Is Wilshire as severe as it seems on TV?

[Mark Kiely]

I know Kyle Phillips' renovation of Wilshire is widely beloved by most architecture fans. I've never played it nor been on the property, but on TV it looks exceptionally severe and penal to me. It might just be a case of the course not fitting my eye, but it seems like many shots that don't land in an ideal spot are repelled away from the greens, and in general, it looks like it falls off towards the barranca in many places. The greens also look very tricky to putt. Watching on TV, I feel like I'd have a hard time breaking 110. (10 handicap.)


Am I wrong?

[Matt_Cohn]

No. It’s not easy, but “severe” is not an applicable word. The greens are tricky, but it’s quite playable.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Wilshire was my high school's home course, and I have been fortunate to play it regularly since 1977.  The greens could be the trickiest in California because there are many subtle internal slopes and mounds on every green.  The players probably experienced very difficult wind conditions the past couple of days, because many areas of SoCal are under dangerous wind warnings.  That part of LA tends to get interesting swirling, winds, and they probably dried the course out, which would tend to speed up the greens a couple feet.
Wilshire is not an easy course, but the fairways are 40-50 yards wide, with the exception of the short and strategic 3rd and 15th(14 in this tournament)holes. The key to scoring well is to drive to a part of the fairway that offers a great angle of attack.  Being on the wrong side of the fairway requires the patience to play away from the pin, or risk a seemingly good shot not able stop near the hole because it landed on a firm side slope

[Alex Miller]

My home course! And frankly having faced the occasional "wrath of Wilshire" I can say that the course can play so many different ways.


Wilshire is a demanding golf course, but very getable for professionals, especially the women at only 6,500 yards. The narrowest fairway is ~30 yards wide and most are considerably more, sometimes double. Off the tee for LPGA players it is really not a challenging course, but for the average golfer it is a fair but stern test.


And hitting the fairway is very important because most of Wilshire's defense is in the approach shots. Nearly every hole has somewhere that you cannot miss, otherwise bogey or more is likely. But with a few exceptions depending on pin position, there is a place to miss and leave a very reasonable opportunity for par.


The women are facing very difficult wind conditions, and with much less repeat play out there than a member many are missing it in exactly the wrong spot. The course condition is perfect (shoutout to Brian Sullivan), but perhaps there were a couple hole locations selected that the LPGA did not have the wind in mind for. A small increase in speed and firmness can go a long way in adding to the difficulty.


Even so, I'm seeing the talent on full display from the players and it's clear there is opportunity to go around the course successfully and be rewarded for excellent shots. Wilshire played as difficult as is possible yesterday (well, with a couple tees up) for the LPGA, and the leader shot 64!


Some approach spots you cannot miss (holes numbered for tournament, 18 normally is 10), * denotes expected wedge approach
1*: long, severe back to front but open in front
5: left, catcher's mitt green so easy to stay away
7*: long left
8*: long
9: right or long
10*: long or right
11: long or left
12: maybe nowhere to miss that is easy... good par 3
13*: long or left
14*: long or short side
15*: long left or short right
16*: short right
17: short left or long right
18: long or left when back, short right when front


As you can see, long is often not the place to be. I think the firmer greens are really punishing overly aggressive shots.

[Mark Kiely]

Thanks for the intel, Alex! Had I been more specific, I would've singled out the approaches as you did. I recognize plenty of width off the tee.


Why does the tournament prefer 10 played as 18? Better able to accommodate crowds around the green than the "real" 18?

[Phil Burr]

I've spent more hours watching the women play Wilshire this week than any other televised event all year.  The course looks amazing!!  If the LA triumvurate is LACC, Riviera and Bel Air, where does Wilshire rank?  The only other one I've looked at that stimulates my interest in a similar way is Hacienda, but perhaps that's too far east to be considered as truly part of LA.

[mike_beene]

Looks like there is less OB than you might expect on a compact property with the road going through. I saw the cart get stuck in the tunnel. I assume most of the play is walking. I think it’s a fairly sandy site?

[Don Baker]

Alex....... would you say the main thing that increased the difficulty of Wilshire was the remodel of the bunkers?  I've not played it since they did that, but have worked some tournaments there for the SCGA, and that's what caught my attention.

[Joe Perches]

My home course!

I've heard rumor of barranca conversions to concrete channels at Wilshire.

Borrowing the words of an old friend,  "what a pity".

I just hope it doesn't turn into something like the Rubio wash at San Gabriel.

https://golfadelphia.com/2019/11/02/san-gabriel-country-club/
https://lacreekfreak.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/creeks-and-courses/

[Alex Miller]

My home course!

I've heard rumor of barranca conversions to concrete channels at Wilshire.

Borrowing the words of an old friend,  "what a pity".

I just hope it doesn't turn into something like the Rubio wash at San Gabriel.

https://golfadelphia.com/2019/11/02/san-gabriel-country-club/
https://lacreekfreak.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/creeks-and-courses/

False, that's a weird rumor... I could see it becoming playable one day, but that will take an extensive project as a TON of water flows through it during storms, often so much that 18 green gets completely submerged. Though you'd never know the next day!

Alex....... would you say the main thing that increased the difficulty of Wilshire was the remodel of the bunkers?  I've not played it since they did that, but have worked some tournaments there for the SCGA, and that's what caught my attention.

I don't have a lot of pre-work experience to compare to, but the bunkers definitely became more difficult. Personally, I'm a fan as they are hazards. Even if there are bunkers on both sides of a green I think they are most difficult when short-sided or above the hole (as in green slopes away). Great example is 7. Short par 3 and bunkers everywhere, but any member will tell you that you miss it in the right bunker all day and never in the left and long ones if you can help it.

Looks like there is less OB than you might expect on a compact property with the road going through. I saw the cart get stuck in the tunnel. I assume most of the play is walking. I think it’s a fairly sandy site?

It sure drains well - can't speak to the soil composition. And you would never know Wilshire has <100 of golfing land on its property, but even in a couple spots where OB is adjacent to the fairway there is ample width offered to avoid it. Shared fairways on 2/3, 5/9, and 11/18 make it very avoidable. And yes lots of walking - it's compact so <4 miles and just the right amount of elevation change.

I've spent more hours watching the women play Wilshire this week than any other televised event all year.  The course looks amazing!!  If the LA triumvurate is LACC, Riviera and Bel Air, where does Wilshire rank?  The only other one I've looked at that stimulates my interest in a similar way is Hacienda, but perhaps that's too far east to be considered as truly part of LA.

Glad you've enjoyed - I have too and Brian and team have done a great job! Obviously biased, but who crowned the triumverate?    A number of great and unique clubs in LA, all with their own feel. Lakeside and Hillcrest (haven't played it yet) are up there too. Oh and a certain public course that's pretty well known on here...

Thanks for the intel, Alex! Had I been more specific, I would've singled out the approaches as you did. I recognize plenty of width off the tee.


Why does the tournament prefer 10 played as 18? Better able to accommodate crowds around the green than the "real" 18?

Correct, no room for hospitality tents around the current 18th. Plus it would be too crowded with the putting green there too. Luckily 10 is a gorgeous hole and if Nasa didn't run away with it the bear trap on the left can definitely create some drama!

[Dan Grossman]

I know Kyle Phillips' renovation of Wilshire is widely beloved by most architecture fans. I've never played it nor been on the property, but on TV it looks exceptionally severe and penal to me. It might just be a case of the course not fitting my eye, but it seems like many shots that don't land in an ideal spot are repelled away from the greens, and in general, it looks like it falls off towards the barranca in many places. The greens also look very tricky to putt. Watching on TV, I feel like I'd have a hard time breaking 110. (10 handicap.)


Am I wrong?

Having played Wilshire a number of times (although certainly less than Alex), I think Wilshire is very playable.  There is certainly trouble out there, but with familiarity, it is pretty easy to avoid.  The course is not overly long, but really forces the golfer to be strategic / thoughtful about how to plot your way around the course in an effort to shoot a good score.  (Hallmark of a great course IMO).  Par / Bogey is almost always achievable, although if you try to get too aggressive, that can lead to high scores.  Unless you are hitting it very crooked, as Alex points out, it is just about avoiding bad misses on the approach shots.  You generally want to be below the hole and not miss in the wrong spot. 

I watched a fair amount of the tournament on TV and was a bit surprised that the women were struggling as much as they did.  (Or at least some of them)  The conditions were reasonably chilly and windy, which does make precision on approaches much more difficult.  The greens were firm, which also accentuates the slopes and punishes those players who have more trouble hitting high, spinning approach shots.  I also saw a number of relatively poor chip shots from short grass.  The two that come to mind are Ko's chip on 17 (16 for the tournament) on Saturday that rolled back to her feet.  The other one was a player (can't remember who now) who was over the green on 10 (18 for the tournament) and struggled with the grass bunker (for lack of a better term) back there and ended up taking a double or triple, I believe.