Palos Verdes Golf Club

Palos Verdes Golf Club is a private golf and social club on the West coast of the United States, located in Palos Verdes Estates, California, a suburb southwest of Los Angeles.

Palos Verdes Golf Club
11th hole at Palos Verdes Golf Club in 2011
Club information
Palos Verdes Golf Club is located in the United States
Palos Verdes Golf Club
Palos Verdes Golf Club is located in California
Palos Verdes Golf Club
Coordinates33°47′44″N 118°22′23″W / 33.7955°N 118.373°W / 33.7955; -118.373
Location3301 Via Campesina
Palos Verdes Estates, California, U.S.
Elevation600 feet (180 m)
Established1924; 100 years ago (1924)
TypePrivate
Total holes18
Events hostedNorthrop Grumman Regional Challenge
Palos Verdes Championship
GreensPoa annua and bent grass mixture
FairwaysKikuyu grass
Websitewww.pvgc.com
Course
Designed byOlmsted Brothers,
William P. Bell,
George C. Thomas
Par71
Length6,433 yards (5,882 m)
Course rating72.7
Slope rating134[1]

History

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The golf course design began in 1923, and the course was opened in 1924.[2] The club, an amenity for area residents in the newly developed Palos Verdes Project, was designed by Olmsted Brothers together with the architects George C. Thomas and William P. Bell.[2][3] Many varieties of trees were planted during original construction, which are now very mature and line and narrow the fairways. The land on which the course is situated is owned by the City of Palos Verdes Estates, and the club is operated under a concession agreement with the city.[4]

The clubhouse underwent a major remodel from 2005 to 2007 and is a popular venue for weddings, with expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and variable capacity.[5][6][7]

General information

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The greens at Palos Verdes are a mixture of Poa annua and bent grass, and the fairways are kikuyu grass.[8] The course has much change in elevation, and can be difficult for some players to walk.[8][9] Guests may play the course with a member, or may pay a public rate of $275 with highly restricted non-member tee times available. For the dress code, denim is not allowed; a tucked-in collared shirt, belt, and slacks or Bermuda shorts are required, as are soft spikes.[5] The course sits on 214 acres (0.87 km2), within an 800-acre (3.24 km2) parkland preserve, encompassing several connecting canyons and unmanicured forestland.[10]

Membership is generally restricted to residential property owners in the city of Palos Verdes Estates, and is open to residents of neighboring cities only by sponsorship from an existing member, and when no residents are on the waiting list. Nonresidents of Palos Verdes Estates additionally pay a higher entrance fee. Over the last few years, the waiting list for membership has shortened, allowing residents to join quickly and nonresidents to join within one year.[11][12]

The club is the site of the annual Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge - an invitational tournament for the top NCAA women's golf teams in the country.[6] In 2022, it hosted the inaugural edition of the LPGA Tour's Palos Verdes Championship.

The course

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The course is par 71 and 6,433 yards (5,882 m) from the black tees, 6,197 yards (5,667 m) from the blue tees, 5,691 yards (5,204 m) from the white tees, and 5,434 yards (4,969 m) from the red tees. The men's slope ratings are 72.3/133, 71.2/130 and 68.9/124 for the black, blue, and white tees, respectively.[5][13]

While not considered lengthy at just under 6,500 yards, the architects' use of the natural terrain, barrancas, creeks, and hills, combined with small greens, extensive bunkering, narrow fairways with strategically designed landing areas, and prevailing westerly ocean breezes, the course presents a challenge for players of all levels. Members have taken great care in preserving the original design and routing of this masterpiece. As of July 2013, the course underwent a fresh $1.5M renovation, restoring some of the lost hole design features and removing hundreds of trees to open up ocean views, and adding modern chipping areas around most greens.

A number of the holes (1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 13, 14) play long, as they are into the prevailing west wind from the Pacific Ocean, less than a mile from the course.[11] Fourteen of the course's eighteen holes feature panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean (a Thomas trademark).[2]

The front nine is a "perfect nine" - where no two holes in a row are of the same par.

The course record post-renovation (black tees) is 61; the long-standing record from the blue tees pre-2013 is 59.

Scorecard

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Palos Verdes Golf Club
Tee Rating/Slope 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Men's Black 72.3 / 133 392 208 413 226 522 338 561 155 386 3201 364 362 283 418 439 145 486 330 405 3232 6433
Men's Blue 71.2 / 130 363 200 389 210 502 330 531 147 369 3041 357 362 263 418 416 135 474 330 401 3156 6197
Women's Blue 77.6 / 141 363 200 389 210 502 330 531 147 369 3041 357 362 263 418 416 135 474 330 401 3156 6197
Par 4 3 4 3 5 4 5 3 4 35 4 4 4 4 4 3 5 4 4 36 71
SI 5 15 1 13 7 9 11 17 3 10 8 14 4 2 18 16 12 6
Men's White 68.9 / 124 355 179 374 193 474 317 494 137 343 2866 342 355 130 404 334 118 440 322 380 2825 5691
Women's White 75.1 / 138 355 179 374 193 474 317 494 137 343 2866 342 355 130 404 334 118 440 322 380 2825 5691
Par 4 3 4 3 5 4 5 3 4 35 4 4 3 4 4 3 5 4 4 35 70
SI 5 15 1 13 7 9 11 17 3 10 12 16 2 14 18 6 8 4
Women's Red 73.4 / 134 334 173 350 182 430 309 460 127 328 2693 335 347 125 387 329 110 424 311 373 2741 5434
Women's Gold 69.7 / 125 305 85 298 159 373 263 330 110 260 2183 324 291 120 337 263 46 302 207 343 2233 4416
Par 4 3 4 3 5 4 5 3 4 35 4 4 3 4 4 3 5 4 4 35 70
SI 5 15 1 13 7 9 11 17 3 10 12 16 2 14 18 6 8 4

References

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  1. ^ "Course Rating and Slope Database™ - Palos Verdes Golf Club". USGA. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Gnerre, Sam (December 9, 2009). "Palos Verdes Golf Club - History". Inside SoCal. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  3. ^ Castonguay, Ken (2015). "History". Palos Verdes Golf Club. Archived from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  4. ^ http://www.pvestates.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=623 [bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ a b c "Welcome - Palos Verdes Golf Club". Pvgc.com. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  6. ^ a b No. 24 Buckeyes Open Spring Slate at Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com
  7. ^ "Palos Verdes Golf Club - Palos Verdes Estates, CA". Yelp.com. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, CA | California Courses". Golf.com. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  9. ^ Paik, Anne. "UCLA women's golf to open its spring season in the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at Palos Verdes". The Daily Bruin. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  10. ^ "Palos Verdes Real Estate | Community History". PV Brokers. December 20, 1939. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  11. ^ a b "Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, California". Golfcourseranking.com. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  12. ^ "Palos Verdes Estates : Palos Verdes Golf Club". Pvestates.org. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  13. ^ Cusick, Tim. "Palos Verdes Golf Club | Palos Verdes Golf Course". Golflink.com. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
 
12th hole, Palos Verdes Golf Club (2003)
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