I will try to piggyback on the last review of Harding from earlier today, but it's pretty much spot on and doesn't need much more from me. In short, Harding has seen far better days and it's in dire n... Continue »

I will try to piggyback on the last review of Harding from earlier today, but it's pretty much spot on and doesn't need much more from me. In short, Harding has seen far better days and it's in dire need of a makeover. The green on hole 15 is one of the worst I've ever experienced at an LA City course. It's just dreadful and frankly embarrassing. The rest were also not in the best of conditions (and inconsistent in terms of speeds), but nowhere near as bad as this one. Fairways are just okay and really just about everything right now is subpar. I'm hopeful that the upcoming greens work will also cover things like thin bunkers and very poorly-conditioned tee boxes. And yes, the missing tree on hole 16 is really a bummer. It absolutely used to shape that hole and while you still need to make two good shots, the character is missing. What can you do? I will always prefer Harding to Wilson (unlike many) but I would not recommend it right now until it gets a lot of TLC.

I played Harding Sat 4/19. Good news bad news, the course isn't in good condition, very dry though out. BUT the greens are being punched 4/22-23. Hopefully with less play, things can recover. I like H... Continue »

I played Harding Sat 4/19. Good news bad news, the course isn't in good condition, very dry though out. BUT the greens are being punched 4/22-23. Hopefully with less play, things can recover. I like Harding for an LA City muni, but not so much as it's sister course Wilson. I didn't use the range, I've heard it was upgraded. Smallish short game area (supporting 2 courses.) Plenty of putting areas. Check in (they did ask for my DL before allowing others to check in) is easy in the pro shop. The restaurant that took years to get a facelift is open & seems to be flourishing! The snack shack in the middle of the course that serves both courses from various holes is open too. Tee boxes; bad. Uneven, hard, dry, with spotty grass. Probably the same for past 40 years with the exception of hard & dry. Fairways; Some were decent, many had small patches of dirt, with gopher hole damage rampant. Many had been filled in/repaired with dirt, but poorly done. Spring Gopher season? "Gophers- the little brown, furry rodents!" Yup, need Carl out there... Rough is anything from shin high weeds to bunchy weeds & dirt patches, all with Gopher holes. So dry it's easy to hit out of. Collar areas mostly good. Bunkers ok, at least consistent hardpan with a few inches of sand on top. Oh well, they are meant to be difficult. Greens beat up, some bumpy, others not bad. All have plenty of unrepaired ball marks. More than anyplace I've played. Speed was medium, but a couple were furry & slower. Punching this week is needed. The previous review mentioned the big missing tree right side of 16 or 17 & was spot on about it. Short par 4 was like a slight dogleg because one had to hit a fade around the big tree. Draw/hookers were in trouble. I'm one of them, many times I missed into the trees left. Now it is just a short wide open hole. One of my buddies had a 30 yard pitch to set up his birdie & I had an 80 yarder to set me up for my only birdie. With the flag in the front or middle the hole is just too easy. Bummer! POP; 4:30. Not bad for a sat. 8*30 start time. Nice carts with GPS & BT Speakers. Overall, not in recommendable condition, but better than nothing & hopefully after the greens being punched they will get the rest of the course in better condition.

I thought I make a quick review since the fires and extreme winds a couple weeks ago. The number of fallen and missing trees is noticeable to someone who plays Harding often but other than a little l... Continue »

I thought I make a quick review since the fires and extreme winds a couple weeks ago. The number of fallen and missing trees is noticeable to someone who plays Harding often but other than a little less shade and open space, the trees that were lost aren't significant in affecting the play...except for a single hole. Hole #16 lost the the giant ficus tree that guarded the right side of the fairway. This used to be one of the most difficult driving holes, but now its WIDE open. I hated this hole but I'm saddened that it lost a lot of character and challenge to Harding. Holed #15 and #16 are a downers now. #15 because the green has been a lost cause since last Summer, I don't know if they can, if ever, repair it.
Otherwise, the greens were great! Fairly quick, but on the soft side on approaches. Coverage on the fairways and around the greens is good. Several bunkers are on the thin side but playable. The biggest issue is still the tee boxes, very poor on many.
Harding is still a personal fav and a good value.

Played our GK Cup semifinal match at Harding yesterday and came away feeling a tad bit disappointed in overall conditions. The course is most certainly playable but there are a lot of nagging little i... Continue »

Played our GK Cup semifinal match at Harding yesterday and came away feeling a tad bit disappointed in overall conditions. The course is most certainly playable but there are a lot of nagging little issues that could and should be improved with some autumn rain and a little more TLC.

Right now the main complaint is the tee boxes. They're shaggy and unkempt and far from good. If you're a player who doesn't use a tee, it's very aggravating to see them in this shape. The bunkers are also on the thin side and look quite difficult to navigate. The fairways had plenty of good sections but also a lot of thin and dirt areas up near the greens depending on the hole, while the rough was mostly playable but also very easy to lose balls since there's so much tree debris in many areas.

Greens were actually quite good overall so not much to complain about there. They ran medium-fast and held shots well while staying predominantly true to their lines on putts. I still had a devilish time figuring out the subtle breaks though as evidenced by a poor overall putting day.

POP was actually pretty good and we didn't do too much waiting all day, so that was nice. No cart service but a great snack shop again after the 8th hole. Carts are quite nice and have a solid GPS system to offer. The overall price for the round was quite fair, as it usually is when playing LA City courses. Only this time out the course just isn't showing its very best, but I'm sure that will come back in time.

Played Sunday 8/18, 11am tee time, 5:15 round. Been over a decade since I've played here, I think. So it was nice to play a nostalgic course. fun layout... but in below average muni shape. Greens ... Continue »

Played Sunday 8/18, 11am tee time, 5:15 round. Been over a decade since I've played here, I think. So it was nice to play a nostalgic course. fun layout... but in below average muni shape. Greens running a fast 9, bumpy. Fairways are hairy and inconsistent. tee boxes are some of the worst I've seen in a while. all in all, still a playable course.. had fun. not the fastest round.. not the best greens, not the most pristine.. but a classic nonetheless. Carts have gps.. that was a surprise. Glad I was able to get out.

The second of two rounds with my NY visitor was, again, at a course I enjoy but hadn't played in a good while, teeing off at 11:20 on Saturday, 8/3 with a pleasant young couple. Not Rustic Canyon but ... Continue »

The second of two rounds with my NY visitor was, again, at a course I enjoy but hadn't played in a good while, teeing off at 11:20 on Saturday, 8/3 with a pleasant young couple. Not Rustic Canyon but solid muni conditions. Teeing grounds all good, nice coverage on the fairways, rough was generally playable just off the fairway but definitely stretches and sections that were thicker and grabby in the mix as you moved off. Bunkers looked OK but I missed them and can't comment accurately. Green surrounds were good for short game and the greens themselves were in good shape, ran nicely, but not quite as quick as the fast practice green — enjoyable to putt on. The temps were up from our previous round but do-able in a cart. Pace was a reasonably steady five hours. Something classic about the Griffith Park complexes that I really enjoy, I wasn't disappointed. Recommended. As an aside, the difficulty in getting reservations in the city system, particularly on weekends, was the reason I hadn't been to Harding in a while. I wasn't even trying. For this round I did the usual ready at 6:00 am on-the-dot first available booking day, and secured the time despite my fumbling. Don't know if the new deposit requirement is making the difference, but it seemed a little more forgiving this time rather than being immediately shut out if you didn't nail a time in thirty seconds. A little encouraging.

Pretty much going to echo my review of Wilson here. Played Harding on Sunday for round 2 of the LA City tournament and conditions are very similar. Still unsure really which of the two is actually "ea... Continue »

Pretty much going to echo my review of Wilson here. Played Harding on Sunday for round 2 of the LA City tournament and conditions are very similar. Still unsure really which of the two is actually "easier" even though by rating it would be Harding. Both courses have very straightforward easy holes, but a number of them are sharp doglegs that require a good tee ball to be in position for your approach. Can definitely find yourself lost in the trees scrambling.

I will say there is probably nothing harder to me on both courses than holes 11/12. 11 is a dogleg right onto a fairly narrow fairway so if you over cut (or in my case slice it 50 yards) or hit a draw or straight ball you're on another fairway. On 12 there's the freeway right with a large net that is actually fairly forgiving if you hit it but it's still a nervy tee shot.

I will say over two days I didn't hit the ball into one bunker so I can't comment on conditions but it at least appeared that they had sand.

Definitely a great weekend playing both courses back to back and if you're able to do so, I'd highly recommend doing it!

Played Griffith Harding on Sat 4/6, 8*30 tee time. No wind, cool early but a beautiful day for Golf! With respect to the recent tee time uproar, I got my tee time as always by being on the computer at... Continue »

Played Griffith Harding on Sat 4/6, 8*30 tee time. No wind, cool early but a beautiful day for Golf! With respect to the recent tee time uproar, I got my tee time as always by being on the computer at 5*59am 9 days before. I don't know if the "Bot Brokers" got scared off or I got lucky... They did ask for my ID at check in. Tee Boxes; good coverage, large enough to find a flat spot, many could use some leveling. Fairways; Really, really good!. Maybe as good as I ever recall here. Thank you rain. Rough, also great shape, many areas have a 5+ yard 2nd cut. The real rough could be few inches or 4-5" with clover. Greens med-Fast, very nice condition. Bummer aeration in a couple weeks. Collars & surrounding areas also good shape. POP; 4:45. Seems like a long day, but it wasn't awful at all. My 1st time out in 10 months after a shoulder injury, so maybe it was gonna be good no matter the POP! The Restaurant is back open, a big plus. Good food, not cheap, but not crazy either. They did a nice job on the remodel with a big bar & better tables/chairs. No bev cart on course. Pass a snack shack in the middle of the course a couple times. I recommend. Look out for aeration! PS weekend early rates (before 9am) are $69 with cart. And the old route up the hill from the Forest Lawn exit of the 134 is closed. Have to drive in by the Zoo.

Got another treat this past weekend when one of my buddies snagged an 8am foursome at Harding on Sunday. The weather forecast looked fairly bleak in terms of high winds and cold temperatures, but luck... Continue »

Got another treat this past weekend when one of my buddies snagged an 8am foursome at Harding on Sunday. The weather forecast looked fairly bleak in terms of high winds and cold temperatures, but luckily both were quite manageable throughout the day with only bursts of gusts or icy winds that chilled the bones. We all walked to try and keep the circulation going.

In short, the course is in really good shape right now and it's a must-play if the opportunity arises. Greens are actually quite fast which took a while to sort out speeds, but they're rolling very nicely right now and may even require your absolute best chips and pitches to stay close. Fairways are in good shape all across the board - they're not super lush private course of course, but they're great with all the traffic this Muni gets. Rough is very playable and fun. Tee boxes (played the blue tees) were in good shape - flat and level, while the bunkers were maybe the only disappointment feeling pretty thin and making sand shots a little terrifying.

Didn't see any cart service all day but the POP was exceptional as I'm imagining the weather report scared a few groups off or just made everyone want to get through the round faster to get back into their warm and cozy cars. We were walking up the 18th fairway at around 12:20 so to finish Harding in 4:20 on a Sunday was pretty great.

So if you're a fan of this course and have maybe waited to hear some good news about it before returning, now is the time to go. You won't be disappointed.