The Los Angeles Country Club is a golf and

country club A country club is a privately owned club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Typical athletic offer ...

on the

west coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, located in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

History

In the fall of 1897, a group of Los Angeles residents organized the Los Angeles Golf Club, and a lot was leased at the corner of Pico and Alvarado streets (now part of the

Alvarado Terrace Historic District Alvarado Terrace Historic District is a designated historic district in the Pico-Union district of Los Angeles, California. It is located southwest of Downtown Los Angeles, along Alvarado Terrace between Pico Boulevard and Alvarado Street. S ...

) for a nine-hole

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

. Called "The Windmill Links," the course was named for a makeshift

clubhouse Clubhouse may refer to: Locations * The meetinghouse of: ** A club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal ** In the United States, a country club ** In the United Kingdom, a gentlemen's club * A ...

crafted from the bottom of an abandoned

windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called windmill sail, sails or blades, specifically to mill (grinding), mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and ...

. Through the middle of 1898, this site served as the club's home until the course became too crowded. The club was removed to Pico Heights, at Hobart and 16th streets. The new home was named "The Convent Links" for its location behind a

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

near Rosedale Cemetery. Again, nine holes were laid out for play, but by the spring of 1899, this course and clubhouse had also become too restricted for play. The search committee for a new site, consisting of the club founders Joe Sartori and Ed Tufts, found the club's new home just west, on the northeast corner of Pico and Western. The

was transported intact to a new site in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...

, and it was expanded there. The club also laid out an 18-hole course. The club reopened on May 30, 1911. It now has 36 holes of golf, and tennis courts. The original golf course was laid out by Joe Sartori, Ed Tufts,

Norman Macbeth Norman Macbeth (Greenock 1821 – 27 February 1888 London) was a Scottish portraitist. Life He was born at Greenock, where his father James Macbeth was an excise official. He served a seven years' apprenticeship as an engraver in Glasgow ...

, and Charles Orr. Later, the courses were redesigned by Herbert Fowler and

George C. Thomas, Jr. George Clifford Thomas Jr. (October 3, 1873 – February 23, 1932) was an American golf course architect, botanist, and writer. He designed the original course at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and more than t ...

, and again by Thomas with William P. Bell in 1927–28.

Hosts national and international championships

The club hosted the 1930

United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship The U.S. Women's Amateur is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. It is played annually and is one of the 13 United States national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association (USGA). F ...

;

Glenna Collett Vare Glenna Collett Vare (June 20, 1903 – February 3, 1989) was an American Hall of Fame golfing champion whom the Hall calls the greatest female golfer of her day, and who dominated American women's golf in the 1920s. Biography Born in New Haven, ...

defeated

Virginia Van Wie Virginia Van Wie (February 9, 1909 – February 18, 1997) was an American amateur golfer, best known for winning three U.S. Women's Amateurs, 1932–34. The Illinois-born golfer was the daughter of wealthy parents, and learned the game at the Bev ...

in the final match. The club hosted the 1954 U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship; Foster Bradley defeated

Al Geiberger Allen Lee Geiberger Sr. (born September 1, 1937) is an American former professional golfer. Professional career Geiberger turned pro in 1959 and joined the PGA Tour in 1960. Geiberger won 11 tournaments on the PGA Tour, the first being the 1962 ...

in the final match. The club hosted the 2017

Walker Cup The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested in odd-numbered years by leading male amateur golfers in two teams: United States, and Great Britain and Ireland. The official name is the Walker Cup Match (not "Matches" as in Ryder Cup Matches). It is ...

, won by the United States. In 1996 and 1997 an extensive renovation of the North and South courses was completed. In February 2010, a

extensive restoration of the North Course by Gil Hanse and Thomas biographer Geoff Shackelford took place to return the course to

's design from 1921. The course reopened in October 2010.

Hosts PGA Tour events

The North course hosted the first

Los Angeles Open The Genesis Invitational is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in southern California, first played in 1926 as the Los Angeles Open. Other previous names include Genesis Open, Northern Trust Open and Nissan Open. Played annually i ...

in 1926, and it returned four times: 1934, 1935, 1936, and 1940. The most recent in 1940, won by

Lawson Little William Lawson Little Jr. (June 23, 1910 – February 1, 1968) was an American professional golfer who also had a distinguished amateur career. Little was born in Newport, Rhode Island, and lived much of his early life in the San Francisco area, ...

, was plagued by heavy rains.

2023 U.S. Open

On July 22, 2015, the

United States Golf Association The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the United States national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rules ...

(USGA) announced that Los Angeles Country Club was selected to host the 123rd U.S. Open in June

2023 Events Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ** Croatia will adopt the eu ...

. The first major championship held at the club, it will be the first in Los Angeles area in 28 years, and the area's first U.S Open in 75 years.

Tournament history

* The playoff in 1935 was 18 holes and was won by two strokes, 73 to 75, and both earned the same amount.

Notable members

J. Win Austin J. Win Austin was a retired businessman who became a Los Angeles, California, City Council member from 1941 to 1953. He was earlier on the Police and Health commissions. Biography Austin was an executive of a graphite, a lead and a bridge company ...

, Los Angeles City Council member, 1941–43''Los Angeles Times,'' July 13, 1939, page A-2
/ref>"Every Council Post at Stake," ''Los Angeles Times,'' March 30, 1941, page 2
/ref> * Robert L. Burns, Los Angeles City Council member, 1929–45Los Angeles Public Library reference file
/ref> *

Arthur Letts Arthur Letts Sr. (June 17, 1862 – May 18, 1923) was an immigrant from England who made his fortune in Los Angeles, California, in the early years of the 20th century. He built his wealth by transforming a small, bankrupt dry goods store in Down ...

, department store founderMcGroarty, John Steven
''Los Angeles from the Mountains to the Sea''
American Historical Society, 1921

References

External links

* {{U.S. Open golf venues Golf clubs and courses in Los Angeles 1897 establishments in California Clubs and societies in the United States Walker Cup venues Holmby Hills, Los Angeles Wilshire Boulevard