6550 Odessa Ave
Van Nuys, CA 91406
(818) 785-8871
18 holes (par 54)
Yardage: 2,212 yards
Hours: 6am-10pm
Green fees: $19, $22 on weekends and holidays
This course is located between Victory and Vanowen – close to the Van Nuys Whiteman airport. In fact it is right in the flight path and you have the constant sound of aircraft flying overhead. The golf course complex comprises of a 18 hole par 3 course, an executive course and a driving range. This review focuses on the 18 hole par 3 course. I already reviewed the executive course here – Van Nuys Executive Golf Course Review
The golf course has a nice large parking lot and a small pro-shop in the starter office. There is also a snack bar located by the 1st and 10th holes. They do food and have several different beers on tap. The staff here are friendly and polite.
This course is 18 holes of par 3. All holes are relatively short – the longest being 132 yards. So you only need to bring a few clubs with you. The course is somewhat generic – there is nothing which sets this apart from the rest. All the holes are straight with no bunkers or water. The only hazards come in the form on trees which line the holes. This course is very similar to Arroyo Seco, although I enjoyed playing Van Nuys more. The staff are friendlier and I just like the vibe here more. The greens are good size and in good condition. They run well and the flags have the hole number clearly marked. There are no holes which really standout and to be honest there is nothing in the course design to make it standout from the rest.
The course condition is adequate. As I already stated the greens are good. The grass around the course is dry and patchy. You hit off mats and tees are provided. However the tees are not good. They vary in height from hole to hole, with most being 3″; which is obviously way too high for a tee shot with a wedge. I think the overall course needs some maintenance work. Most of the benches located at the tee boxes are broken and need the wood replacing. There are some broken signs and the ball machines look pretty old. Just a little TLC would make the overall experience better.
The course is located in Van Nuys. So be sure to bring plenty of sun screen and water if you plan to play during a summer afternoon – it gets very hot! When it is hot, I recommend playing earlier in the morning or play an alternative course nearer to the ocean; which will be more bearable. It should be noted that Van Nuys does have lights installed on this course. So you can play later in the evening or when it gets dark early in the winter. There are no carts here, unlike Arcadia. So you have to walk the 18 holes. If you play off peak you can probably get around the 18 holes in just under 2 hours.
It is $22 to play at the weekend. I feel this is a little overpriced for what you get. There are much nicer courses which you can play at a lower price. The Van Nuys Golf Course is on www.golfnow.com. You can get much better rates by booking through them. I have seen rates as low as $4 to play the 18 holes (plus the $1.99 booking fee).
Richie says… “The course is your typical par 3 – there is nothing special about it. I much prefer the executive course. If I were to return to Van Nuys I would play the executive – it is more interesting to play and allows you to use different clubs in your bag”.
Albino says… “Go to GolfNow and you can find $6 deals. At $6 it is a great price and you get a lot of golf for your money.”
Hole by Hole
This course is located between Victory and Vanowen – close to the Van Nuys Whiteman airport. In fact it is right in the flight path and you have the constant sound of aircraft flying overhead. The golf course complex comprises of a 18 hole par 3 course, an executive course and a driving range. This review focuses on the 18 hole par 3 course. I already reviewed the executive course here – Van Nuys Executive Golf Course Review
The course is located in Van Nuys. So be sure to bring plenty of sun screen and water if you plan to play during a summer afternoon – it gets very hot! When it is hot, I recommend playing earlier in the morning or play an alternative course nearer to the ocean; which will be more bearable. It should be noted that Van Nuys does have lights installed on this course. So you can play later in the evening or when it gets dark early in the winter. There are no carts here, unlike Arcadia. So you have to walk the 18 holes. If you play off peak you can probably get around the 18 holes in just under 2 hours.
