high school, but the plethora of solid and affordable public courses in Chicago is one of the reasons I haven't moved back home.

[Jon Spaulding]

Please, I beg you people...no more damned lists!

I am with David Kelly, there are basically 3 golf courses that stir the soul in the general area.

And Bruce, I simply pray to GOD that you are joking about Coto de Caza and the other Orange County courses. Please confirm, sooner that later.....I need oxygen........

[Michael Robin]

I agree that the top 3 courses in SoCal are Riv, LA North and Rustic.

Now, to more important matters:

Bill Seitz -  Old time hockey? Old time Kings fan? Cowboy Bill Flett, Eddie Shack, Eddie The Jet Joyal, Bob Pulford, Whitey Widing, Butch Goring, Gary Cobra Simmons? That kind of Kings fan?

[Brad Isaacs]

Does Coto De Caza still exist?

[rjsimper]

If we're going 20 deep in So Cal, Redlands CC should be on there.

I would put it in the bottom half of the list, maybe a slot below the likes of Hacienda....but I think it's deserving.

[C. Squier]

In my opinion, the original list is a perfect example of the problem with golf in SoCal.  Not that the original poster's list is necessarily the end-all be-all, but every single course listed is private.  The area has some good publics, notably Rustic Canyon, Brookside 1, and a few others, but not all are easy to get on, and good publics are few and far between. 

I grew up in the area, and Santa Anita was our home course in high school, but the plethora of solid and affordable public courses in Chicago is one of the reasons I haven't moved back home.

You must live near a different Chicago than I do.  Where are all the solid and affordable public courses near Chicago, IL?  If you listed the top 20 courses around Chicago, IL I'll bet it'll look just as lopsided as the LA list as far as private/public.

[Jon Spaulding]

Does Coto De Caza still exist?

Yes, but it has been taken over by the housewives show.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Rdelands was ommittted because it is closer to Palm Srings than LA, though only 20 minutes from Victoria.  This was done because the the 3 Oak Valley courses are on 15 minutes away.  With Redlands distance from downtown LA, then San Clemente could have been included.  The ommision really is Oak Quarry which has some high quality SchmitCurley architecture

[Matt_Ward]

It would be really helpful when people speak about the LA area to define what is the area being covered.

Is it just LA County ?

Or are people including Orange County into the mix? Ditto for Riverside? San Bernardino ?

Or it could be a different approach -- anything within 100 miles of The Staples Center.

[Bill Seitz]

I agree that the top 3 courses in SoCal are Riv, LA North and Rustic.

Now, to more important matters:

Bill Seitz -  Old time hockey? Old time Kings fan? Cowboy Bill Flett, Eddie Shack, Eddie The Jet Joyal, Bob Pulford, Whitey Widing, Butch Goring, Gary Cobra Simmons? That kind of Kings fan?

I go back to the Triple Crown Line and the Miracle on Manchester.  Goring was just before my time.  The Miracle is probably my oldest hockey memory, back in the ON TV days.  I get the package every year and go to the UC whenever they're in town to play the Blackhawks.

[Bobby Jones]

Hey Bill -

Used to have season tickets to the kings...now just go here and there.  Actually looking forward to Monday night against Calgary...a buddy of mine gave me his suite!!!

Matt -

I would say just LA County for the purposes of this thread (LA area)...but then you can't include Rustic.

I've had an invitation to play Hacienda.  Has anybody played it?  I've heard they did a great restoration.

[Mark Saltzman]

I didn't get an answer to my post in #7.  Is Trump LA so bad that it doesn't make an LA top 20?  Would it make a public top 20 (or 10)?

Mark