Got out Tuesday 5/10 at 2:10 as a single with a two-some. The Tee boxes here vary as to coverage, leaning towards thin, but are generally nice and level. The fairways here were some of the greenest I ... Continue »

Got out Tuesday 5/10 at 2:10 as a single with a two-some. The Tee boxes here vary as to coverage, leaning towards thin, but are generally nice and level. The fairways here were some of the greenest I played on over the thin Winter months. This continues and they are more lush than any I have seen recently. Around the greens is OK for short game but the bunker sand, while good, is uneven with fair amount of footprints. The greens show faint evidence of a recent aeration, running a little slower than usual for here at a straight medium pace, but the surface quality is good and no issues there. Pace was good enough at about 2.25 hrs. More people beginning to hang out around the clubhouse to chill these days. With a couple of quirky holes in the mix, the place is a local treasure.

Got out at 1:40 on 2/23 as a single joining another single and an elderly couple. I just so happen to have been paired up with the couple the last time I was out at Roosevelt. Conditions here are good... Continue »

Got out at 1:40 on 2/23 as a single joining another single and an elderly couple. I just so happen to have been paired up with the couple the last time I was out at Roosevelt. Conditions here are good. Second and seventh tee boxes are moved forward but otherwise most are level, some with thinner coverage than others – no real issues. They keep the fairway grass here a little fuller and the underlying base has more unevenness to it than most places, but not in a problematic way. At this time of year it seems lush compared to the harder, winter thin fairways that are the norm. Rough here is not overly punitive but generally longer than the fairways so you don't get off scot free. Missed the bunkers so can't address them, but they can be a mixed bag here. Chipping areas were OK but on the nappy side, so some variance on how well the ball will sit up. The greens are firm, fairly quick and reasonably clean. I've gone on in more depth about this course in earlier reviews so flip back if you are curious. In my relatively short experience with it, I've found the scene, the conditions and the layout consistently enjoyable and this outing was the same. There is also something quintessentially LA about the place — reinforced by the fact that on one hole the aiming point is LA city hall and on another the Griffith Observatory. How iconic can you get?

Got out as a single with an elderly couple last Monday afternoon. Overall conditions were pretty decent. In the main, the teeing grounds are pretty level here with variance as to coverage. The back te... Continue »

Got out as a single with an elderly couple last Monday afternoon. Overall conditions were pretty decent. In the main, the teeing grounds are pretty level here with variance as to coverage. The back tee boxes were closed and/or the tees pushed up on holes 2, 3, 5, and 6 for turf recovery. The fairways were firmer with the season but with generally good coverage — little to none of the bare spots found on most courses this time of year. I avoided any bunkers and the areas around the greens were inconsistent as to chipping — sometimes a bit lush and others firm and tight. The greens were pretty good, and quick. It was a very nice and invigorating day out; cool, gusty with a couple of smatterings of rain drops. The pace was good, with some waiting on holes six and seven. It's a nice little course with some interesting and challenging holes. It was good to get out and it was over too quickly.

Nothing new or different about the conditions or experience from the last few reviews except the back tees have been moved forward to varying degrees for maintenance on six of the nine holes. Got out ... Continue »

Nothing new or different about the conditions or experience from the last few reviews except the back tees have been moved forward to varying degrees for maintenance on six of the nine holes. Got out Sunday 10/18 at 2:20 with another single, got around at a good pace and had a very nice time.

Went out Friday 9/18 as a two-some. I've written some full descriptions, as have others, that are still accurate so I will address the anomalies here. They are doing some maintenance in the form of gr... Continue »

Went out Friday 9/18 as a two-some. I've written some full descriptions, as have others, that are still accurate so I will address the anomalies here. They are doing some maintenance in the form of green punching and letting some tee boxes grow out. The greens look to have been punched with tines leaving small holes I would guess to be about 1/16" with no sign of sanding. Their impact on putting is minimal, if at all, and the greens ran at a nice medium quick speed with a firm surface. The back tee boxes for holes six and eight were roped off so as to grow out and let the grass re-establish itself. Otherwise the conditions were very nice and as previously reported. It was surprisingly mellow for a Friday afternoon. We went off as a two-some following a two-some, who ended up joining the group in front of them and let us play through on the third hole. It was also the first time I've been there and no wait, much less the usual backup, on the sixth hole. While not currently available anyway, I observed the practice greens have been sanded. Nothing going on here that I would say impacts the overall experience and I enjoyed the round. Now you know before you go, but still definitely recommended.

With the soaring temperatures over the weekend and a little lingering heat exhaustion from 18 holes on Saturday, used the Labor Day holiday to get in a relaxing nine holes at the Roosevelt on Monday w... Continue »

With the soaring temperatures over the weekend and a little lingering heat exhaustion from 18 holes on Saturday, used the Labor Day holiday to get in a relaxing nine holes at the Roosevelt on Monday with a 2:30pm tee time.

The new improvements have really transformed this little mountainous gem into a treat for any golfer. I have never before seen the fairways here so well covered and green, while the addition by subtraction of many of the trees and fences has really created a more open and grand experience. It's pretty fantastic right now.

Are there some blemishes? Of course. The tee boxes remain a bit iffy and beat up on some of the holes, and despite all the nice fixes, you still can't stop lazy golfers from not cleaning up their ball marks on the improved greens. That part is really frustrating as the course has done its part to be better, so why can't we?

But the fairways, as previously mentioned, look great. Greener and more lush than ever. The rough is thick and grabby but playable with wise club selections. I was only in the new fairway bunker on the 4th hole but the sand was quite nice. And the greens had very nice coverage, rolled medium-fast and true, but again, those pesky ball marks needed a good amount of fixing.

You get a lot of golf for nine holes at the Roosevelt and if you still want to get your fix in but play a course that will have your full attention and give you maximum golf pleasure, this is the place to be. I took photos as well and will upload some of them later.

I made my return to Roosevelt in close to a decade after reading the glowing review from T8FISH. His thorough review of the course conditions a couple weeks ago is still very applicable. I don't kn... Continue »

I made my return to Roosevelt in close to a decade after reading the glowing review from T8FISH. His thorough review of the course conditions a couple weeks ago is still very applicable. I don't know if I was seeing the course through rose colored nostalgic lenses but what impressed me about my return was seeing how "pretty" everything was. The upgrade of the facilities and grounds gave off a very cool/laid back vibe. I know that they had a course remodel a while ago but honestly the effect on the game play was unnoticeable to me. I was having an unusually good round ball striking so I was able to not think too much about my game which allowed me to really enjoy the surroundings of GP. Everything was just so green and lush with course conditions that are far better than I remembered. Maybe it was the sunny SoCal morning and good company but I really enjoyed the round. I wanted to replay the 9 again but they were booked until the late afternoon. I'm gonna round up a few of my newbie golf buddies and get out here again soon.

Looking for tee times a few days before, the 18-hole courses were well booked so I played Roosevelt Friday, 6/12, booking a 4:10 tee time. While there were times available throughout the day, I electe... Continue »

Looking for tee times a few days before, the 18-hole courses were well booked so I played Roosevelt Friday, 6/12, booking a 4:10 tee time. While there were times available throughout the day, I elected to go out for the late afternoon experience. Once there, a sign indicated no walk-ups allowed and tee times had to be reservation based, but the sign also posted a phone number, so I think it would be possible to call while you are there and book if there was something available. Me as a single joining a foursome made five. This was only my second time at the course and I think it is a pretty cool 9-holes. Overall conditions were good. Tee boxes were generally pretty level with good coverage. The notable exceptions were the sixth,which was getting more of workout, and the seventh, where the actual teeing grounds weren't being used and the makers were clustered off to the side of the white tee. The seventh was same situation when I played there months ago. The unused tee boxes look great, so maybe they were part of an upgrade that they giving time to mature. The fairways were nicely grown in and cut an appropriate length. Previous visit they were lush to the point of shaggy. The rough was grown in enough to teeter between punitive and playable depending on your spot. I avoided the bunkers so I can't comment beyond they looked OK. The areas around the greens were good length, but if you hit a kikuyu section, chipped against the grain, or the ball settled down a bit, it could be grabby and tricky. The greens themselves were a nice medium quick speed. With an abundance of trees,you get a bit more detritus and pine needles around, but the surface itself was good, true and with a minimum of pitch marks. Pace was a little sluggish overall but steady. The major exception being a backup of about four groups at a time at the sixth tee box — a narrow, downhill chute of a par four. You could see that wait coming from several holes away, so everyone was pretty chill about it when they got there. In fact, that vibe seems to be part of the character of the place. The four guys I was grouped with were relaxed and enjoyable company throughout the round. No par-5s, so technically an executive course, there are only three par-3s and several holes you can pull out your driver if so inclined, it doesn't feel particularly executive. The contours, proximity to the Griffith park hillsides, and occasional urban and observatory views make the course much more interesting than the usual back-and-forth muni. I played a pretty mediocre round but had a really enjoyable overall experience. Because there is no range there and the putting green is still closed, the lesson I am finally taking to heart for these 9-holers is to stop somewhere on the way and get properly warmed up first — in this case over by Harding/Wilson. Warming up and figuring it out on the actual course in the space of nine holes is usually going to detract from the experience. My last two full swings were by far my best of the day, but a little late. That is a slap on me, not the course. After two rounds, I happen to think the course is a bit of a gem, but for most, it's certainly worth a one-time experience, at minimum.

Along with a buddy, we had our first experience at Roosevelt, Friday, 3/6, teeing off around 3:25. I was taken by the vibe of the place and thought it was very cool, but first the conditions. Playing ... Continue »

Along with a buddy, we had our first experience at Roosevelt, Friday, 3/6, teeing off around 3:25. I was taken by the vibe of the place and thought it was very cool, but first the conditions. Playing from the blacks, the teeing grounds had good coverage and were pretty level overall. Exceptions would be a touch of forward slope to the sixth teeing grounds, and the markers were grouped forward of the regular teeing areas on the seventh. No complaints, really. The fairways were very interesting. At a time of year where thin, tighter lies and rollout seem to be the norm, these fairways were well grown in and shaggy — lush compared to anything I've seen lately. Really almost more like playable rough than fairways, which is not really a complaint. The course isn't overly long, so rollout isn't necessary, and the ball generally sat up on these thicker, unkempt fairways, so the lies were fine. The rough was a step thicker and could vary from playable to a bit punitive, and there are wooded and dirt areas, and drop-offs that could enter into play with misguided shots. I was in one bunker, which was a riot of footprints that my ball managed to avoid for a decent lie. But the sand was plentiful, a nice, beach-y consistency, and good to hit out of. Green surrounds could verge on lumpy at times, discouraging putting from just off the green but more often was a good lie from which to chip. Greens themselves were in good shape with a scattering of residual marks and a reasonable minimum of outright pitch marks. A bit slower than I've seen most places lately, they ran medium, occasionally on the sticky side, but nothing that required excessive adjustment. The only real warm up areas are the practice putting green for putts and the first tee for swinging clubs. The practice green matched up with the course. The layout definitely presents some challenging moments, including blind shots, and playing it a second time with course knowledge will make it more fun. I enjoyed it. While the course conditions were quite reasonable, if nothing special, I thought the overall vibe was. The layout is visually interesting, ensconced into Griffith park with a deceptively remote feel. An interesting mix of tight and wide holes, rolling contours and elevation changes, and an abundance of wildlife that included deer and coyotes, all of which belie its actual, immediate proximity to urban Los Angeles. The view of Griffith Observatory from the eighth tee that is framed by the tree-line fairway is one of the cooler and most unexpected things I've seen on a golf course — iconic and actually a bit thrilling. I would go back for that alone. Being an inexpensive nine-holer, I get a sense of an unpretentious, eclectic, urban mix of clientele which I thought very cool. You may find a few more personal ticks and variable attire, but also a lack of attitude. The clubhouse is also tidy in it's mid-century simplicity. A boxy structure, the flat roof covers an office and bar/snack shop facility which are separated by a breezeway-style patio with some sectional lounge-style seating. That the bar/snack shop area has doors that open out to the breezeway give it a nice sense of openness, extending and multiplying the relatively modest space. There is also a nearby, uncovered area with picnic-style tables and tree trunk section seating. For me something about the Griffith Park courses has always hearkened back to earlier time in LA's history that has a certain nostalgia and even romance to it. Maybe, while golfing there, I sense ghosts on the course wearing fedoras and peak caps? Ok, you may check this place out and wonder why anyone would make any kind of fuss about it at all. Check it off your list and move on. I, for one, will be back.