Los Angeles has a well-earned reputation as the City of Champions. After all, it hosted the Summer Olympic games in 1932 and 1984, and it will soon host the 2028 Summer Games. Adding to that resume, LA has been home to the World Series Champions, Super Bowl Champions, NBA Champions, and Stanley Cup Champions. What would collegiate football be without the granddaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl? Finally, after an extended absence of 75 years, the United States Golf Association (USGA) has returned the one of golf’s most coveted championships, the U.S. Open, to the Los Angeles Country Club (LACC).

In 1948, the famed Riviera Country Club played host to golf’s legends with a field that included Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jimmy Demaret and others. By the time the last putt dropped in the 18th hole, Ben Hogan won the U.S. Open by two strokes over Jimmy Demaret, and took home a $2,000 paycheck.

*A caddie studies the green’s slope and prepares his course yardage book.*

Although the USGA has long included the exclusive LACC on their short list of possible U.S. Open venues, the LACC’s membership was extremely reluctant to open their club to the USGA and repeatedly declined to host the event. The LACC has long been known as one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the United States. For many years, it was no secret that the LACC excluded individuals based on race and religion, as well as Hollywood’s most famous and other celebrities. As time passed, the average age of their membership dropped, and the LACC developed a more inclusive membership roster. Also, with time, the Club’s membership became more receptive to opening its doors to tournament play.

Until now, the USGA had no difficulty in finding other locations in the Golden State that were more than willing to serve as host for this prestigious contest. Carmel’s Pebble Beach Golf Links has been the backdrop for the U.S. Open six times, most recently in 2019. San Francisco’s Olympic Club hosted the event five times, the last time was in 2012. San Diego’s most popular public golf course, Torrey Pines South Course, has hosted the event twice and most recently in 2021.

Established in 1897, the LACC moved to its present location in 1911. The North and South courses were built by Herbert Fowler under the supervision of renown golf designers George C. Thomas and William P. Bell. The original design incorporated the natural environment which included sandy dry drainage beds lined with native plants, known as barranca. This was a common feature in many Southern California golf courses built in that era. Over time as the Bermuda grass took over the course, the barranca became overgrown and greens shrank.

*Charlie Hoffman digs his way out of a greenside bunker.*

After hiring a new superintendent, Bruce Williams, in 1997, the LACC began looking at more environmentally conscience ways to improve both courses. The LACC began discussing ideas which led to their decision to undergo a complete renovation. The 1928 designs of the courses incorporated many of the ideas Williams had researched and presented to the membership. As a result, the LACC engaged the services of Geoff Shackelford, a local golf historian and author of a biography about George Thomas.

*Jason Day uses a wedge to approach the green on the 1st hole.*

After reviewing candidates for the renovation, the LACC and Shackelford hired architect Gil Hanse and his associate, Jim Wagner, to complete the renovation. Along with Shackelford they developed a design that paid homage to the courses 1928 designs, yet met their current needs. The reconstruction included the strategic removal and planting of trees to open previously existing fields of play, expanding greens, and returning the barranca throughout the course.

With the completion of the renovations in 2010, LACC members became more open to hosting significant events. In 2013, the LACC hosted the Pac-12 Championship Tournament that was won by Southern California native and current PGA golfer, Max Homa.

*During the practice round, Max Homa and his caddie examine the contour and slope of the green.*

Following that, Dick Shortz, co-chairman of the U.S. Open and former president of the LACC, indicates that the membership voted to approve the hosting of 2017 Walker Cup, an amateur competition between teams representing the United States, Great Britian, and Ireland. Throughout the Walker Cup, the course received glowing compliments from the players and others. The LACC membership was encouraged by the reviews from the Walker Cup and expressed their interest in hosting the U.S. Open to the USGA.

*Xander Schauffele watches as Patrick Cantlay rolls his ball towards the hole.*

The USGA welcomed the overture and began working with LACC to host the 2023 U.S. Open. In addition to the off-course arrangements such as access for visitors and volunteers, traffic flow, sufficient parking, and player housing. On the course, improvements were made based on the lessons learned from the 2017 Walker Cup.

*The Leaderboard allows fan to keep tracks of the action throughout the tournament.*

Shackelford, Hanse, and Wagner returned to the LACC to make the necessary adjustments to the North Course. For starters, they extended the course’s length by adding back tees boxes on some holes. They modified some of the fairways by adjusting their widths, some were narrowed, and others were widened. The length of the grass making up the first cut of grass bordering the fairways was adjusted. The first cut of grass closest to the fairway was cut approximately a one inch higher than the fairway grass. The first cut of grass closest to the rough, was cut to approximately three inches higher than the fairway.

*Fans watch live coverage of action on the big screen as they break for a quick bite.*

The Bermuda grass rough was allowed to grow to almost 4 inches in length. The length of the grass combined with its bird nest like texture requires players to carefully consider their next shot out of the rough knowing that they will have great difficult contacting the ball and most likely their shot will land well short of the green.

In some instances, greens were expanded to allow for a variety of pin placements, taking into account the slope and speed of the greens.

*Mackenzie Hughes chips from just off the green.*

Fairway bunkers and those around the greens, had their edges reshaped and the faces bordering bunkers were planted with fescue grass grown to a length and depth that would punish any golfer who was not successful in making clean shot out of the bunker.

*A USGA official uses a simple device to measure the speed of green.*

Complaints were raised by players and others that the course did not meet the standards of a U.S. Open course. These voices were especially loud following the first day of play when co-leaders Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele both shot record-breaking scores of 62 for their rounds, both posting a score of eight under par, a new U.S. Open record.

*Xander Schauffele along with Rickie Fowler shot a record breaking 62 during their first round.*

However, as played continued through the week, players discovered that there was a distinction between the first nine holes and the second nine holes. Many felt that the first three holes were the best opportunities to post scores under par. Although the back nine holes had an 80-yard par 3 hole and a par 4 hole that could be reached in one stroke, players posted higher scores on the back nine holes. Also, during the days where the marine layer was present, the greens were more receptive to the golfers’ approach shots and easier to putt. Under the Southern California sunshine, they dried out and became faster and golfers had difficulty keeping their approach shots on the green. Needless to say, after the first day of play no one matched the record setting rounds Fowler and Schauffele posted.

*Carlos Ortiz examines green as he prepares to putt.*

By the time play concluded on Sunday evening, Wyndham Clark stood atop the leaderboard posting a score of 10 under for 72 holes, beating Northern Ireland native, Rory MclLroy, by 1 stroke after MclLroy posted a score of 9 under par for his 4 days of play. Scotty Scheffler, currently the Number 1 Player in the World Rankings, finished in 3rd place at 8 under par. Local favorite, Fowler, who led or co-led the tournament for 54 holes, ended the tournament in a tie for 5th place with a final score of 5 under par for 72 holes.

*Wyndham Clark during his practice rounds sharpens his approach shot.*

In contrast to Hogan’s 1948 paycheck of $2,000, Clark left the City of Angels with $3.6 million. Mcllory earned $2.16 million for his efforts and Scheffler received $1.4 million.

*Scotty Scheffler is left with a short wedge shot to the green.*

The USGA has plans to return the U.S. Open to Los Angeles in 2031 at the Riviera Country Club and in 2039 when the U.S. Open returns to the LACC. Pebble Beach Golf Links will host the U.S. Open in 2027, 2032, 2037, and 2044.

SUBSCRIBE FREE TO PALOS VERDES PULSE

Steve Tabor

This South Bay native’s photographic journey began after receiving his first 35 mm film camera upon earning his Bachelor of Arts degree. As a classroom teacher he used photography to share the world and his experiences with his students. Steve began his photography career photographing coastal landscapes and marine life. His experiences have led him to include portraits and group photography, special event photography as well as live performance and athletics in his portfolio. As a contributor and photojournalist, he has published stories about the people, places and events in and around the Palos Verdes Peninsula and beyond.

Interested in seeing more of Steve’s work, visit website at: www.stevetaborimages.com