One Round on a Public Course in LA?

[James Brown]

I'm spending a week in LA in March and will be able to play once or twice.  What's your best recommendation on a play to play, assuming no hook ups at the great private clubs like Riviera and LACC? 

[Tyler Kearns]

Soule Park, Rustic Canyon


TK

[Tim Leahy]

Rustic Canyon
Angeles National
Santa Anita
Industry Hills-Ike Course
if you have the time drive up PCH to Santa Barbara and play Sandpiper.

[Pete Lavallee]

Sticking to LA, I have fond memories of Los Verdes GC on the Palos Verdes peninsula, might be William F Bell's best work, which could be a backhanded compliment. A decent muni with ocean views and tricky greens. Palos Verdes CC is a William P Bell from the 1920's which just had a restoration by Todd Eckenrode; they used to allow outside play in the afternoon. The Long Beach munis are OK with Rec Park the best option.

[James Brown]

It makes me smile a little bit that all the best public courses in "LA" are 50 miles from LA. 

Are any of the public courses in the city from the golden age?  Would love to find a course like Presido or Sharps Park.

[Pete Lavallee]

Yes, Rec Park is from the 20's and Tillinghast may have been involved along with Billy Bell there. Los Verdes is essentially semi-private, so there's two examples 30 minutes from Staples Center, if you drive at 2:00 am! I believe Santa Anita would fall in that category too.

[BShannon]

Palos Verdes Golf Club has the most interesting architecture. Unaccompanied fee is steep, but worth it.

[Frank Kim]

Try Rancho Park.  It was desgined by William P. Bell.   It has hosted a bunch of LA Opens.  I think it takes weekday reservation a couple weeks in advance.  It's a muni and gets lots of play.

[Alex Miller]

An interesting smattering of answers here...




Best public in LA (and yes, in LA is going to include courses nearly an hour from downtown) is Rustic Canyon, no question.


Depending on where you are staying beyond that Tim Leahy's suggestions of Angeles National, Santa Anita, and "The Ike" are all good too. If you don't mind 5.5 hour rounds Rancho Park or Rec Park work, as does Los Verdes which is farther from downtown than the other 2. G


Palos Verdes is indeed interesting, though I would say no better than Rustic. For 4X the price to play unaccompanied the choice is clear to me.

[Doug Bolls]

You may want to look at Griffith Park - 2 courses - Harding and Wilson.  Original design George Thomas with a little restoration by Bell.  I have enjoyed them both last summer on a trip to LA.
I also had a very nice time at Angeles National in Glendale - right off the 210.  Takes a little thinking to get around that course.
Doug

[astavrides]

An interesting smattering of answers here...




Best public in LA (and yes, in LA is going to include courses nearly an hour from downtown) is Rustic Canyon, no question.


Depending on where you are staying beyond that Tim Leahy's suggestions of Angeles National, Santa Anita, and "The Ike" are all good too. If you don't mind 5.5 hour rounds Rancho Park or Rec Park work, as does Los Verdes which is farther from downtown than the other 2. G


Palos Verdes is indeed interesting, though I would say no better than Rustic. For 4X the price to play unaccompanied the choice is clear to me.

I played Rancho Park Dec. 26, a Saturday. I called at 7am that morning and was able to get my desired 1130am twosome tee time, no problem. When I last lived in LA, circa 2001, it was impossible to get a tee time there on any day. It was... come as a single, wait 2 hours, and then get on if you're lucky. This past Dec. 26, we got behind a couple slow groups and finished in 4 hr 45min. 5. 5 hrs used to be the norm. Three or four groups waiting on the third tee, a par 3. Maybe I got lucky, but I think things are different now. The lies were pretty thin because of the drought. I doubt the conditions are any better now than they were last month. The course is a pleasant enough layout.

[David Stamm]

Santa Anita is wonderful. You will see things that you won't see anywhere else this side of NGLA. Just ask Gib Papazian.

Rustic is a no brainer. One of the 3 best courses public or private in all of So Cal.


Industry Hills is god awful. Don't waste your time.

[James Brown]

Really valuable feedback.  We're staying very close to Santa Anita in the Pasadena hills and will hit there and Rustic too if we have time. 

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

I enjoyed Brookside in Pasadena. The course wasn't incredible but it was cool playing around the Rose Bowl. One course is the more championship caliber than the other from what I remember - I think its the home course for the So Cal Amateur or maybe the qualifying site for the LA Open.

[John Kavanaugh]

Really valuable feedback.  We're staying very close to Santa Anita in the Pasadena hills and will hit there and Rustic too if we have time.

James,


You need to reach out to Tommy Naccarato. I had one of the greatest experiences of my golfing life playing Santa Anita with him.


www.tommynacc.com

[Kalen Braley]

Given Rustic is included in this thread, does that mean a course like Oak Quarry is in play too?

I haven't played many courses in So Cal, but this one had some unique holes...

[John Mayhugh]

If you end up playing at Santa Anita, Clocker's Corner at the racetrack is a great place to start the day.  No admission charge.  You can have breakfast outside and watch the horses train with the San Gabriel mountains as a backdrop. And the golf course is next door. 
http://www.santaanita.com/race-track/clockers-corner/

Here's something that Geoff Shackelford wrote about SA a few years back.
http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2009/1/2/golf-as-it-should-be-files-santa-anita-gc.html

In one post, you mentioned an interest in Golden Age courses, and SA fits that.  The course is fun and has many interesting (and some quirky)features.  I would enjoy playing it more often.  But I think Rustic Canyon is the better course by a considerable margin.  If you only have time for one round, go to Rustic. 

http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/rustic-canyon-golf-course/

[Matthew Petersen]

I'll be in LA with the chance for one round Monday afternoon.


Flying into Burbank that morning, staying in the same area, and I have plans in the evening so I can't go too far afield.


Over the past few years with various work trips I have played: Rustic (multiple times), Rancho Park, Angeles Natl, Santa Anita, Los Robles Greens, and Terranea. (I also played Trump's course years ago.)


Basically I'm wondering if I should play Rustic again or give Griffith Wilson a shot as I have never seen it? I know a lot of what was once good at Griffith is gone now, but is it still worth seeing at all?

[Mark Kiely]

Recently I played Wilson for the first time and wouldn't recommend it, considering your circumstances. The first two holes suggested I was possibly in for something special, but the remainder of the course I found rather ordinary.


Here are my photos from that day if you're interested:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmjZvtnU

[V_Halyard]

Recently I played Wilson for the first time and wouldn't recommend it, considering your circumstances. The first two holes suggested I was possibly in for something special, but the remainder of the course I found rather ordinary.


Here are my photos from that day if you're interested:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmjZvtnU

As a regular LA golfer, I would Agree with Mark's assessment of Wilson/Harding at Griffith Park. I loved learning at Harding and Wilson but limited investment, submarginal conditioning and extraordinary traffic have taken a heavy toll on both Griffith Park courses as well as Rancho Park. If you have time for one round only, I would head back to Rustic Canyon.

[Matthew Petersen]

Thanks, gents.


I've driven by the course before and the first hole sure does look great. But of course I've seen as you go down the hill (and certainly from the freeway) that it's not all as promising as the start. What a shame.

[Tim Leahy]

Play DeBell in the Burbank hills. Super fun short course with elevation changes and great views. Hansen Dam is nearby and can be fun also. OJ used to play there. LOL.

[David Ober]

Goose Creek in Mira Loma.

[Chris Mavros]

I grew up in LA and go back often to see family.  Of the public courses I enjoy returning to, they are Los Verdes, Rustic and Santa Anita.  If I could just play one, it would be Los Verdes, as it captures California coastal golf very well.  I grew up near Santa Anita and know it well, so would make it my second choice, while Rustic is a great play in its own right. 

[Mark Kiely]

If you want to try somewhere new (or at least that you didn't mention earlier), Olivas Links in Ventura is only about 30 minutes (each way) farther from Burbank than Rustic Canyon. I love that place. (But I also love Rustic.)