Maggie Hathaway Golf Course

Named for one of the most important civil rights figures in American golf, the 835-yard short course reopened in March 2026 after a ground-up redesign by Gil Hanse, turning a beloved neighborhood staple into one of the most compelling short courses in Southern California. It is operated by American Golf in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Course History

The course opened in 1962 as the Jack Thompson Golf Course and quickly became a fixture of golf life in South Central Los Angeles. In 1997 Los Angeles County renamed it for Maggie Hathaway (1911–2001), the Louisiana-born blues singer, actress, sportswriter and activist who spent decades fighting to open golf to Black players. Hathaway took up the game in 1955 after winning a bet with heavyweight champion Joe Louis, organized protests against the PGA's discriminatory policies, founded the Minority Associated Golfers in 1963, and helped establish the NAACP Image Awards in 1967. Her advocacy was rooted at this very facility — in 1972 the Minority Associated Golfers, with Hathaway as president, dedicated the park's "Junior Golfers Green" alongside County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn.

By the 2020s the little par-3 had grown tired, and its renewal became a signature project for golf's governing bodies in Southern California. The roughly $21 million Maggie Hathaway Renewal Project combined $7.8 million from Los Angeles County with private philanthropy raised through the "Fore Youth" campaign led by the SCGA, the USGA and Los Angeles Country Club in the wake of the 2023 U.S. Open. Gil Hanse's firm redesigned the course, and the renovated nine celebrated its grand reopening on March 27, 2026, with public play beginning the following day.

The Design & Architecture

Hanse — whose firm also handled the acclaimed restoration of Los Angeles Country Club's North Course, host of the 2023 U.S. Open — rebuilt all nine holes with larger, more contoured greens offering varied hole locations, sandy waste areas and turf reduction along the perimeter for water sustainability, and drought-tolerant Bermuda grass over new irrigation. The practice facilities were expanded in step: a redesigned driving range, a putting green roughly 30 percent larger than before, and a new chipping green. A new 4,100-square-foot clubhouse housing a community center, youth enrichment lab and golf shop is being built as the project's second phase, scheduled to run into late 2026.

Playing the Course

At 835 yards and par 27, Maggie Hathaway is pure short-game golf — holes range from under 50 yards to about 135 from the back tees, so a putter and a few wedges and short irons will cover most rounds. The new greens are far more interesting than typical par-3 fare, with enough contour and surrounding sand to reward a properly flighted shot. It is an easy, quick walk, ideal for beginners, juniors and anyone sharpening their scoring clubs, and the expanded junior programming makes it one of the most accessible places to learn the game in Los Angeles.

Know Before You Go

• Access: Public — book tee times online through the course's TeeItUp booking page or call the golf shop at (323) 755-6285.

• Location: Inside Jesse Owens Community Regional Park at 1921 W 98th St, near Western Ave and Century Blvd in South Los Angeles.

• Amenities: Driving range, putting and chipping greens, and a golf shop; single-rider ADA golf carts are available with 72 hours' notice.

• Tip: Clubhouse construction (Phase 2 of the renovation) continues into late 2026, so expect temporary facilities — the golf course itself is fully open.