In true George Thomas style, the course starts with a relatively soft par 5, with the tee perched up overlooking the valley, just in front of the clubhouse. All members were called to the tee in tournament style, which was a nice touch.
The entire course is set down in the valley, with multi million dollar mansion after multi million dollar mansion overlooking the links.
After a a couple of strong par fours, we reach the 4th hole, the first of the par threes. And it is a beauty. It played at 245 yards, into a breeze.
Ben Hogan loved this hole, he thought of it as the best par three in America, and as the plaque above suggests, filmed some of his equipment commercials here.
The course utilises kikuyu grass for fairways, rough and some tees, and poa annua for greens and some tees. The kikuyu is maintained beautifully, and is cut much closer than many of the courses in Australia that feature the same grass. If you stray into the thicker rough areas, good luck advancing the ball very far.
In order to prevent kikuyu encroachment into the poa greens, a barrier cut is maintained along the green edge. If this was not done, the greens would be kikuyu in no time, which is far from ideal.
The par three sixth hole, is one of the most famous holes in world golf. Not just because it is a stunning hole from the tee.
But because of this. The bunker that exists right in the middle of the green. If you hit a nice shot onto the green and finish where I am standing, then this is what you will be facing, and you are on the putting surface.
Mike King is pictured here firing his approach shot into the par four 7th.
The eight hole give you a choice when standing on the tee. It has two fairways, and you need to choose right or left.
This hole, much like our 3rd hole, is revered as one of the greatest short par fours. It plays only 300 yards, but positioning from the tee is vital for success on the hole. The green sits across the hole, and is only 8 yards wide at it's narrowest. An approach from the left gives the best angle up the thin green.
The view from the 10th green looking back to the clubhouse.
Bob Millar standing under Humphrey Bogarts tree, a lovely sycamore near the 12th green. Bogart used to sit here four hours, in a trenchcoat, drinking from a thermos - contents undetermined. The tree is now referred to as Bogarts tree.
The old sycamores are a great feature of the course, many with support braces to prevent them from falling. The above shot shows those braces, and the alternative green on the par three 16th. The alternative greens, there are a few on the course, are used once a week.
The view up the 18th hole from the tee. A huge carry up the hill, and if the carry is not made, the ball may not be found in the thick kikuyu.
The image we have all seen as the players approach the 18th, with the massive clubhouse overlooking all the action. The club continues to nhost the LA Open, and in 2028, will be the golf course for the Olympic games.
We had two winners today, Bob Millar won the white tee event with a solid 34 points, with Nick Freeman winning from those who played the blue tees, on 32.
We have a short break now as we move to San Francisco, with our next stop Meadow Club, on Mother's Day.
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