Rancho Park Par - 3 Golf Course

Driving range has been repaired recently, but the balls are so bad, it makes no difference what it looks like out there at the target with the new astroturf and new flags. The starter dude is jovial enough, he says it's been slow lately is why it's fairly wide open. I thought, cool, we'll get to play quick, then. Teeing off just around 10;30, I thought we'd be done by just after 2pm, on a weekday. Boy, was I wrong. The course is trashed. Tees thin, fairways thin, muddy, patchy with all kinds of different grasses that are more obvious in the dormant winter than in the summer, there is no over-seeding at courses like this, so you take what you can for the cheap muni price, but it is as good as it will get at this price. The greens were all bumpy, still! They still show signs of the punching from October! in all kinds of waves and tracks of where the holes used to be. Even with the good rain we've had, they are not laid down, nor flat. Bumpy like crazy, not rolled out. Some firm, fine, but mostly just bumpy. Deplorable. This is LA at its finest, just like the freeway and roads, as the jokes go, around here. No rough to speak of. The whole place all looks the same down-trodden look and condition. Yes it's cheap, it's a muni, and therefore it usually gets more play, but now I saw why people are staying away. This is not acceptable, but I guess it is what it is at this level of muni and pricing, you still get to get out and swing you clubs and play golf and try to make putts and have some fun. And to top it off, there was a total log jam of 4 groups at hole 4 and 5, we saw a marshal, we think, drive by and tell us it looks fine up ahead a couple holes, groups in position like they're supposed to be; but!, if that is the case, then why are 4 groups standing at the 5th tee? I tell you why. Because of 6-minute tee times. Just do the math. So it took just over 5 hours to finish today. It's really a shame and a disgrace, that LA can do this to this classic golf course that is renowned the world over. Like I said, that's the joke around here, that the golf courses run by the City is like the freeways and roads around these parts, that they have some of the worst conditions for one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the world. So embarrassing.

I was able to get a last minute tee time on Golf Now for this local course for me. The gentleman in the starters office was somewhat confused with my on line reservation, but let me start with a twosome at the correct start time. There were "camps" for youth going on which randomly started in front of us - I don't think they were scheduled. We had to jump to tee 3. From then on, we enjoyed a good round.

Got through 9 holes no wait. Second round was a wait but during the busiest time of day

Players:
13HCP-27yo-male, 20+HCP-28yo-female

Course:
The layout is great! It’s tight because it’s in the middle of the city, but each hole “feels” separate. (Just don’t shank it!) Each tee box is a driving range mat. Hole distances range from 80-140yd. Must walk, but they have decent 3-wheel pull/push carts—we used them! (It’s included in GolfNow booking price.)

People:
Pace of play was fantastic—for a Par 3 course. We waited ~5min or less at each tee box. There is foot golf as well on the same holes, but their pin is in a slightly different spot marked with red flags, not white. Clubhouse attendant was fine, just pay and check in.

No low hanging trees, pretty flat course, good to practice your short games!

It’s like the only place to play. Lots of pressure on it from population. We made the most of it, and will play again because it’s one of two public places to play. 9 holes took 3-1/2 hours…

When I showed up I walked to the 18th hole and it was first time. The front was short and pointed.

I walked the East side and I let the man up front a I prepaid ( free99) using points. He said there is no such thing is prepaid… so I had to pay. That made me worried about the customer service and the communication between business office and greens staff. Don’t you know you have an account with Golfnow?

I’ll play. But now I know that there is no such thing as prepaid or discounts through Golfnow!!

Golfnow. May want to look into this.

Quick course tight. Decent but not great. Good location

First time out here, but played the 18 hole course adjacent many times. Golfers are laid back at this course where golfers of all ages including juniors are learning the game or sharpening their short game. Attendant was friendly and flexible when we needed to grab a bite before our round. The overall layout is great for a par 3. Probably the best par 3 in the LA area that I have played. The greens are smaller so it provides a challenge. Average golfers only need an 8 iron and above to carry since the longest par 3 is 143 yards. Overall a great time.

Pace of play can be maddeningly slow especially on holes 1-3/4. Not helped by the starter deciding to put a group of 5 right in front of us. Overall a fun course with a pretty good mix of holes in terms of difficulty.

Get an early start and this is a fast nine holes or use it as an opportunity to slow down and practice.

Beware…some starters allow large groups to play. There was a group of 7 behind me.

It seems like they just want everyone’s money and do not care about pace of play or anything. Had a 5 some of children in front of me. Ended up quitting on hold 7 because there was a 5 group backup to tee off on hole 8 somehow. No Marshall or anyone regulating. People playing 2 to 3 balls per hole. Really going downhill