Los Angeles Country Club, course guide, holes, history, LACC

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“With the barranca slicing through it, the wild bunkering, tilted greens, the mix of holes — and each one is a standout. Plus the fact it’s relatively new to most people in the field, you can understand why the excitement level is as high as it is.”

And that’s to say nothing of the intriguing backstory behind the venue.

Most people from L.A. don’t even know where LACC is, despite the fact that one of the busiest city streets — Wilshire Boulevard — bisects the club’s North and South courses.

Golf Channel on-air personality Damon Hack is a native of L.A. and went to college at UCLA, which is almost across the street from LACC, and had never been on the grounds before Monday.

That’s exactly the way the club has wanted it for years — to be hiding in plain sight.

The club has welcomed publicity as much as it would disease on its emerald fairways and greens.

Until this week.

The club is a contradiction. It resides in Tinseltown yet has built a reputation for rejecting any prospective members with entertainment ties to Hollywood.

LACC is not a place for high-profile actors, directors or famous musicians. It’s a place where captains of industry roll putts and mingle — CEOs, lawyers and other such corporate bigwigs.

Bing Crosby famously lived alongside the 14th hole and wanted to become a member, but wasn’t welcome because of his ties to the entertainment business.

David Pavoni, who co-authored the book “Golf in Hollywood” with Robert Chew, once recounted a story about an actor who wanted in at LACC and was spurned.

He wrote: “There’s a funny story about actor Randolph Scott. He wanted to be a member there and they said we don’t accept actors and he said, ‘I’m not an actor and I have 50 films to prove it.’

The funny thing is that musician Lionel Richie has one of the most impressive houses on the course, a mansion previously owned by Cher overlooking the fourth green.

The famous Playboy mansion once graced the 13th hole at LACC, though it’s no longer. Lore has it that Playboy founder Hugh Hefner wanted to build a helipad at the house and the club wouldn’t allow it. When Hefner said he’d be happy to become a member if that would help, the club said, ‘No thanks.’

So, Hefner, perhaps as a way to flip the proverbial bird at the club, built a zoo in the backyard adjacent to the 13th hole where noises of monkeys, cockatoos and other exotic birds could be heard through the fencing.

The former home of Aaron Spelling, the late film and TV producer, is on the course.

So, the course is surrounded by a who’s-who in the entertainment industry yet prefers not to have them as members.

Riviera, which hosts the Genesis Invitational, has the likes of Larry David, Adam Sandler and Sylvester Stallone as members, to name only a few.

Lakeside, which resides in the shadows of Warner Brothers Studios, is where Bob Hope played his golf back in the day and Justin Timberlake plays now. Amelia Earhart had a home on Lakeside.

Hillcrest is the famous Jewish club in L.A. and is where the Marx Brothers and George Burns were once members. Some scenes from “Tarzan’’ were filmed at Bel-Air Country Club, where a host of rich and famous play their golf.

This week, LACC, which for years rejected offers from the USGA to host a U.S. Open despite its world-class status (the North Course is ranked 16th on Golf Digest’s 100 greatest courses in America), will have its moment in the spotlight.

And the course itself is a marvel to behold.

Players have all week sung high praises for the course, which is expected to produce a US Open like no other, according to Rory McIlroy.

“I think it’s going to be one of the best U.S. Opens there’s been for awhile,” the world No.4 said. “I think West Coast U.S. Opens always deliver, for some reason. I think Torrey Pines, Pebble Beach, even going back to like Chambers Bay. West Coast U.S. Opens I really like.”

“Golf course-wise, yeah, the golf course is high quality,” Jon Rahm said. “The golf course could host any event you want.”

The course is a rollercoaster mix of favourable birdie holes, followed by punishing setups that will make par almost seem irrelevant at the par-70, that measures at 7,423 yards (6,788 metres).

For example, one par-three will play as short as 80 yards, although players don’t predict it will be easy.

“I would argue that at 78 yards, stood there with a lob wedge in your hand, you’re going to be a little bit more intimidated than stood there with a three-wood in your hand,” defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick said.

“I imagine that the target is going to be very small and you’re going to have to hit a good shot.”

Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, another par-three will play 290 yards, and a third at 284.

In some sections, the fairways are wide and forgiving, but off-line sits thick Bermuda rough that can swallow balls whole in certain areas.

This rough extends to around the green complexes, meaning the course can be incredibly punishing for both first and second shots.

“I guess we’re used to that thick, juicy rough. It’s a little bit different here,” Cameron Smith told reporters.

“I think with the Bermuda rough you can get lucky or unlucky. There’s patches out there where they’re actually quite thin and you can get away with a bad shot but other patches where it’s no good at all.”

Then there are the undulations, which can feed balls into disastrous areas even when they seemingly land safe.

Golf Channel and NBC golf reporter Todd Lewis spoke to players at the US Open, with their answers revealing just how difficult the course might play.

“Players are telling me there’s some width off the tee but if you miss the fairway you’re going to pay a price with some thick, deep rough. There’s also plenty of rough around the greens so you have to be spot on with your irons as well,” he said.

“There’s lots of slopes and players are expecting some diabolical hole locations by the USGA this week. All in all, it will test every club in your bag, and that’s what players want.”

Lewis also revealed a conversation he had with former Open champion Shane Lowry, and how the course is expected to play even more difficult on the weekend with the USGA drying out the venue.

“Shane Lowry said when he played this course, he was walking around thinking this might be the hardest course he’s ever played. And that was in January without a US Open set-up,” Lewis said.

“Players are expecting the USGA to reduce the water and for it to become fast and firm. So come the weekend, this course could become quite devilish in the City of Angels.”

This originally appeared in NY Post and was republished with consent.