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Holmby Park Truly A Hidden Gem

Holmby Park

Chicks dig the long ball!!  Or so they say.  Any real golfer will tell you the big money is made on the short game. I have found a special jewel in Los Angeles to practice that short game and have a great 2 hours of people watching. Just north of Wilshire  Blvd.  on Beverly Glen  is Holmby Park. There you find an eighteen hole golf course for just $6.  All that is needed is 3 golf clubs, 2 wedges and a putter.  So many times here in L. A. you have to call in advance for a tee time , then try to enjoy a lovely 6 1/2 hour round of golf without losing your patience. At Holmby an hour and a half is all that is needed to unwind and polish up on that rusty short game. The greens are a little bigger than a standard size coffee table, and your approach shots vary from 35  to 100 yards.  A par of 54 on this little monster is a great accomplishment.

In the late afternoons this course changes dramatically, an invasion of dedicated walkers over takes the perimeter of the golf course. With back ground chatter, and the loud laughter and giggles from little ones staying focused can be a task and a half. Watch out for the Frisbee tossers , who have mistaken the golf course for a recreational field. Don’t be alarmed or mad it’s just Holmby after 3 pm. On the north side of the park is a child’s playground with at least 50 children having the time of their life. While on the south side of the park the non roar of lawn bowling takes place. All this activity and they decide to build a pitch and putt right in the middle. Sounds like a crazy idea , but it not only works, it fits in perfectly. So if you are a beginner or an old pro who has lost their touch around the green, Holmby Park is the ideal spot to learn or polish up on your skills. Hey for $6 it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

P.S.: Acording to a long time local resident, George Bagnall, Arthur Letts founder of the Broadway Department Stores, (who basically “bought Westwood for a dollar an acre”) donated the property as noted by the plaque which sits near the swing set.  It was Armand Hammer who owned Occidental Petroleum, who created a trust to maitain the park and thus “The Armand Hammer Golf Course!”