Hillcrest Country Club is one of Los Angeles's most storied private clubs, occupying a rolling parkland site in Century City between Pico Boulevard and the Cheviot Hills. Opened in 1920 to a Willie Watson design, it was founded as the city's first Jewish country club and became a legendary gathering place for Hollywood's entertainment elite. In 2019 the golf course was comprehensively rebuilt by architect Kyle Phillips, giving the historic club a modern championship layout while preserving its classic character.

Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Established	1920
Architect	Willie Watson (redesign by Kyle Phillips, 2019)
Type	Private
Holes / Par	18 / 71
Yardage	7,005 yards
Course Rating / Slope	73.4 / 134
Grass	Kikuyu fairways
Location	Century City / Cheviot Hills, Los Angeles

Course History

Hillcrest was established in 1920 as the first country club for Los Angeles's Jewish community, formed at a time when Jewish residents were routinely excluded from the city's other elite clubs. It quickly became the social home of Hollywood's most famous entertainers, and its members over the decades included Milton Berle, Jack Benny, Danny Kaye, George Burns, the Marx Brothers, and Sandy Koufax. The club's fabled comedians' "Round Table" gathered for regular lunches to trade jokes and try out new material.

The course hosted the 1929 PGA Championship, won by Leo Diegel, and staged the Los Angeles Open in 1932 and 1942. When oil was discovered beneath the property in the 1950s, the resulting revenues famously enriched the membership. In later years the club broadened its rolls to include figures such as Frank Sinatra, Danny Thomas, and Sidney Poitier.

The Design & Architecture

The original layout was the work of prolific architect Willie Watson, who also shaped classic California courses of the era. In 2019 Kyle Phillips led an extensive renovation: six holes were retained in their original locations but substantially improved, six were rerouted along existing corridors, and six were built entirely new, all while carving out room for a six-acre practice facility. The result is a rolling parkland course framed by mature trees and the towers of Century City, with bold, sculpted bunkering and greens that reward precise approach play.

Playing the Course

Playing to a par of 71 and stretching to roughly 7,005 yards from the tips (course rating 73.4, slope 134), the modern Hillcrest offers a stern but strategic test. Its collection of par 3s is a highlight, including the point-to-point fourth with sweeping views toward West Hollywood and the Hollywood Hills, and a downhill twelfth that can be pushed out to some 260 yards and plays to a massive Biarritz green. Elevation changes and a drivable par 4 keep decision-making lively across the round.

Know Before You Go

Access: Strictly private. Play is limited to members and their accompanied guests; there is no public tee-time access.
Location: 10000 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064, in Century City adjacent to Rancho Park and across Pico from the Fox studio lot.
Contact & amenities: (310) 553-8911. The club offers a full clubhouse with dining, a swimming pool, tennis, an 18-hole course, a par-3 short course, and a state-of-the-art practice facility.
Tip: If you're fortunate enough to be invited, don't miss the par 3s and the skyline views back toward Century City that define the modern Kyle Phillips design.