Golf courses: public courses ranked by rounds played in 2005

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THE number of rounds played at the 25 largest courses in Los Angeles County fell by 84,000 to 2.3 million in 2005, a particularly rainy year.

The figure excludes Skylinks Golf Course in Long Beach, which only reported partial year results in 2004 due to renovations.

City of Long Beach-owned El Dorado Park Golf Course reported the largest decline, due in part to the reopening of Skylinks Golf Course, also owned by Long Beach. El Dorado reported 94,000 rounds played, down 13,000 rounds (12 percent) from 2004. Skylinks reported 76,000 rounds played in 2005.

No. 15 Los Amigos moved up five spots, one of the few courses that saw an increase in rounds played. Located in Downey, Los Amigos reported a 5,000-round increase in 2005.

The County of Los Angeles owns 12 of the 25 courses on this year's list including the two busiest, No. 1 La Mirada Golf Course and No. 2 Los Verdes Golf Course.

The City of Los Angeles owns seven courses on the list including the Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding courses in Griffith Park, which combined for 192,000 rounds in 2005.

No. 18 Royal Vista GoffClub and No. 22 Westlake Village Golf Course are both privately owned, but open to the public.

--David Nusbaum

THE PACESETTER

LA MIRADA GOLF COURSE

LA Mirada Golf Course was the leading regulation-length public golf course in the county, with 123,536 rounds played in the 2005-2006 fiscal year.

Located near the Orange County border, it attracts golfers from a wide area including Covina, Whittier, Cerritos, Fullerton and other surrounding areas. The county-owned course "has impeccable conditions featuring rolling hills and a lake," according to Jorge Badel, L.A. County's assistant golf director.

A highlight of the course is its 45-stall two-tier driving range that now has cooling water misters. The driving range stays open until 10 p.m., one of the few lighted ranges in the area. Other facilities at the course include a 375-person banquet hall and a fully stocked pro shop.

Standard green fees are $21.50 on weekdays and $28 on weekends. Discounts are available for junior and senior golfers as well as during twifight and super twilight periods. The course is open from dawn to dusk.

The course does not operate any tournaments, but does allow third parties to host tournaments at the course.

Opened in 1953, the course was designed by the William P. Bell and William F. Bell, a father-son duo that designed more than 400 public and private golf courses during their lifetimes.