Los Angeles Country Club
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location |
10101 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, California |
| Established | 1897 |
| Type | Private |
| Total holes | 36 |
| Website | The Los Angeles Country Club |
| North Course | |
| Designed by | Joe Sartori, Ed Tufts, Norman Macbeth, and Charles Orr |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,895 |
| Course rating | 74 |
| South Course | |
| Designed by | Joe Sartori, Ed Tufts, Norman Macbeth, and Charles Orr |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 5,909 |
| Course rating | 68.7 |
The Los Angeles Country Club is a golf and country club in Los Angeles, California.
History
In the fall of 1897, a group of Los Angelenos organized a voluntary association to further the cause of one of Southern California's newest sports. The Los Angeles Golf Club, as they called themselves, leased a 16-acre (65,000 m2) vacant lot at the corner of Pico and Alvarado (now part of the Alvarado Terrace Historic District) and laid out a nine hole golf course. Called "The Windmill Links", the course was named for a makeshift clubhouse crafted out of the bottom of an abandoned windmill. Through the middle of 1898, this site served as the club's home until the course became too crowded. The Club located its next site at what was called Pico Heights at Hobart and 16th Street. The new home was named "The Convent Links" for its location behind a convent near Rosedale Cemetery. Again, nine holes were laid out for play, but by the spring of 1899, this course and clubhouse had also become overcrowded.
The search committee for a new site, consisting of the club founders Joe Sartori and Ed Tufts, found the club's new home just 0.2 miles (0.32 km) west of the Convent site. The Club's new home was to be at the Northeast corner of Pico and Western. The clubhouse was transported intact to the new site and was expanded there. More importantly, the club finally laid out its first 18 hole golf course.
After years of planning, the new club in Beverly Hills officially opened on May 30, 1911. Its stately clubhouse, tennis courts, and 36 holes of golf have served as the club's home ever since. The original golf course was laid out by Joe Sartori, Ed Tufts, Norman Macbeth, and Charles Orr. Later, the courses were redesigned by Herbert Fowler and George C. Thomas, Jr., and again by Thomas with William P. Bell in 1927-28. In 1996 and 1997 an extensive renovation of the North and South courses was completed. In February 2010, an extensive restoration of the North Course by Gil Hanse and Thomas biographer Geoff Shackelford took place to return the course to George C. Thomas, Jr.'s design from 1921. The course reopened in October 2010.
The course maintains an exclusive status. It rebuffs repeated attempts by the PGA to hold a pro tour event there, even a US Open or PGA Championship. 1940's movie leading man Randolph Scott applied for membership and was turned down as the club did not accept actors. To which Scott replied along the lines of " I have 50 movies proving I'm not an actor". He was then accepted as a member
The course played host to the Los Angeles Open (now known as the Northern Trust Open) in 1926, 1934, 1935, 1936, and 1940. Joe Norwood (1892-1990) was the head professional at these tournaments. He was also a charter member of the Professional Golfers Association - Southern California Chapter, formed in 1924.
The backyards of The Manor and the Playboy Mansion face the Country Club links.
Coordinates: 34°04′19″N 118°25′23″W / 34.071893°N 118.423133°W
Notable members
- J. Win Austin, Los Angeles City Council member, 1941–43[1][2]
- Robert L. Burns, Los Angeles City Council member, 1929–45[3]
- Arthur Letts, department store founder
- Ronald Reagan, President of the United States
- Keith Jackson, Retired College Football Announcer
- Fred Couples, PGA Tour Player and Masters Champion