With the Los Angeles Country Club set for its Major Championship debut this week, it is unsurprising that the host venue for the 123rd U.S. Open is the subject of much pre-tournament focus.
What is the history behind the location of the third men’s Major of the year, how does the North Course set up and what have the players been saying about it in the lead up?
History
Founded in 1897, Los Angeles Country Club is one of the oldest and most exclusive golf clubs in the United States of America.
First known as the Los Angeles Golf Club, the original golf course was a nine-hole layout called “The Windmill Links”. Its name made reference to the makeshift clubhouse which was the base of an old windmill.
Another site was formed called the Convent Links where another nine holes were constructed, before its first 18-hole course was laid out in 1979.
Popularity led to overcrowding and resulted in it arriving at its current location and after extensive planning, the new clubhouse opened in Beverly Hills with 36 holes in 1911.
The course
The North Course was designed by British architect Herbert Fowler in 1921 and re-imagined in 1927-28 by George Thomas and Billy Bell.
It has since undergone work over the years, most extensively by course architect Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner and contributions from author Geoff Schackelford in 2010 after a five-year restoration project.
The scope of work included complete reconstruction of the greens, bunkers and tees.
A key element of the restoration also involved recapturing Thomas and Bell’s original scraped-out, craggy bunker style on the 325-acre site.
The par-70 layout features just three par fives and in contrast has five par threes, with the prospect of the 11th and 15th potentially playing more than 200 yards different in distance.
You can read more about the challenge facing the world’s best this week on the ‘short’ holes here.
Past tournament history
While this week may mark a Major bow for the Los Angeles Country Club, the venue does hold a record of hosting prestigious events.
The Los Angeles Open, now known as The Genesis Invitational, was staged on the North Course on five occasions up until 1940, including its inaugural edition in 1924.
It also served as the host venue for the 1930 United States Women’s Amateur Golf Championship and the 1954 U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship.
More recently the club hosted the 46th Walker Cup in 2017, with Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa both among the United States of America team that defeated Great Britain & Ireland.
Now, this week’s championship heralds the return of Major Championship golf to the City of Angels for the first time in 28 years, and the area’s first U.S. Open in 75 years.
California, however, is no stranger to Major golf, with Jon Rahm having won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2021.
The 1995 PGA Championship, held at The Riviera Country Club, the host venue of The Genesis Invitational, was the last venue of major golf.
More big events are to follow, with Riviera to host the golf competition at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 while the Women's U.S. Open will be at Los Angeles Country Club in 2032 before the men return to the same course in 2039.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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