[TiepayWrary]

Hello all,

I need some guidance and information.

I'm based in the south east of England and work in London. I'm being seconded for 3 Months this summer to Los Angeles by the company that I work for. Before visa forms are completed, and living arrangements sorted, I'd like some info about how my golf fix will be satisfied!?

Can anybody recommend some decent pay and play destinations not too far from Santa Monica (where I will hopefully be based) that wont cost the earth? At present I'm a junior member at my club and enjoy a very reasonable subscription fee.

All suggestions welcome!

Thanks in advance folks,

Best regards,

Thwacker.

[Ikhqgvas]

I will make it a point to check it out for you Thwacker. I am not as familiar with the west side ( Santa Monica) as I am with other parts of LA.

[suilusargaino]

Hey Thwacker,

I don't play on the West Side too much, but my husband grew up in the Valley (San Fernando Valley, north up the 405, about 25 mins w/ no traffic, otherwise a good 1 hr drive up). He said the West Side places tend to be crowded, but if had to play, he'd try to get on at Rancho Park. If you can drive further, try the Valley - specifically Balboa Golf Course or Woodley Lakes. Should be a little less crowded and very affordable. In the same area in the Valley, there's also the Van Nuys golf course, but it's not quite as nice. There's also Penmar, which is a 9 hole, very close to Santa Monica, in Venice. I've heard it's cheap and plays like it's not an expensive course.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'm not a West Sider, but my husband and his family are - whether about golf or otherwise.

-Patty

[Buhoutsoupfap]

North from LA:

About an hour North of LA in Ventura, Olivas Links is great.

Sort of in between in Moorpark is Rustic Canyon and Moorpark Country Club

Lost Canyons is close in Simi, but it has earned the moniker "Lost Golf Balls" for a reason

[Kt-viagra]

I grew up and just recently moved from Redondo Beach (about 20 miles south of Santa Monica) and unfortunately there are not a bunch of places to golf in the Santa Monica area. Your best bet is going to be Ranch Park. Also, there is a little 9 hole course, Penmar, that is very ok and Westchester is okay as well. Sorry I don't have a lot of great things to say about Westside golf. You will find yourself traveling to play. Another thing to know about LA golf is it is REALLY slow. 6 hour rounds are fairly normal. That being said, 45 minutes south, north or east and you will find some very nice courses!

[TiepayWrary]

Thanks for this folks. Really appreciate your help.

I'm more than willing to travel for a round. 60-120 minutes drive is no big deal. I guess I was kind of hopeful their would be a plethora of great courses near by, and I'd need help sorting through them!!

A bit of driving is no hardship, and hopefully this will be another way for me to see some of the city/state.

I'll jot down your recommendations and do some research for myself. As I've shifted the criteria some what, are there anymore affordable courses in the above range from Santa Monica that are a "must play!"

Thanks and regards.

[nizcreare]

There are tons of GREAT courses around Good luck and have fun!!

[suilusargaino]

There are tons of GREAT courses around Good luck and have fun!!

You crazy Golf Chick - what would you recommend? I think you've played a ton of them that you could comment are. This woman's slogan is, "Love golf, will travel to play."

[sttrqiss]

These are all public muni courses. Munis are run by the city or county.

The closest to Santa Monica will be Rancho Park. It's a city course where they used to have the LA Open in the 60s/70s. There's a plaque on the 18th tee describing how Arnold Palmer took a 12 there. It used to be more crowded on the weekends, but since they raised the rates there, it's not as bad. $43 walking for non-residents during the weekend.

Long Beach has 3 decent courses. It's about 1/2 hour to 45 min drive from Santa Monica. Rec Park 18 is my favorite of the three. The other 2 are Skylinks and El Dorado. Lakewood is also close to Skylinks and a decent course.

Los Verdes in Palos Verdes has some great views but be prepared for a long (6 hr) round.

Rio Hondo in Downy wouldn't be too far either. There's also Malibu Country Club. It's a little more expensive than the city courses.

If you're willing to drive further, the Inland Empire has some great courses. Goose Creek is a favorite. There's also Oak Valley, East Lake and Oak Quarry. Going out towards Ventura there's some great courses too. Rustic Canyon, River Ridge, Sterling Hills.

Greenskeeper.org is a great site with tons of info about Southern California courses.

[Kt-viagra]

These are all public muni courses. Munis are run by the city or county.

The closest to Santa Monica will be Rancho Park. It's a city course where they used to have the LA Open in the 60s/70s. There's a plaque on the 18th tee describing how Arnold Palmer took a 12 there. It used to be more crowded on the weekends, but since they raised the rates there, it's not as bad. $43 walking for non-residents during the weekend.

Long Beach has 3 decent courses. It's about 1/2 hour to 45 min drive from Santa Monica. Rec Park 18 is my favorite of the three. The other 2 are Skylinks and El Dorado. Lakewood is also close to Skylinks and a decent course.

Los Verdes in Palos Verdes has some great views but be prepared for a long (6 hr) round.

Rio Hondo in Downy wouldn't be too far either. There's also Malibu Country Club. It's a little more expensive than the city courses.

If you're willing to drive further, the Inland Empire has some great courses. Goose Creek is a favorite. There's also Oak Valley, East Lake and Oak Quarry. Going out towards Ventura there's some great courses too. Rustic Canyon, River Ridge, Sterling Hills.

Greenskeeper.org is a great site with tons of info about Southern California courses.

Great post! This is a great list of the LA courses

[TiepayWrary]

Wow!

Thanks for the feedback. Not sure how I'm going to get anything done in the office this morning, as I will have check these suggestions out!

Really appreciate your help folks. As ever, THP remains the place for any question golf related!!!

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge.

I Hope everybody enjoys the Masters this weekend.

Best Regards,

Thwacker.

[suilusargaino]

Thwacker - we are in the San Gabriel Valley. Most public courses around here are 6 hour rounds (the full length, 18 hole ones). The two most popular ones that are also fairly cheap are Brookside (Pasadena) & Santa Anita (Arcadia). My husband loves Eaton Canyon - it's only a 9 hole, but it's long for a nine hole and you can play it twice to make it 18. He played the afternoon the other day (weekday) - it was just him and his friend, teeing off at 3 pm (walking), for $12 I believe. It usually plays pretty fast. You can also check the BookTeeTimes tab at the top of the THP page to book a better day/rate on some of these courses. You can get some amazing deals on there. Eaton is not on there, but Brookside is if you want to find a down time. If you play at a cheaper time, it probably won't be a 6 hour round - but probably closer to 5 (if you're lucky).

There are a few others in the area that are open to the public, but cost a lot more. I can give you names if you're interested. Feel free to PM me or any of the S. Cali golfers with questions too. Also, when you get here, stop by the shop - we'd love to meet you (we're in Alhambra - about a 40 min drive from the Westside, w/o traffic - could be around 2 hr drive with traffic). You can google us Blind 9 Golf or call us 626 284 -4653 for our address/directions and to make sure we're open .

[Ikhqgvas]

Not all courses are 6 hour rounds Twacker dont worry. I know a few courses that were mentioned mentioned can be long but I know others where you can get in and out in 4-5 hours, even quicker if during the week. LIke Patty said, hit me up with a msg when you are out here and I can recommend a few if you want to drive inland.

[TiepayWrary]

Thanks Patty & White Rhino! I will be sure to pm you guys once I've nailed down where I'll be living exactly, and to get some tips on those "best kept secret" courses

All this info is being saved in a folder on my desk top.

Likelihood is most of my golf will be played at weekends, as the main reason for my trip is to help out with a heavy workload in the office. But hey, rough with the smooth!! London for Cali in the summer is a good bargain whatever the cost!

And Patty, Blind9 will be my first stop to load up on tees and balls! I might also need to sharpen up my golf wardrobe for somewhere with good weather. I spent most of last summer under a wind cheater or a waterproof! I noticed you're stocking some nice apparel!

Can't wait to get out there and see what California has offer in terms of Golf and lifestyle!

Thanks again.

[Ikhqgvas]

Looking forward to helping you out and maybe going out for a round or two with you.