Golf Course Review: Chester Washington GC

If you’re working in downtown LA and you want to play hooky, sneak over to Chester Washington Golf Course.

It’s situated in close proximity to downtown and to Los Angeles International as well. Here you’ll find a mature regulation layout that will test your skills with most of the clubs in your bag.

This is a course to consider when you are making Los Angeles tee times.

History

The course opened in 1927, even before the stock market crash of ’29, so many trees has grown to the point of being real obstacles if you wander off the fairway. From the back tees, the course is rated at 69.6.

It has a slope of 117. From the Silver tees, women play the course with a rating of a very respectable 72.7. In addition to those trees, there are also a couple of ponds and numerous bunkers to intercept a mis-hit shot.

Features

Are you more of a novice on the course? Or do you want to bring your kids along to play? Chester Washington has a very unique feature to offer. They have added a shorter ‘course within the course.’ From the Orange tees the 18 holes only add up to a total of 4000 yards. This layout plays to a par 60, and it basically exists as an executive-style 18 right along with the regulation size course. It’s a great concept that other courses may very well adopt in the future.

Like many of the golf experiences offered by the LA Parks System, Chester Washington includes full practice facilities including a lighted driving range. There is also a well-stocked pro shop. Lessons for both groups and individuals are offered by the PGA pro.

From the Blues, the course offers a par 34 front and a par 36 back. This means that you can get warmed up and groove your swing in time to take full advantage of the birdieable par fives on the back.

The first six holes are a mix of shorter par threes and fours.Before you make the turn however, you’ll have to negotiate the longest par four on the course. Number nine demands a good drive as it is 448 yards long. The closing hole, number 18, is a very nice par five only 489 yards in length. Do well on the last hole and you’ll be eager to tee it up again at Chester Washington. It’s a nice test among Los Angeles California golf courses.