Experts Rate Rancho Park Golf Course (1949)

Here is a group of Southern California golf legends posing on the 10th tee of the new Rancho golf course, on that magic day in 1949 when they first rated the course!

An article from the Los Angeles Times from March 24, 1949:

The new Rancho golf course received its baptism of fire yesterday when eight local links expert tested the course for the first time.

The purpose of their play was to give the course a handicap par rating and also to list the holes in order of difficulty for the score cards. The course will not be opened officially until it is the scene of the National Public Links championship July 11-16. The links will be available for public play following that time.

Wille Hunter, pro at Riviera, and Johnny Dawson, Lakeside amateur, scored 70s yesterday. Harold Dawson, executive secretary of the Southern California Golf Association, and a 7-handicap golfer, scored a 77. J.C. Cunningham, a public links official and a 12 handicapper, scored 82 and Bill Johnson, L.A. city golf course manager, a 16 handicapper, had 87.

Others in the group did not play full rounds. They were Maurie Luxford, president of the City Recreation and Park Commission; George Von Elm and Golf Architect Billy Bell.

Course Rated

Johnny Dawson gave the course a par rating of 70.9 and Harold Dawson rated it 70.7. The actual par will be 71. The second hole, 445-yard 4-par, was judged the most difficult and the 16th, a 179-yard 3-par, rated the easiest.

Rancho, at Pico Blvd. and Patricia Ave., is on the site of the old Rancho course, which has been closed for several years.

Transcribed by J.Jones, Rancho Park Golf Club historian.

1949 Rancho Golf Course Opening Score Card

© 2018 golfhistoricalsociety.org & J.I.B. Jones.

4 thoughts on “Experts Rate Rancho Park Golf Course (1949)”

  1. Hi. Thanks for all the interesting stuff. I’m interested in traveling throughout the western states in order to play the courses that constituted the ‘west coast swing’ from the earliest days of pro -and/or- amatuer competitive golf through the 1970’s. Can you folks provide me with or steer me to lists of these courses? Thanks in advance.

    1. I’m overdue to write the story of professional golf in California! In the meantime… yes, there was a tour from about 1900, that played all the main cities in California.
      For now, here are the courses that have been used for the Los Angeles Open from 1926-2021.

      Club – Years Hosted – Architect

      Los Angeles Country Club – 1926, 1934-1936, 1940 – Fowler, Thomas, Bell
      El Caballero Country Club (NLE) – 1927 – Bell, Thomas
      Wilshire Country Club – 1928, 1931, 1933, 1944 – Macbeth, Orr
      Riviera Country Club – 1929, 1930, 1941, 1945-1953, 1973-1982, 1984-2021 – Thomas, Bell
      Hillcrest Country Club – 1932, 1942 – Watson
      Griffith Park – Wilson/Harding – 1937-1939 – Thomas, Johnson, Bell
      Rancho Golf Course – 1956-1967, 1969-1972, 1983 – Johnson, Bell

  2. Dear sirs
    I would like to find some photos or articles about golf course Trieste Italy that US army built in 1948/49 after WWII.
    Do you know where I find veterans or websites or national offices?
    Thankfully

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