A Pocket Guide to L.A. City Golf (But, Like, in Blog Form)

Encino Golf Course

The city of Los Angeles has enchanted history lovers for centuries. Stories of creative genius, glamour, and excess float around, blurring the lines between past and present, reality and fantasy. Locals and visitors seek these vibrations in museums, theaters, and restaurants, but few recognize that a great way to conjure a city’s ghosts is by playing one of its golf courses. The L.A. City Golf course system was established in 1923, when Harding was built on top of the original Griffith Park golf course. It expanded with Roosevelt and Wilson in 1927, Rancho Park and its par-3 course in 1949, Balboa in 1954, Harbor Park and Encino in 1957, Penmar and Los Feliz in 1962, Hansen Dam in 1963, and Woodley in 1975. Compiled by a daughter of Southern California golf, the following guide will help you find your footing in the L.A. City Golf scene, whether you’re new to the game or new to town.

Balboa & Encino (Sepulveda Golf Complex)

Vibe: After work spot.

While these two courses share the Sepulveda flood control basin with Woodley, Balboa and Encino are narrower, more challenging, and more attractive foliage-wise, imho. A roomy range and a short game area with a slightly weedy bunker create the perfect spot for valley residents to stay loose during the week. The brick and clubhouse and restaurant aren’t as charming as the Spanish-style structures of Rancho and Griffith, but a quick renovation could easily freshen up its mid-century modern bones, so I’m excited for the publication of this article to force the general manager to do that.

Hansen Dam

Vibe: Dusty.

Named after the homesteaders who settled the land it was built on, Hansen Dam Golf Course is tucked into the northeast corner of the San Fernando Valley, not far from where Clark Gable owned a ranch and Ritchie Valens learned to make music. Warm up by firing balls across their canyon-like range and chipping around at their short game facility. Front is hilly, back is flat, and the whole thing is very long. Tee off early in the morning to avoid slow play, then head to a local taqueria or birrieria for lunch.

Harbor Park

Vibe: Industrial.

This 9-hole is located considerably farther south than the other L.A. City courses, but wide fairways and par-5’s make it a great place to work on long clubs. And the atmosphere is lovely, if you can ignore the steam billowing from the nearby oil refinery and the semitoxic lake bordering the course (I say “semi-” because it underwent a rehabilitation program a few years ago, but let’s be real). No range but it features a chipping green with a bunker. Walking only.

Los Feliz

Vibe: Shady.

Book an early tee time or be prepared to stand around on the first few holes as this, along with Rancho Park par-3, is a go-to spot for Angelenos who decided to take up golf an hour before they arrived. But things usually pick up after the third hole, so it’s worth the opportunity to dial in your wedges (every hole is under 135 yards) and practice punch shots (every green seems to be blocked by a tree branch). Los Feliz Cafe lost some of the character it once had in a recent renovation, but it’s now got a fresher, more airy vibe. Food is great and heat lamps make the patio comfortable year-round. No range, no short game facility, walking only, and mat tees.

Penmar

Vibe: Chill. 

Penny’s fairways are so wide, it’s as if it was designed to be enjoyed. A flat, 9-hole executive (par-3’s and -4’s), you leave unwearied and wanting more. Recently renovated course restaurant The Penmar serves fresh, flavorful food you can eat inside or at picnic tables next to the first tee. Nerve-racking setup if you’re teeing off, delightful if you’re judging other people’s swings while biting into a sandwich. No range, no short game facility. Walking only.

Fun fact: Harrison Ford crashed his World War II-era plane on par-3 hole 8 in 2015 after taking off from neighboring Santa Monica Airport. Luckily, eight’s made a full recovery. Assuming Ford did too.

Rancho Park

Vibe: Chaotic but historic.

The place is packed at all times, the on-course traffic almost as bad as rush hour on whichever freeway you take to get there. But it’s impossible to play Rancho without wondering if you’re putting the exact same line Babe Didrikson putted or taking the exact same divot Charlie Sifford took decades before. So try and score a tee time, reflect on your place in golf history, then head over to The Apple Pan for a hickoryburger. Two-story range and cramped little pitching area.

Two fun facts: Palmer made twelve on the par-5 18th during the 1961 L.A. Open, and Nicklaus played his first professional event at Rancho, finishing in last place.

Rancho Par-3

Vibe: Recreational.

Ranchito is a magnet for people who think they can just up and play golf without ever having taken a swing lesson. It’s also, unfortunately, a magnet for soccer players—a footgolf course is woven throughout the premises. Families with young children, groups of frat boys, and couples on dates mean multigroup backups here and there, unless you tee off early. And though it’s not uncommon for people to hit onto the wrong greens, it’s still great for practice as many of them are about the size of a tablecloth. Bring a friend or a book, work on your wedges, then head to Westwood for some Persian ice cream. Walking only. Mat tees.

Roosevelt

Vibe: Celestial.

This 9-hole executive (par-3’s and -4’s) can be tricky, but the atmosphere is what you’re there for. Gaze at the observatory perched atop Mount Hollywood, look out toward the sparkling downtown skyline, and listen for music echoing from the nearby Greek Theater on concert nights. It’s a little spooky too—the course is surrounded by Rebel Without a Cause-style mansions. You can bring your dog, but don’t be that person. We all love the fact that there are no goose droppings at this lakeless course, so please don’t fill the void with dog ones. Walking only and a bit hilly. No range or short game facility.

Wilson & Harding (Griffith Park)

Vibe: Historic.

It’s easy to feel the presence of the movie stars and sports legends who have played here over the decades (Griffith lore has it that Babe Ruth agreed to the infamous Red Sox-Yankees trade while playing the original course in 1920, setting off the Curse of the Bambino). The clubhouse, with its terracotta tiled roof and cream stucco exterior, takes you back to L.A.'s golden age of development. Both courses are somewhat long but mostly flat save for a couple of steep hole transitions. Two-tiered range, small short game facility.

Woodley

Vibe: Boring.

Built in the middle of the San Fernando Valley, it’s the flattest course on both sides of the Mississippi. The fairways are wide so it’s great for beginners, but it’s long, so play up if you don’t hit it very far. Clubhouse and practice facilities lack character, but they sometimes move the range from the mats to the grass, and the short game area features a pretty well maintained bunker and chipping green.

Now… What to do with this information?

Step 1: Invest in a $25 player card for the year. This allows you to book tee times nine days in advance (starting at six a.m. PST) as opposed to the seven days’ head start non-cardholders get. Without that two-day advantage, your dreams of getting on Rancho, Griffith, or Sepulveda before five in the afternoon are obliterated. You’ll earn points that count toward future rounds, pro shop purchases, and range balls. Just make sure to use them before they expire at the end of the year. Oh, and twilight rate starts an hour earlier for cardholders.

Step 2: Download the L.A. City Golf App. Use a computer and the L.A. City Golf website to book rather than the app if you’re trying to get on Rancho—you’ll need a strong WiFi connection to beat out the other cardholders. But if you’re not desperate or don’t care where you play, the app is great.

Step 3: Weigh your options. Rancho, Griffith, and Sepulveda are harder to get on but they’re more storied and have ranges and short game facilities. Hansen Dam and Woodley are easier to book and have ranges and short game facilities, but offer less charm. Roosevelt and Penmar are super cute and take less time to play, but don’t have ranges or short game facilities. Harbor is less cute, has no range, but does have a short game facility. Rancho Par-3 and Los Feliz have mat tees and generally slow paces of play, but their small greens make for great target practice.

Parting Tips:

• The squirrels at these courses are shamelessly entitled. They’ll bore a hole through your bag if you had the nerve to pack sustenance.

• Once you’ve gotten familiar with the courses, consider playing in the annual L.A. City Golf Championships. Information regarding dates, flights, and entry fees can be found on the L.A. City Golf website.