Here and Gone - Lost Los Angeles Courses

[Sven Nilsen]

There are a number of old Los Angeles area courses that have popped up in old newspaper articles that seem to have had a very short life.  Perhaps some these became known by a different name, but I suspect most of them succumbed to "sprawl."

If anyone has any additional information on any of these courses, please let me know.

First up, Mayberry Golf & Country Club.

May 6, 1925 Los Angeles Times -

[Sven Nilsen]

Next up, Urban Country Club.

April 4, 1926, Los Angeles Times -



July 4, 1926, Los Angeles Times -



Aug. 8, 1926, Los Angeles Times -



Feb. 20, 1928, Los Angeles Times -



Jan. 29, 1928, Los Angeles Times -

[Sven Nilsen]

Another, this time in Laguna Beach.

March 29, 1939, Los Angeles Times -



Aug. 2, 1939, Santa Ana Register -

[Sven Nilsen]

Here's another depression-era course.

July 23, 1936, San Bernardino County Sun -

[Sven Nilsen]

A massive development in Los Alamitos.

Aug. 28, 1932, Los Angeles Times -

[Sven Nilsen]

Another William Bell project.

Nov. 16, 1924, Los Angeles Times -

[Joe Bausch]

At some point I'll reveal my research on golf in SoCal in the 20s.  Just need more spare time. . .

[Greg Chambers]

Great stuff, Sven!  Thanks for sharing.

[Sven Nilsen]

In 1925, Edgar Rice Burroughs, fresh on the heals of the temporary success of his El Caballero project, conceived a new public course for Los Angeles to be known as Rolling Hills GC.  The 18 hole course was to be designed by Willie Bell, and the 1926 Annual Guide reported the project was under construction.  The project was heavily advertised for a while during the summer of '25, but seems to have fizzled out at that point.

July 10, 1925, Los Angeles Times -

[Bill_McBride]

So Rolling Hills was never built?

[RJ_Daley]

Given the planning date in mid 1925 and assuming a year or so to get subscriptions, financing and construction plans and some level of 1920s permitting, one can image that they were probably about to begin about the time the great market crash came in '29.

[Sven Nilsen]

Bill:


Not to my knowledge, and not unless it became known by a different name.


RJ:


Four years would have been a fairly long gestation period back then, and by the lack of newspaper reports after the summer of 1925, I don't think the events of 1929 were the cause.  I suspect it might have had more to do with the nature of the project itself.  Public golf was taking off in the 1920's, but most of it was semi-private, a sole proprietorship or municipal.  You can probably count the number of public golf investment schemes that got off the ground on one or two hands.


Sven