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Monterey Park Golf Course – Executive

3600 W Ramona Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(323) 266-4632

9 holes (par 29)
Yardage: 1,400 yards

Hours: 6.30am to 11pm (closes at 10pm on Sundays and Holidays)
Green fees: see below











 
Monterey Park golf course is set in the hills just south of the 10 Freeway (off Ramona). It is next to and shares the same parking lot as the Luminarias Restaurant. It is very close to downtown Los Angeles, about a 5-10 minute drive east of downtown.

The course is a 9 hole executive. There are two short par 4’s, at 295 and 255 yards respectively. The rest are average length par 3’s. You start and end with the par 4’s. The course design is good with nice variation of holes. It is a hillside course, so there are a lot of elevation changes from tee to hole. The most noticeable is on the 3rd hole. Hole 3 is probably my favorite hole of the course. You have to hit down a steep elevation (may be 50

 yards). The hole is 115 yards long. There are few hazards on the course. No water and may be two bunkers on the entire course. One being behind the green on hole 9.

The course is average to above average condition. Recently it was decent, but I have been in the past and it has been a lot worse. The greens are of a good size and in fair shape, but run slow. I have played here about a year ago and the greens were terrible with divots and large holes in them. There are a lot better now though. Overall the grass around the course could do with some basic maintenance. The fairways could need a cut and the whole course could use a good watering. On some holes it is hard to distinguish between the fairways and rough. They have mats to hit off, but no plastic tees. I typically just tee off from the grass in front of the mat.

The good thing about this course is that there are lights. It is fully lit, which enables you to play until close at 11pm (10pm on weekends and holidays). This makes this course a good spot for after work or winter months when it gets dark early.

The main negative for me with Monterey Park is with the clientele. Your stereotypical golf crowd doesn’t seem to play here. People seem to like to party and play in large groups. The management does not enforce any rules and allow groups of 6 and 7 to play. Which severely slows everything down. There are signs throughout indicating a no-alochol policy on the course, yet all of the trash cans are full of just alcohol containers. Also I have seen that some people don’t seem to follow the courtesy of the game and do not shout “fore” when a ball is hit near you etc. Due to this reason I have marked the course down overall.

Richie says… “Monterey Park is a well designed course which allows you to play a variation of shots during your round. I just wish the starter was more strict and not allow groups of more than 4 to play at a time. It just slows down play.”

Chris says… “The course is nicely layout and I love the views of the city and freeway.  Starter is too accommodating, they should not be booking such large groups. I wouldn’t play this at the weekend or go out of my way to play here.”

Hole by Hole

Hole 1 – 295 yards (par 4)
Hole 1 – second shot (100 yards out)
Hole 2 – 150 yards
Hole 3 – 115 yards

Hole 4 – 130 yards
Hole 5 – 110 yards
Hole 6 – 105 yards
Hole 6 – green
Hole 7 – 130 yards

Hole 8 – 110 yards
Hole 9 – 255 yards (par 4)
Hole 9 – 2nd shot (80 yards out)

iBella Obsession Golf Club Iron

Basic Putting Technique

The majority of golfers (including professionals) use a putter for 40% of all shots in a typical round.

Putting is something which really improves with practice. This is also the easiest aspect of the game to practice. Although it is always best to practice on a real golf green, there are a number of training aids which can be used to simulate the putting environment at home. One of which is the SKLZ Accelerator (which I review here: SKLZ Accelerator Putting Mat Review).

Here is a good short putting technique video which I found. It covers all of basics of putting in less than 3 minutes.

The Fundamentals of Putting (Basics)

  • Make sure your grip is perfect. 
  • Aim your club face at your target and sole the putter head directly behind the ball.
  • Position your eyes over the ball and down the target line. 
  • Set your shoulders, hips, knees and feet all parallel to the target line. 
  • Your hands should be directly under your shoulders and you should have a slight bend in your elbows. 
  • Ball position will be 2 inches inside your left heel.
  • Your forearms must be parallel to each other, maintaining the same place throughout the stroke.
  • Keep your head still while maintaining the angle in your right wrist throughout the stroke.

Golf Digest Top 10: Coolest Golfers of All Time

Sean Connery, Chris Ware/Keystone/Getty Images

1. Fred Couples
2. Seve Ballesteros
3. Walter Hagen
4. Arnold Palmer
5. Mickey Wright
6. Sean Connery
7. Ben Hogan
8. Justin Timberlake
9. Miguel Angel Jimenez
10. Adam Scott

Honarable Mentions
Rickie Fowler
Jimmy Demaret
Tommy Armour III
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Graeme McDowell
Humphrey Bogart
JFK
Samuel L. Jackson
Ty Webb from Caddyshack
Michael Jordan
Willie Nelson

http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2013-05/photos-coolest-golfers

Castle Park Miniature Golf (Sherman Oaks)

4989 Sepulveda Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
(818) 756-9459

Castle Park is a “family entertainment center”. They have miniature golf, batting cages and an amusement arcade. It is located just off the Sepulveda Blvd exit of the 101 freeway. There is a large parking lot which is free to park.

As this is a golf website we are obviously focusing on the miniature golf. We all have to start somewhere and many of of us first hit a golf ball on a mini golf course. Castle Park has three 18 hole courses. I have played all three and personally think that course #3 is the best of the bunch. The staff are friendly and accommodating. If you ever loose your ball, they give you another for free without hesitation.

The prices are fair – $6.50 for adults and $5.50 for kids (5-12). They have an early bird special – if you go between 9am and 10.30am at the weekends, it is only $3 per person!

Once you pay you are given a token to a machine where you get your ball. They have about 8 different colors and they are dispensed by a gum-ball style machine. The courses are of standard mini golf spec. Each hole is about 20-40ft long, carpeted and have a lip around the playing area so the ball can bounce around and not spill out onto the surrounding landscape. The quality of the courses seem to deteriorate further with each time I go. There seems to be a lack of general maintenance and the course needs some renovations. But despite this, many of the holes are playable and for the money it is a fun way to spend an hour with the kids.

I think that by having three separate courses it helps with congestion. We have played in evenings and at the weekend. We have never had to wait much while playing. At the start of each hole there is a wooden bench where you can sit while you wait. There is also a table at each hole where you can place drinks. Each course has a couple of feature holes, where you have to hit the ball through a lighthouse or some other object. But the majority of holes are just standard holes with no additional challenges. There are no windmills with moving blades et, like you find at a Boomers.

Here you can get an idea of the course condition

    

Castle Park offers package deals for parties and have areas where you can seat a lot of people. There is a cafeteria on site, selling pizza, hot dogs etc. But the food never looks that great. It looks like some of the food in the warmer has been sat there for a while.

As I mentioned earlier Castle Park is not exactly the best maintained mini golf course in the world, but it is a fun way to spend an hour. It can be a cheap date spot, or a good way to introduce kids to golf.

Garcia and Johnson Play Golf in the River Thames, London

This video was filmed last summer just before the London 2012 Olympics. This was set up to celebrate the return of golf to the 2016 Rio de Janerio Olympics. Golf has been absent from the Olympics for over 100 years. Golf was last featured in the 1904 St. Louis Olympics.

The floating green was 75 yards away and the two players (Sergio Garica and Dustin Johnson) used purple colored balls. Purple being the official color of the London Olympics. Garcia hit 3 of his 5 shots onto the green, Johnson hit 2.

Mission Hills Golf Course – Par 3

Entrance to VA Hospital – golf course is located inside

16111 Plummer St

North Hills, CA 91343-2036
(818) 892-3019

9 holes (par 28)
Yardage: 1416 yards
Hours: Dawn until dusk, 7 days a week
Green fees: $7, $8 at weekends

This course is located is located in the Valley, about 2 miles west off the 5 freeway at the Van Nuys exit. The course is located in the VA hospital. It can be a little tricky to find. Basically drive into the VA Hospital and when the road splits, head right. Then from there you can see the golf course below. It is behind a giant piece of land with solar panels. The course made me feel nostalgic seeing all of the military style buildings around. It reminded me of the cookie-cutter buildings from my military past.

I read reviews about this place which were not great, so I did not expect much. I was however pleasantly surprised. The staff were very friendly and we started immediately without any wait. We played on a Saturday morning and it was relatively quiet. The round was smooth with not too much waiting. I have also played at 4pm on a weekday afternoon and we pretty much had the course to ourselves.

I did not anticipate such long holes and the biggest club I brought was a 7 iron. There were actually 3 long holes on the course (180 yards+). The course had a good design, with a mixture of long and short holes. All of the holes were relatively straight with no hazards. There were a few trees mixed throughout, but not many. With the longer holes (one par 4) this course is good to sure up your long game if making the conversion to a 72 par golf course.

The course was maintained well; above average for the area. The greens were a decent size and ran well. All in all we had a fun round and I will certainly be back to play this course again.

Richie says… “A nice find. I enjoyed the variation of holes and the challenges that the long holes brought. Next time I will know to bring some bigger clubs with me!”

Chris says… “Mission Hills is one of the best courses in LA. I love it. The staff are friendly, the course is nice. It is a bit of a drive for me, but I would definitely play Mission Hills again. Don’t be detracted by the negative reviews on Yelp. It is a great course.”

Hole by Hole

Hole 1 – 150 yards
Hole 2 – 123 yards
Hole 3 – 190 yards
Hole 3 – green
Hole 4 – 130 yards

Hole 5 – 114 yards

Hole 6 – 190 yards
Hole 7 – 222 yards (par 4)
Hole 8 – 160 yards

Hole 9 – 137 yards

 
MidwestSupplies.com

Future Par 3 & Executive Courses

Here are some golf courses which I will be playing and reviewing over the summer months. If you have any other suggestions please post them in the comment box below.

  • Arroyo Seco, South Pasadena (par 3 – 18 holes)
  • Claremont (executive – 9 holes)
  • Maggie Hathaway, Inglewood (par 3 – 9 holes)
  • Penmar, Venice (executive – 9 holes)
  • Scholl Canyon, Glendale (executive – 18 holes)
  • The Links at Terranea, Rancho Palo Verdes (par 3 – 9 holes)
  • The Marriott, Manhattan Beach (par 3 – 9 holes)
  • Van Nuys (par 3 – 18 holes)
  • Verdugo Hills, Tujunga (par 3 – 18 holes)
  • Vista Valencia (par 3 – 9 holes)

Updated August 2013 to mark off courses played and reviews created.

    Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14

    I dusted off my PS3 and  recently picked up a copy of Tiger Woods PGA 14 Masters Historical Edition. I thought that I would post a brief review of my first impressions on this golf video game.

    Tiger Woods PGA Tour has been around since 1998. For those who are unaware, it is a golf based video game. You can develop your own character or play as one of the real PGA professionals which are on the game. In a nutshell as you play more and hit good shots, you gain experience and credits. These credits can be used to customize your character. You can change your outfits, clubs, golf balls etc.

    The Masters Historical Edition is about $10 more than the basic game. But for that you get six extra courses. You can also purchase extra courses online from EA Sports. If you wish to play and complete the PGA Tour season aspect of the game, you will have to purchase at least 4 additional courses regardless of which version you use (the extra courses are $5.99 to $7.99 each).

    Standard Edition
    Muirfield Village (new)
    Oak Hill (new)
    Mission Hills (new)
    TPC Louisiana (new)
    Royal Troon (new)
    Pinehurst No. 2 (restored version)
    Valhalla
    Augusta National
    Pebble Beach
    St. Andrews
    TPC Sawgrass
    Oakmont

    Playing the Old Course, St. Andrews (historical mode)

    Royal Birkdale
    Torrey Pines
    East Lake
    Spyglass Hill
    Crooked Stick
    PGA National
    Atlanta Athletic Club
    Kiawah Island

    Historic Edition (more courses)
    Augusta National (1934)
    Augusta National Par 3
    Sheshan
    Royal County Down
    Royal Melbourne
    TPC Blue Monster

    Downloadable Content
    Bethpage Black
    Pinehurst No. 2 (old version)
    Whistling Straits
    Colonial CC (new)
    TPC Boston
    TPC River Highlands
    TPC Scottsdale
    TPC San Antonio
    Wolf Creek
    Blackwolf Run
    Banff Springs
    Costa Navarino
    The Els Club
    Celtic Manor
    Greek Isles (fantasy)
    Highlands (fantasy)
    The Predator (fantasy)
    Emerald Dragon (fantasy)

    The last time I played Tiger Wood’s was about 4 years ago. So I can not compare this version to the last. I will just say that the graphics seem consistent with what I have seen in the past. The graphics are not going to blow you away, but I thought they were fine and had no issues.

    To play a quick round of golf takes about 30 minutes. I started off using the controller and once I had played a couple of rounds I started to pick up the mechanics and play some good shots. I then started using the Move Motion Controller. This was a lot trickier than I expected. I couldn’t get the hang of it in about 10 minutes of practice, so I switched back to the standard controller. I felt much more at ease and could play a lot better with the normal controller. I was also worried that if I played frequently with my improvised Move Motion swing, it could affect my real golf swing.

    There is an online component. You can play tournaments and opponents from around the world. There is also a country club option, where you can add your friends and play your own customizable tournaments and challenges. Scores and stats are saved and rankings for the clubhouse members are displayed.

    The main negative for me was the load times. It must have taken almost 5 minutes from turning on the PS3, to being able to play. Also between each hole there is a 1-2 minute wait before you can tee-off on the next hole. The frustrating thing for me was with the main menu. There were long load times, especially when trying to make changes to your golfer. I also found a few glitches. I uploaded my photo to create a “game face” and the computer froze and crashed a couple of times before it worked. I also found a glitch that you can not upload pics of people with glasses. Once you get the finished face, the glasses are removed and there are lines around the eyes on the face. It then just crashed each time when I went to save the avatar.

    It is great to play at some of the best golf courses in the world from the comfort of your living room. Overall I think the game is fun and worth buying for the avid golfer. If you already have a recent version of the game, I doubt there is any need to buy this one also. I really enjoy playing all of the different famous courses and customizing my golfer. Plus there is a fun par 3 course on the game!

    If you have this game and looking to play other like-minded folk online, I have set up a Richie’s World of Golf Country Club for the game. To join just search RichieGolf when you are in the country club menu.

    Basics of the Golf Setup

    As with the grip, it is important to have the correct setup before hitting a golf ball. A whole website alone could be dedicated to this subject. But here are a few quick tips for the casual golfer. I strongly advise anyone who hasn’t already, see a professional for a lesson. Even if it is just one 30 minute lesson to look at your grip and setup, it will make a huge improvement to your game and help eliminate some of those bad habits early on.

    This video shows you how to correctly set up in 5 easy steps…

    Alignment: At address your body (feet, knees, hips, forearms, shoulders and eyes) should be positioned parallel to the target line.

    Foot position: Your feet should be shoulder width for the middle irons. The short iron stance will be two inches narrower and the stance for long irons and woods should be two inches wider.

    Balance: Your weight should be balanced on the balls of the feet, not on the heels or toes.

    Posture: Your knees should be slightly flexed. Your body should bend at the hips (not in the waist) with a straight back.

    Swing Whistle Review

    The Swing Whistle is a small gadget which clips onto your golf club. According to the manufacturer this training aid is designed to “provide instant multi-sensory feedback to train your swing to have maximum speed at impact”. If you swing with a good tempo you hear a constant low whistle at impact.

    • Shrill = you are swinging too fast
    • No whistle = no lag and swing of the club
    • Early whistle = you are coming over the top and releasing the golf head too early
    • Constant low whistle at impact = ultimate result. This means that you have gradual acceleration through impact of the club with the ball.

    The manufacturer claims that “installation is super simple, you just clip the Swing Whistle onto the shaft of the golf club”. The Swing Whistle goes at the bottom of the shaft on the hosel (just above the club head). To be honest I personally found it a little tricky to install. It is stiff plastic and it took a few minutes to force it onto the bottom of the shaft. It did not clip on with ease. Also every couple of swings I had to re-apply the device as it would slip off the hosel on the club

    The Swing Whistle retails at  $19.95 plus shipping. I feel that this product is a little overpriced for what it is. It is just a small piece of plastic – I would be more comfortable with purchasing it at a price point of around $14.95 shipped.

    Would I recommend it? Probably not. It is not that much of a game-changer for me. It makes the whistling noise as described. But I often found that with the speed of the swing it was sometimes hard to tell exactly when the whistle occurred. I would probably need to record the swing or have a spotter to give me feedback. What I do like about this training aid is that it can be used at home. You don’t necessarily have to hit a ball. Just swinging in the backyard will help you with your tempo. If you are hard of hearing or have issues hearing high pitch sounds, then this is obviously not for you!