Los Angeles Golf Course Reviews
R.H.C.C. ReviewLos Angeles, CA
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R.H.C.C. Overview: This country club is exclusive and, since LA has way more lawyers than golf courses, many of whom do not like their private golf courses reviewed (even if positively done like this one is), it stays safely unnamed. It is now very good golf course (the previous version was not) with a great re-design that, as far as golf course architecture is concerned, worked miracles with piecing together several holes with very little usable land to make it work. There are some hills to contend with that make for some tricky golf shots, but those hills also afford some nice views of the city in a multitude of directions. Several good holes are reviewed below:
R.H.C.C. Hole 1: The opening golf hole can cause some confusion for the golfer who has not played this course. However, it also, in hindsight, gives the golfer appreciation of how well designed the start and end of the golf course is, with 6 holes set in a place where, without the shared fairways and angles evident at the first hole, usually only 4 would fit. The drive has to stay right of the creek, but its best to hug it as the dogleg left will be much longer for anybody who bails out too far right (and way right is the second green, which could just get awkward).
R.H.C.C. Hole 1: The opening golf hole can cause some confusion for the golfer who has not played this course. However, it also, in hindsight, gives the golfer appreciation of how well designed the start and end of the golf course is, with 6 holes set in a place where, without the shared fairways and angles evident at the first hole, usually only 4 would fit. The drive has to stay right of the creek, but its best to hug it as the dogleg left will be much longer for anybody who bails out too far right (and way right is the second green, which could just get awkward).
R.H.C.C. Hole 2: Back towards the first tee and with the same shared fairway, this one is short and can be driven with a long, straight hit; however, there is OB left and lots of bunkers around the green to cause trouble.
R.H.C.C. Hole 6: This par four is not long but features a tee shot that must fit between the OB left and a big bunker right. The fairway actually goes way downhill just past the bunker, so a well-struck shot can fly it. However, before the green there is a little creek and a massive drive can run out into it. Left of the green or short or long are bad.
R.H.C.C. Hole 8: Straight downhill and with a fairway partially shared with number 5, this par four doesn't need brute strength. Avoiding the fairway bunkers lurking right of the fairway is key. The green is back uphill and features a strong false front and deep bunker right that are tough to negotiate.
R.H.C.C. Hole 9: The view from the tee shows the player a lot of Los Angeles. The shot itself is a tough one as it is long and the play is generally to the left portion of the green. The deep bunkers to the right of the green simply are death to golfers and right of those will leave the player wishing they were Phil Mickelson.
R.H.C.C. Hole 12: This par four is very tight, running between the hillside to the left and a waste area of bunkers and taller grass to the right. If the player hits a good drive, they still have a shot to an angled and well-bunkered green.
R.H.C.C. Hole 14: This is an uphill dogleg left where the fairway slopes also from left to right. Going right off the tee can find deep rough, bunkers or OB, so hugging left is better. That being said, there is likely to be an awkward stance in the fairway with the ball below the player's feet, hitting uphill to a green with a steep and long false front. From tee to green, this hole requires long, strong shots.
R.H.C.C. Hole 15: After the tough stretch before this par five, the wide open drive greeting the player here is a welcome sight. The hole goes downhill before heading slightly up again near the green, which is fairly open and accessible, making this one of the best scoring opportunities on the course. The views from the tee are great.
R.H.C.C. Hole 16: Another shared fairway (this one with #15) will allow the player to go as far left as they dare in order to avoid the water right off the tee. However, the hole bends right and a big bunker is left of the green, so going too far right presents a longer shot to a green nestled between that sand and the water.
R.H.C.C. Hole 17: This dainty par three has an extremely wide green with tougher pins being shorter and farther to the right, which is where the water is. There are plenty of undulations on the green making long putts tough.
