Practice Center Review #2 – Aroma Golf Academy (Koreatown)

3680 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 387-2111

Hours: M-F 6am- 11pm, weekends 7am-11pm

Pricing: see below for various “scenarios”

The Aroma Golf Academy is located in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles (Wilshire/ Serrano). If you are staying in downtown Los Angeles, then this is probably the most convenient location for you. As it is in the center of the city parking can be tough. There is an underground parking lot and at the time of this post, it is free for 3 hours if you use the golf facilities. In addition there is street parking with parking meters varying with 1 and 2 hour time limits.

This range is the kind which you see on TV in places like Japan. It is high (4 stores, each with 15 stalls) and crammed into a dense city area. I am not a big fan of heights, so try to keep to the lower levels if possible. The range can get extremely busy. In fact I would recommend that you probably should avoid it at peak times. They have recently started an allocation system. Which means when you pay they give you a stall number. So there is no longer the experience of walking up and down all of the stairs (there is also an elevator) in order to find a vacant stall. Talking of paying, you literally need a degree in mathematics to figure it out. It is so overly complicated. They have three different plans and then the price changes according to your stall. The higher you are, the cheaper it is.

The range is 150 yards long. That is a negative for me as you can not really see how your drives turn out. That being said it is good for practicing irons. You hot out into the range which has a giant net at the bottom. The net is sloped so that all of the balls roll back to be collected. There are a few flags indicating distance, but generally due to the size of the range and the netted hitting area, there are no greens to shoot to.

Now, the best part of this range… it is automated! The balls automatically pop up from the floor and onto the tee. As it is automated there is no need to bend down and pick up a ball to put it on the tee. This is clever from a business sense as it speeds up the process. People hit more balls – thus spend more. As it is all automated, there is obviously no need to buy or bring tees.

There is a smoothie bar at the range; then additional food/ drink places (including Starbucks) located in the adjoining building. I believe there is also a spa, gym and swimming pool at this location. But a membership is required to use those facilities. The other people frequenting this location and some of the staff are not that friendly or engaging. It is pretty much a place where you put your head down and just concentrate on hitting your shots. I love all of the technology, but due to the popularity of the place, traffic in Koreatown (some of the worst in the country) and my dislike of heights, I do not go to Aroma all that much.

George W. Bush – “Now watch this drive!”

Today the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas was dedicated. So I think it is topical to include this short golfing video.

This scene was made famous from Michael Moore’s movie, Fahrenheit 9/11. Bush was making his comment on August 4, 2002 immediately after a suicide bombing in Israel. Bush gave up golf in 2003.

SKLZ Accelerator Pro Putting Mat Review

So today I am reviewing the SKLZ Accelerator Pro ball return putting mat/ green. I have had this product about a year now and feel that I can give some good feedback on this item. At the time I was looking to improve my putting and wanted to find a mat which I could use at home. I looked at several different options and found that many were simply too short or were gimmicky – i.e. had areas for water etc. This detracted from the my main purpose – to find an indoor putting green which would help me improve my putting stroke. As this is blog is focused on golf in the Los Angeles area, I should also note that SKLZ who make this product are a local based company and based in Southern California.

This putting mat is 9ft long and has an uphill gradient (19 degree slope). This is designed to make sure you hit the ball firm and train the golfer to hit 18″ past the hole; thus ensuring you do not leave your putt’s short. With the gradient aspect, it allows the ball to roll back to you by gravity along a simple strip of plastic. I found that this works adequately. Sometimes a ball will get stuck in the hole, but once you hit a second or third it frees them all up and the roll back.

One claim though I must disagree with. It says on the box, “lays flat immediately upon removal of the box”. I found that this is not the case and if it has been stored away in the box, I have to leave it overnight with books on to make it flat once again.

The key feature for me of this mat are the marked alignment guides. These are at 3 foot, 5 foot and 7 foot. These guides train you to bring the putter not only back the right distance for the specific putt, but also straight. It is obviously important that the face of your putter is straight to the target when hitting through the ball. A lot of people practice the long game out on the range, but do not practice putting so much (if at all). These 3, 5 and 7 foot putts are important to your game – 60-65% of shots on a typical round are within 100 yards of the hole. Improving your putting stroke will have a direct impact on helping to lower your score.

I think the quality of the product is good for the price. It is made of plastic and note; this costs less than $50, so don’t expect high-quality construction. Despite that it has held up well thus far. My only grip is that it attracts a lot of pet hair, but I guess that is true with anything you put on the floor. I just simply vacuum it. The product folds down and goes away into the box relatively easily. I recently moved to somewhere with hardwood floors and it works great. Previously I used it on carpet and it also worked well. The mat has a Stimpmeter rating of 10 on a firm rug and 11 on linoleum surface. According to the manufacturer it is made from a true-roll-turf and the edges will not unravel. From what I have seen, I would say that this is accurate.


My set-up at home

It is important when putting to have a good routine and a consistent stroke. I ensure I go through my same on-course routine when I use this training aid, in order to get it ingrained into my brain. I happen to have my mat positioned in a corridor with a mirrored closet door in front of me. This is good as I can check on my posture and position of the ball as I take each putt.

I really feel that this product has helped with my putting stroke and in particular alignment. If you just spend a few minutes each day, you will notice the difference out on the course. In addition I consider the SKLZ Accelerator Pro Ball Return Putting Mat reasonably priced (~$40) compared to some of the other products out there.

Practice Center Review #1 – Harding Municipal Golf Course (Griffith Park)

4730 Crystal Springs Dr.

Los Angeles, CA 90027

Phone: (323) 663-2555

Hours: 6.30am to 9pm, 7 days

Small bucket (30 balls): $3

Medium bucket (60 balls): $6

Large bucket (100 balls): $10

**Mon and Fri special – $21 for 3 tokens for large buckets

This practice facility is located at the Harding Municipal Golf Course within Griffith Park. It is a little tricky to find, but there are signs at each intersection within park to guide you. Warning, there is a 25 mph speed limit through the park and often I see Park Ranger’s checking speed and writing tickets!

The range is on two levels with about 50 stalls total. The most desirable spots being in the shade on the lower level. There is also a misting system on the lower level, which they run during summer months. The upper level is exposed with no shade or cooling sources. I wish they would put a roof over the upper level, as in the summer it gets extremely hot. So hot that it is uncomfortable to be there during the day. You hit off mats and tees are not provided. You should bring your own plastic tee or they can be purchased at the club shop for $1 each. The mats are in decent condition.

The range itself is 250 yards long and relatively wide. There are several small greens and targets spread throughout. They regularly collect the balls and the range itself is really good. The problem for me with this range is the balls. The balls on the range are really poor quality. They are old and dirty and need to be replaced more regularly. However since this is a City of Los Angeles facility, there are probably some funding issues.

In addition to the range there is a large putting green and two small greens with a bunker for chipping. These practice greens are excellent and the chipping greens are the best practice ones I have seen in this area. The putting green is very large and can accommodate several people at any one time. These practice greens are totally free of charge to use.

Putting green

Practice greens for chipping

As with most (if not all) ranges they offer lessons. I offer a word of warning first though. Be sure to check references and reviews before selecting someone. Once I was here at the Harding range and a lesson was going on in the stall next to me. The instructor was terrible. I wish I got his name so I could put a warning out. He had zero educating skills. He had no patience with his student and seemed very cranky/ unhelpful. I remember thinking at the time how glad I was that I didn’t spend any money being coached by this guy.

Although I feel the range is sub-par due to the bad quality of balls; the practice chipping and putting greens make up for it. Parking can be tough at weekends, but there are usually spaces at the side of the street further down. This range gets busy at peak times, but usually there is always an available stall located in the corner of the upper level. Prices are reasonable and they offer a special on Monday’s and Friday’s where you can buy three large bucket tokens for $21. These tokens can be used at any time.

2013 iBella Obsession Womens Golf Club Line

I will start by saying that I was not paid to endorse/ review these clubs. I came across them while reading a magazine a few months back and thought they looked cool. So I thought I’d share them on my blog for others to see.

When I first saw these clubs I immediately showed them to my significant other. She was thinking about getting into the game and I knew she would like the “bling” on them.

I think they are very well designed and certainly aesthetically appealing. We have not personally tried them, as they only come in right handed and not left handed versions. I inquired and was told there are no left handed version being released anytime soon – big negative for us! From the reviews I have read, they seem pretty positive. With people saying they are easy to hit.

They are reasonably priced and can be fully customized. So you can select different length/ type of shaft, grips etc.

Driver

Fairway wood


Hybrid

Irons

From the manufacturer…

Exclusively Designed For Women Golfers
The iBella Obsession women golf clubs are exclusively designed for women golfers and not just a man’s model painted an alternative color. What’s the difference between men’s or womens golf clubs? Women golfers have quite different needs and the clubs require a unique set of specifications to complement their swing style. Whether golf club driver, fairway woods, ladies golf club hybrids or golf irons, specific design elements were carefully implemented to meet the demand for the best womens golf clubs. Each iBella Obsession ladies golf club appears with a with a hot pink, white and silver color scheme and accented with a butterfly motif and authentic Swarovski crystals. The iBella Obsessions not only make the best beginner golf clubs for women but are the best ladies golf clubs for intermediate players too. The line is available in both custom assembled pink ladies golf clubs or ladies golf club components.

Further information can be found on this link below…

We are now on Facebook!

Richie’s World of Golf now has a page over on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/richiegolf

Please like us, in order to help spread the word about this blog/ resource. You can visit us on Facebook or their is a like button in the right scroll bar for your convenience.

Our aim is to notify golfers in the Los Angeles/ Orange County area and beyond about various courses. We also want to help people get started in the game and increase participation. These par 3 or “pitch and putt” courses are a great way for people to get started in the game.

Thanks!

Iron-Wood Golf Course (Cerritos) – Executive

16449 Piuma Ave
Cerritos, CA90703
(562) 916-8400

9 holes (par 29)

Yardage: 1,468 yards

Hours: 6am to sunset
Green fees: see right

Iron wood is a 9 hole executive golf course. It is public and operated by the City of Cerritos. The course is located just off the 605 at Alondra. I called in advanced and was advised to book a tee time, which I did. The course has a driving range and a small restaurant on site.

Hole 9 -151 yards

The course is nicely laid out and has a fun course design. There is water in the middle of the course which affects holes 2, 8 and 9. The show piece of the course is hole 9 which is a par 3 almost surrounded by water. On the course are two par 4’s at 272 and 316 yards respectively. Every hole has bunkers and trees in play which add to the challenge of the course.

Green at hole 2

The course condition is good, but not excellent. When we played several of the tee boxes were closed for maintenance. As you can see on some of the pictures and videos below of the various holes there is some work needed on the grass. The greens are large and run well. They are in good condition with not a lot of pitch marks and divots associated with many of the par 3 and executive courses. The greens are those with the aeration holes in. Not my favorite, but I guess it works.

Play was kind of slow. We started right on our start time, but we were behind a pair who were really slow. Every hole they were setting up cameras to record their swings and it just led to a back up. By the time we has gotten to hole 5 play had got a lot quicker.

Overall this was an enjoyable course to play. Plenty of variation and challenges. I would put it in the top 5 of courses in the LA and Orange County area.

Richie says… “Really nicely designed course. It has it all – sand, water, par 4’s. If you have a couple of hours spare and do not want to play an 18 hole (par 72) golf course I would recommend Iron-Wood.”

Chris says… “Course was ok. It is far, but if I was in the area I would play it again. But otherwise I wouldn’t. If you live around there good course, but it is a little expensive. If you don’t live around there I would say it is not worth the drive.”

Hole by Hole

Hole 1 – 111 yards

Hole 2 – 272 yards


Hole 3 – 133 yards

Hole 4 – 316 yards


Hole 5 – 100 yards


Hole 6 – 140 yards

Hole 7 – 134 yards


Hole 8 – 111 yards


Hole 9 – 151 yards

Bubba Watson’s Hovercraft

I need to get one of these golf carts!

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Van Nuys Golf Course – Executive Golf Course (9 holes)

6550 Odessa Ave
Van Nuys, CA 91406

(818) 785-8871

9 holes (par 30)
Yardage: 1,574 yards
Hours: 6am-10pm
Green fees: $13, $17 on weekends and holidays

This course is located in Lake Balboa by the Van Nuys Whiteman airport. In fact it is right in the flight path and you can see small aircraft flying over (as you can see in the picture above). The golf course complex comprises of a 18 hole par 3 course, an executive course and a driving range. This review focuses on the 9 hole executive course.

Hole 5 – 283 yards (par 4)

I really enjoyed playing this course. 9 holes, 3 of which are relatively short par 4’s in the 270-300 yard range. The holes have plenty of variation. There are a few trees and bunkers spread throughout. In the middle of the course there is a large concrete area, which appears to have been previously filled with water.

The condition of the course is decent and so to are the greens. They are in fair condition, but you still see the odd hole and divot in them. The greens are nice and big – full sized.

I am not so sure about the maintenance workers on this course. On one occasion they were changing the pin positions while we were playing. I would have thought that this would have been done at the start or end of the day’s play. On one par 4 hole (hole 6) we had taken our first shot. We were walking to take our second into the green and here came a golf cart with a golf course worker. He pulled out the flag, dug a new hole and placed the flag in a different location in the green. This all after we had already started to play the hole!

This course is also the site of one of our most memorable rounds. We were partnered with a partially blind 95 year old World War 2 veteran, Dave. It was a privilege to play with him. As Dave was partially blind we assisted him with finding his ball after he hit it. Despite being 95, partially blind and showing up with a bunch of 50 year old clubs, he shot a way better score than either Chris or I.

Richie says… “Nice big greens, and some long holes where you can get the big stick out. I enjoyed this course. It is like playing a standard par 72 course just on a smaller scale and in much less time.”

Chris says… “It is a pretty good course, but a little pricey. It is nice as you can break out the big boys every once in a while. You are not relegated with playing with the shorter clubs.”

De Bell Par 3 Golf Course (Burbank)

I rate this #1 course in L.A. for kids starting out!

1200 E Harvard Rd
Burbank, CA 91501
(818) 848-3292

9 holes (par 27)

Yardage: 660 yards

Hours: 8am-6pm (last tee time)

Green fees: see right

This review is for the par 3 course, not to be confused with the 18 hole (par 71) De Bell golf course. Also within this complex is a driving range. The range here is one of my favorites. The balls are in good shape unlike the Griffith Park range. This course is relatively easy to find. It is located up in the Burbank Hills, north of Sunset Canyon. There is a good sized parking lot next to the course which always has plenty of available spaces.

Hole 1 – 70 yards

Unless there is sunshine out, I would recommend calling before you go. On a couple of occasions we went in light drizzle and the starter had locked the place up and gone home. Finding this course open is a little hit and miss. I believe they are closed on holidays also.

The course is really short. All of the 9 holes are in the 70-90 yards range. This would make it suitable for kids of newbies to the game. The greens are tiny – probably only about 15-20ft wide. So unless you are really accurate, don’t expect to hitting many greens in regulation. As the course is so short, unless it is really busy you can complete a round a 45 minutes.

Each of the holes are relatively straightforward. There are a few trees, but generally the course is wide open with no hazards. Hole 5 and 9 you have to hit over a storm drain, but as the holes are so short it is not really an issue. Personally I find hole 9 is the best, you have to tee off through a short opening between trees and over the previously mentioned storm drain.

The course condition is average for a par 3 course. The greens are in better condition as of late, but previously were full of holes and divots. The grass on the greens is pretty long, it is somewhat like putting on shag carpet. As a result they obviously run super slow. In 2012 they installed frisbee golf alongside the golf holes, so be warned that you may have to negotiate flying frisbee’s during your round.

Richie says… “Good course for kids or people just starting out. It is personally too short for me. You don’t have to worry about carrying a heavy bag. All you need is a putter and a wedge.”

Chris says… “I like it. It is a very small course. You only need a 9 iron max, you can get away with just a pitching wedge and a putter. It is a good course. The greens are horrible. They are small and sometimes sandy. But overall it is a good course and good value.”

Albino says… “Too short – I can not take a full shot on this course. I have to choke down on the club when playing each shot.”