Best Public Golf Courses in the L.A. Area

As a man that was alive during the COVID pandemic I too became a golf tycoon, scanning through Google to find the best golf course deals I could find. In reality at the time golf was arguably the busiest activity in the nation, especially because essentially nothing but golf courses were open to play and there was the reassuring certainty of being outside in the sunlight during the uncertainty of the pandemic’s beginning.

Now that COVID’s seemed to round a corner and inched closer to normalcy the golf market seems to have returned to it’s normal, weekend rush only busy nature we all know. So with courses opening and tee times becoming more and more available it’s time to hit the links, stretch those work from home legs and get in a minimum of 36 holes while deleting a full 30 rack with the boys.

Obviously we cant all play the Trump course or Riviera Country Club every weekend, so for us normal guys where can we find fair tee times with realistic green fees? To be fair pickings for good golf courses are slim in L.A. so be ready to make the 45 minute drive to Orange County for more options and better deals all around. With that being said here’s a list of some fair but underrated golf courses in the Los Angeles area:

Alondra Park Golf Course (Alondra Park) – As someone who’s scavenged Southern California my whole life in search of the best golf deals I’d say this one’s arguably the best bang for your buck in Los Angeles. At a fair price of $30 ($45 with a cart), Alondra hosts a traditional links layout with a relatively flat terrain, meaning you can slice it 3 fairways over and still shoot a decent score each hole. With a 6615 yard length from the blue tees this par 72 option will ensure you aren’t getting screwed over with high prices and a short, shitty course like Westchester Golf Course.

Costa Mesa Country Club (Costa Mesa) – For pricing and length this is one of the best public course options in Southern California. Yes, this course is in the heart of Orange County meaning you and the boys will have to make the 50 minute trek out to the course, but trust me when I say it’s well worth the drive. The best part about this CC is there’s two courses to choose from each with its own green fee.

At around $40 (Mesa Linda) and $50 (Los Lagos) each these courses both offer fair pricing for one of the best keep layouts in the state.

Recreation Park Golf Course (Long Beach) – If you like long courses then this is absolutely the best choice for public courses with long dicks. A tough layout combined with some of the fasted registered public greens in the area, “Big Rec” is one of the most difficult plays in So Cal and it will definitely present you with the challenge if a lifetime. At the low price of $30 for twilight rates you’ll be able to squeeze 18 in and still have some leftover cash to pay for the overpriced gas it will take to get home.

Par 72 and 6400 yards doesn’t sound too bad, but wait til’ that wind kicks in. Good luck.

Skylinks at Long Beach (Long Beach) – This one’s a favorite choice personally. From the black tees the course presents a par 72 and 6900 yards of challenging terrain. With a twilight rate of $34 and daylight savings kicking in you’ll definitely be able to finish, though you might be down a few dozen golf balls by the time you reach 18. If you’re trying to stay relatively close to the Los Angeles area and not go balls deep into Long Beach this one’s a good traveling golf choice for the crew.

Los Serranos Golf Club – South Course – (Chino Hills) – I take it back… This course will be the challenge of a lifetime. If you can’t hit the ball for shit then I’d probably choose one of the other options I’ve listed so far because the south course at Los Serranos is no joke. As a 7600 yard pard 74 Los Serranos is registered as the longest public golf course in the state of California and, trust me, it will fee like it all goddamn day.

With a twilight rate of $39 not including a cart the south course might be the best deal on this whole damn list. The terrain is challenging, the length grueling and the greens can be some of the fastest in firmest in Southern California during the summer. If you’re willing to make the trek out to Chino Hills I think this might be my main choice as the most underrated golf course in the L.A. area. God speed to those man enough to try this one. Considering the fact that the ladies tees are still over 6000 yards you’re gonna need all the help you can get.

To Find additional Public Golf Courses in the area, try the course finder on Greenskeeper