Palos Verdes Golf Club facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Palos Verdes Golf Club

11th hole at Palos Verdes Golf Club in 2011
Club information
Location in the United States Show map of the United States Location in California Show map of California
Coordinates	33°47′44″N 118°22′23″W / 33.7955°N 118.373°W / 33.7955; -118.373
Location	3301 Via Campesina Palos Verdes Estates, California, U.S.
Established	1924; 101 years ago (1924)
Type	Private
Total holes	18
Tournaments hosted	Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge Palos Verdes Championship
Greens	Poa annua and bent grass mixture
Fairways	Kikuyu grass
Course
Designed by	Olmsted Brothers, William P. Bell, George C. Thomas
Par	71
Length	6,433 yards (5,882 m)
Course rating	72.7
Slope rating	134

The Palos Verdes Golf Club is a special place where people can play golf and enjoy social activities. It's located on the west coast of the United States, in a beautiful area called Palos Verdes Estates, California. This town is a suburb southwest of the big city of Los Angeles.

A Look Back: Palos Verdes Golf Club's Story

The idea for the golf course started in 1923. The course officially opened its doors in 1924. It was created as a fun place for people living in the new Palos Verdes Project area.

Famous designers like Olmsted Brothers, George C. Thomas, and William P. Bell helped plan the club. They planted many different kinds of trees when they built it. These trees are now very tall and make the golf paths, called fairways, narrower.

The land where the course sits belongs to the City of Palos Verdes Estates. The golf club runs the course through an agreement with the city.

The main building, called the clubhouse, got a big update between 2005 and 2007. It's a popular spot for events like weddings. From the clubhouse, you can see amazing views of the Pacific Ocean.

What You'll Find at Palos Verdes Golf Club

The golf course has different types of grass. The putting areas, called greens, have a mix of Poa annua and bent grass. The fairways are covered in kikuyu grass.

The course has many ups and downs, which can make it a bit challenging to walk. If you're not a member, you can sometimes play for a fee. However, there are not many times available for non-members.

There's a dress code to follow. You can't wear denim (like jeans). You need to wear a collared shirt tucked in, a belt, and either long pants or Bermuda shorts. Golf shoes with soft spikes are also required.

The course covers about 214 acres (0.87 square kilometers). It's part of a larger 800-acre (3.2 square kilometers) parkland. This area includes several connecting canyons and natural forestland.

The club hosts important golf events. It's the home of the annual Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge. This is a special tournament for some of the best women's college golf teams in the country. In 2022, the club also hosted the first-ever LPGA Tour's Palos Verdes Championship.

Exploring the Golf Course

The Palos Verdes Golf Club course is a "par 71" course. This means a good golfer is expected to finish the 18 holes in 71 strokes. The total length of the course changes depending on which tee boxes you play from:

• From the black tees, it's about 6,433 yards (5,883 meters).
• From the blue tees, it's about 6,197 yards (5,667 meters).
• From the white tees, it's about 5,691 yards (5,204 meters).
• From the red tees, it's about 5,434 yards (4,969 meters).

Even though the course isn't super long, it's still tricky! The designers used the natural hills, valleys, and creeks to make it interesting. It has small greens, many sand traps (bunkers), and narrow fairways. The wind from the Pacific Ocean also adds to the challenge.

The club members have worked hard to keep the course looking like its original design. In 2013, the course had a big renovation. They brought back some old design features and removed many trees. This opened up more ocean views and added new chipping areas around most greens.

Many holes on the course (like holes 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 13, and 14) play longer because they face the wind from the Pacific Ocean. The ocean is less than a mile away! A cool fact is that 14 out of the 18 holes offer amazing views of the Pacific Ocean. This is a special feature often found in courses designed by George C. Thomas.

The first nine holes are called a "perfect nine." This means that no two holes in a row have the same "par" score.

The best score ever recorded on the course since the 2013 renovation, playing from the black tees, is 61 strokes. Before 2013, the record from the blue tees was an amazing 59 strokes.

Course Details: Scorecard

Here's a quick look at the course layout and par for each hole: