Southland Focus

A weekly look at golf courses open to the public in Southern California.

RECREATION PARK GOLF COURSE

Address: 5001 Deukmejian Dr., Long Beach.

Phone: (562) 494-5000.

Green fees: $19-$23.

Tee times: Three days in advance, after 1 p.m.

The facility: Originally the site of Virginia Country Club, the course was laid out with sand greens in 1910 by Charles Drake. It became a municipal course in 1921 when the country club moved to its present location in Long Beach and became an all-grass course in 1926. One of the busiest courses in Southern California, a record 132,000 rounds were played there in 1992. From 1941 to 1970, the Southern California PGA match-play championships at Recreation Park attracted such national champions as Lloyd Mangrum, Paul Runyan, Jerry Barber, Jim Ferrier, Olin Dutra and Jack Fleck.

The good: The rolling terrain still retains the look of a country club course. It is an excellent walking course, but don’t let the first two holes lure you into thinking it’s a pushover. It starts with par fours of 289 and 304 yards. But a few holes later the par fours are 456, 427 and 412 in succession.

The bad: Three years ago, some practical joker dropped off a pair of pet rabbits in a clump of bamboo that separates the 10th and 11th fairways from the 17th. There are now a hundred or so rabbits hopping around the area. When someone suggested getting rid of them, animal activists put up a howl, so they remain, leaving only hawks, dogs and cats to hold down the numbers.

The score: It is the jewel of Long Beach’s four municipal courses, all of which have been managed and manicured by American Golf since 1982. Few cities in the country have a more pleasant 18 holes in the middle of the community.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Overall rating: 3 balls

* One ball: No-frills golf.

** Two balls: Worth an occasional round.

*** Three balls: Like shooting four strokes under your handicap.

**** Four balls: Where the golf gods play.

*--*

Hole Back Tees Middle Tees Par Front Tees 1 289 282 4 267 2 304 295 4 272 3 408 392 4 377 4 355 342 4 317 5 131 127 3 124 6 456 444 4/5 414 7 427 416 4/5 416 8 412 399 4 381 9 477 443 5 425 Out 3,259 3,140 36/38 2,993 10 421 407 4 389 11 359 338 4 306 12 130 124 3 124 13 300 286 4 271 14 510 498 5 494 15 324 319 4 310 16 147 139 3 119 17 480 449 5 426 18 387 375 4 351 In 3,058 2,935 36 2,800 Total 6,317 6,075 72/74 5,793

*--*

Rating / Slope: Back--69.9/111, Middle--68.8/108, Front (women)--72.6/120