Claremont golf course is a 9 hole executive golf course off the 210 freeway at the start of the Inland Empire. It is about 20 minutes drive east of Pasadena (depending on traffic). We exited Towne St and once at the course there is a large free parking lot. The course itself has five par 3’s and four par 4 holes making a 9 hole par 31. The first three holes are very hilly and you have to walk up some steep inclines between the holes which can be a challenge if you have a pull/ push cart. There is no water on the course and only a few green-side bunkers spread thinly throughout the course. There are a lot of large trees on the course which come into play. The holes on the course are generally narrow and you have to be accurate in your drives in order to post a decent score.
There are a couple of standout holes. Hole 6 is a long 426 yard sharp dog leg left. You have to hit a good tee shot to be in position to hit your 2nd shot to the green. Hole 9 is a short 99 yard par 3. You hit from the top off a hill and the green is about 50-70 yards below you (similar to hole 3 at Monterey Park). We were surprised at hole 3 as if you hit off the men’s tee you hit blindly onto the green. The green is a lot higher and out of sight. It is kind of dangerous as you can not tell if the group ahead of you is finished on the green or not. The course condition was bad. The grass is way to long on the fairways and the tee box. The tee boxes resemble hitting out of the thick rough. Also there are large patches of grass which needs re-seeding or worked on. It is unusal to see in the spring as normally the courses in the area are all prepped and ready for the busy summer months. The greens were in decent to average condition. They ran quite slow. The greens were very undulated and there were not many flat putts, which made it challenging.
When we arrived we asked for a cart. We were told we could not have one as we were under 60 years old. The starter was also unfriendly. My golfing partner mentioned that he had a bad leg, but he was still denied. We noticed further around the course that both groups behind us had carts. One guy was about 40 and the other group comprised of three guys in their 20’s messing around. There is a driving range and putting green at this location also. The driving range didn’t look that good. The balls looked old and the hitting surface was sandy like John Wells in North Hollywood. If you do decide to play here check out the Southland Golf magazine or the course’s website. They often have promos going on, like 2 for 1 green fees.
Richie says… “This is not somewhere I would play again. The staff were not friendly and the course condition is bad for what the green fees are. Also as it is located in the IE, it gets hot! We played at the start of June and it was 98 in the shade.” Chris says… “I know that the course can not help the weather – it was hot! It can however help the condition of the fairways and tee boxes; overgrown and patchy grass throughout. Overall a challenging course, but I wouldn’t play here again.”
This humble little course has gone the way of the dinosaurs. In SoCal golf courses are always replaced with buildings or parking lots. It was the only public course in the city which, in the end, failed to make it a part of the parks department.
The Claremont course looks like a good beginners' course to set my kids up on (when they eventually start getting attracted to the great sport!) Easy enough to start with on the first few holes anyhow!
This humble little course has gone the way of the dinosaurs. In SoCal golf courses are always replaced with buildings or parking lots. It was the only public course in the city which, in the end, failed to make it a part of the parks department.
The Claremont course looks like a good beginners' course to set my kids up on (when they eventually start getting attracted to the great sport!) Easy enough to start with on the first few holes anyhow!
Good post