Let’s be honest.
Los Angeles isn’t on anybody’s radar for a golf vacation, unless you’ve got serious private club connections to play Riviera, Los Angeles Country Club, Wilshire Country Club or some of the other elite local private clubs. L.A.C.C.’s North Course will host the 2023 U.S. Open, the city’s first major golf championship since 1995 and its first U.S. Open since 1948.
If a golfer wants to play in the City of Angeles, it’s probably because he or she is there for business or personal reasons and is looking for somewhere somewhat affordable to tee it up for a day away from obligations.
In that case, L.A. can deliver, as long as you’re willing to fight a little traffic on and off the course. Both getting to the course and playing the round on it will probably take longer than you like, but that’s just par for the course in America’s second-largest city.
If you’re looking for somewhere to stay, Choice Hotels is currently running a discount offer of 20 percent off for two nights (at a minimum). Here are a few golf course recommendations that will be worth your time:
Griffith Park Golf Courses
Los Angeles
The Harding and Wilson courses at Griffith Park are classics dating to the days of George C. Thomas and William P. Bell. Which is the best comes down to personal choice. The Harding is a little shorter and narrower than the Wilson. GolfPass reviewer ‘williamc70’ notes that the Wilson has “great value and charm”, adding he “really enjoyed this experience. Has a mid century LA vibe, kind of how Santa Anita does. It’s a Muni with Muni prices so you will hear the usual complaints about less than perfect conditions of greens, tee boxes, and traps, as well as pace of play. But it is a very playable and lovely course. One hidden value: it’s tough to lose golf balls here! No punishing hazards, brush, tall grass or water. Played the whole course without losing a ball which is a victory in itself. Newer players can play along the ground here and have a great experience. Savvier players can do some shot shaping as well here and let it fly toward some reachable par 4s.” Green fees: $49 plus $16 for a cart.
Los Angeles
Rancho Park features a par-71, 6,800-yard municipal course designed by Bell, as well as a par-3 course. It’s busy, so pace of play can be an issue, but most who play it have a good experience. “Course was very soft but the greens were in good condition rolling fast and true,” wites ‘xinoone’ in a GolfPass review from mid-March. “In the end had a fun round and would definitely recommend this course IF you can catch a tee time.” Green fees: $55 plus $16 for a cart.
Los Angeles
Of all the short courses in LA, Westchester is the longest and most interesting. It’s close to LAX and lit for night golf, so there’s a convenience to playing there. The par-64 routing plays 4,339 yards after being extended several years ago to add a few more new par 4s. GolfPass reviews come across as overly negative, mainly because pace of play issues, and sometimes for conditioning concerns. A three-star review from ‘1stume’ in January captures the lukewarm feelings golfers have for Westchester: “Plan on 5+ hour rounds in the noon on time frame. Good news is they have lights…. I would recommend this course to a friend if they couldn’t get a tee time any where else.” Green fees: $43 plus $15.50 for a cart.
Encino, Calif.
The 36-hole Sepulveda Golf Complex offers golfers the 6,628-yard Balboa Course and the 7,023-yard Encino Course, both by Bell. Each touts a slope lower than 120 from the tips, meaning they’re friendly for all handicaps. An April review on GolfPass noted that “In the mid-valley, you have Woodley Lakes, Balboa and Encino courses, respectfully. The Encino course is the best of the three, in my opinion. Wide fairways make it easy for the beginner to have an enjoyable round without looking a couple of sleeves worth of balls.” Green fees: $51 plus $16 for a cart.
Woodley Lakes Golf Course
Van Nuys, Calif.
The 6,800-yard Woodley Lakes is the newest of the public options closest to the heart of the city, designed by Ray Goates in 1975. Like many city-owned municipal courses, golfers lament the course conditions for what they could be. A GolfPass review noted that “They have done a great job with the carts, added digital score cards with course lay-out and distance settings. Along with Blue tooth sound system easy to connect to. Unfortunately the course is in pretty bad condition. The fairways are made up of different types of grass and weeds. The fairways are kind of ‘cut’ out but not really defined. I would give the greens a 7-8. They have recently been punched but overall not bad condition. They finally opened the restaurant a few months ago, “Best Ball” (with) great wings and the staff are super friendly! Wish they would work on the course conditions. It has so much potential.” Green fees: $48 plus $16 for a cart.
Looking for somewhere to stay on a Los Angeles golf vacation? Click here for a listing of Choice Hotels properties in greater Los Angeles.