Top 5 Par 3 & Executive Courses in the L.A. area

So having played them all, here is my top 5.

I have taken into account several factors, which include course design, course condition, value for money and how busy the course is.
Continue reading →

Recreation Park 9 Golf Course – Executive (Long Beach)

Hole by Hole

Recreation Park is located in Long Beach. There are two golf courses there; a regulation 18 hole (Rec Park 18) and a 9 hole executive (Rec Park 9 – also known as ‘Lil Rec). This review is of the 9 hole executive golf course. The course is located off 7th St. If you are heading west you will first see Rec Park 18 on the right and then Rec Park 9 will be about 200 yards further down the road on the left. Note, that it is a different location, different parking lot, different starter etc. There is a small pro shop, putting green and chipping area, but no driving range at this particular location.
Continue reading →

Crazy Mini Golf Hole – Lilliputt, CO.

While surfing the net I randomly came across this video. This mini golf hole is located at Lilliputt Mini Golf Course in Grand Lake, CO. If you look at the time on the video, the ball travels for almost 60 seconds before reaching the green.

El Cariso Golf Course – Executive (Slymar)

13100 Eldridge Street

Sylmar, CA 91342

(818) 367-6157

18 holes (par 62)
Yardage: 4,496 yards
Hours: sunrise to sunset, 7 days a week
Green fees: Weekdays $23, $30.25 on weekends and holidays

El Cariso is a 18 hole executive golf course located in Sylmar, CA and is a County of Los Angeles operated golf course. The course is off Hubbard Street and is next to the Mission College campus. There is adequate parking and in addition to the course, there is a driving range, putting green and a bar/ grill.
Continue reading →

Gareth Maybin Trick Shot “The Impossible Shot?”

Northern Ireland European Tour golfer Gareth Maybin attempts an ambitious golf trick shot – from a floating pontoon off the coast of Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Navy Golf Course “Crusier” – Executive (Seal Beach)

5600 Orangewood Ave
Cypress, CA 90630
(714) 889-1576

9 holes (par 31)
Yardage: 2,020 yards
Hours: sunrise to sunset, 7 days a week
Green fees: $21 Monday to Thursday, $27 Friday to Sunday (military personnel play at heavily discounted rates)

There are two golf courses here. Aptly named Destroyer and Cruiser. The destroyer is a regulation 18 hole (par 72) golf course. The cruiser is a shorter 9 hole executive course. This review is on the “cruiser” course. Although these courses are at the Navy base, public can play. Military personnel get heavily discounted rates. The rates above are for the general public. It is my understanding that the rate is for 18 holes (playing the 9 holes twice) and includes an electric cart. If you walk or just play 9, it is the same rate. But you may want to verify. They have a very nice clubhouse here and the staff were friendly and helpful.

Continue reading →

My Favorite Golf Hole in Los Angeles

I have now played every par 3 and executive golf course in the Los Angeles area. I have thought long and hard, but for me there is one hole which stands out amongst the rest – 17th at Vista Valencia.

The hole looks great to the eye and is fun to play. It is a 158 yard par 3. You drive (or walk) your cart up a path to an elevated tee box. From there you look down at the hole and see the green which is an island completely surrounded with water. The green is pretty large and has a bunker in each corner.

Alondra Golf Course – Par 3 (Lawndale)

There are two 18 hole golf courses at Alondra. There is a regulation par 72 course and a par 54 (par 3) golf course. This review is of the par 3 golf course. The course is located off Redondo Beach Blvd., just east of Manhattan/ Redondo Beach and on the east side of the 405 freeway. Also at the location is a lit driving range.

Alondra is a County of Los Angeles golf course. From my travels I have found sub-par conditions at these County courses (Altadena comes to mind!). For whatever reason the City of Los Angeles courses seem to be far superior. Alondra’s condition was nothing more than average. On the front nine holes there were large areas of mud. This improved on the back nine. I think this may be due to the shade of the trees which were not allowing the sun to dry up the ground. But also bare in mind that it has not rained here for a good 3+ months, so it must be due to over-watering. You hit off mats and no tees are provided. You can also tee off from the grass and there are areas next to the mat where you can do this.

The course design is somewhat boring. All of the holes are flat, straight and generic. Most of the holes were around the 100 yard mark. Hole 2 was the longest hole on the course at 180 yards. The only holes which do stand out are holes 9, 10 and 18 where there is marginal elevation changes which adds some interest. There are may be three to four shallow bunkers on the course. Other than that the only hazards are the trees. The holes are very close together, but when I played we had no issues of stray shots coming across onto our hole.

The greens are really small – some of the smallest out there. Which make it a challenge to hit GIR. There are breaks and slight slopes on some greens. The greens overall were not in good condition. They did not run smoothly. The grass was uneven and some greens had large patches of dirt with no grass.

The pace of play was decent once we got going. It took us about 2.5 hours to complete the 18 holes on a Sunday morning. There is no need to book a tee time for this course, you can just show up and play. The price was about average for 18 holes – $16.25 at the weekend. Note, they take cash only!

Richie says… “I found the course a little boring and not in the best shape. There are better options in the local area, such as the Marriott at Manhattan Beach. This course kind of reminds me a little of Rancho Park.”

Chris says… “Remember to bring your galoshes, because it is muddy out here. However the back nine was nicer manicured than the front. If I was in the area I would play it again, but I wouldn’t go out of my way.”

Hole by Hole

Hole 1 – 120 yards

Hole 2 – 180 yards

Hole 3 – 127 yards

Hole 4 – 128 yards

Hole 5 – 101 yards


Hole 6 – 130 yards

Hole 7 – 112 yards

Hole 7 – green

Hole 8 – 141 yards

Hole 9 – 110 yards

Hole 10 – 110 yards

Hole 11 – 107 yards

Hole 12 – 102 yards

Hole 12 – green

Hole 13 – 118 yards

Hole 14 – 165 yards

Hole 15 – 104 yards

Hole 16 – 123 yards

Hole 17 – 97 yards

Hole 18 – 146 yards

Tiger Woods Shot From One Continent to Another

Tiger Woods became the first golfer to hit a ball from east to west on the iconic bridge that separates the European and Asian continents. Tiger Woods took part in a spectacular Bosporus Bridge photo shoot as part of the opening of the Turkish Airlines Open 2013 golf tournament.

Westchester Golf Course – Executive

6900 W. Manchester Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 649-9173

18 holes (par 64)
Yardage: 4,339 yards
Hours: 6am to 10pm, 7 days a week
Green fees: $23, $29 on weekends and holidays

Westchester is a long 18 hole executive golf course and located just 2 miles from LAX airport. It is a busy golf course and known for night golf. The course is fully lit and gets a lot of people who play after work in the evenings – as the course does not close until 10pm. Along with the golf course there is a nice driving range which is in good shape. However the driving range is also very busy. Even at off-peak times you may have issues finding an available stall.

The course was renovated in 2010 to add 3 new holes on the back 9 with different design and greens than the front 9, and includes 8 par 4’s and a new par 5. The new holes include a 515-yard par 5, a difficult par 3, and a challenging par 4 – all heavily defended by numerous bunkers

The rates above are published rates. However heavily discounted rates for off-peak times can be found on websites such as www.golfzing and www.golfnow.com. I have seen rates as low as $12 for 18 holes. I paid $23.50 with booking fees and that included the electric cart.

The course had an interesting design. It is almost the same length as Vista Valencia, but seemed a lot easier and less challenging to play. Overall it is a relatively straightforward course. There are only a few bunkers on the front nine, however there are a lot more on the back nine. From the pics I saw before playing here I was expecting a lot more water. However water really only comes into play on hole 2. Hole 2 is a par 4 with a green located behind a pond. Other holes to note are 12 and 13, which run parallel with the LAX runway and hole 15 which is a long 515 yard, par 5; which dog-legs to the left.

Despite the constant aircraft noise, I enjoyed playing at Westchester. The holes varied in length and you get the opportunity to use every club in the bag. The greens are nice and large. They run at a good speed and a lot slower than Vista Valencia, which makes putting less of a challenge. The course itself is in above-average shape. The condition is good, however in general the grass is a little brown and under-watered. The greens are also in nice condition with few pitch-marks. I found the electric carts a little old. Other courses in the area have slightly newer carts. This course is accessible by cart or walking, depending on your preference. When I was out I would say about 60% of players were walking, 40% using carts.

Although this course is nice, it is busy. Like Penmar it is located in a high-density populated area. As a result my overall mark for the course reflects this. Off peak you should allocate about 3.5 hours to play a round. Weekends and on-peak expect to spent 5 hours.

Richie says… “Fun course to play. I enjoyed playing here, but will hesitate to return due its popularity. Parking can be tough at peak times also. Overall one of the better courses in the West LA area. Although not quite up to par with the likes of Scholl Canyon and Vista Valencia.”