Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles

Originally routed by Pete Dye and later reworked by Tom Fazio, it plays 7,242 yards to a par of 71 and ranks among the most dramatic — and most expensive — golf courses ever built in the United States.

Course History

The site began life as Ocean Trails Golf Club, a Pete Dye design on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. In June 1999, shortly before the course was to be completed, a landslide sent the 18th hole sliding toward the ocean, and the club struggled financially in the aftermath. The Trump Organization acquired the property in 2002 for roughly $27 million and undertook extensive geotechnical stabilization and reconstruction.

The rebuilt course reopened as Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in January 2006. With the enormous cost of stabilizing the bluffs and rebuilding the lost holes, its total price tag has been reported at around $264 million, frequently cited as making it the most expensive golf course ever constructed.

The Design & Architecture

Pete Dye laid out the original routing to hug the coastline, and Tom Fazio later reworked the course during and after the Trump-era rebuild. The result is a cliff-top layout on bentgrass greens and Bermuda fairways where the ocean is in view from every hole, framed by native grasses, water features and dramatic elevation changes. The par-3 signature holes that play toward or along the bluff edge, and the closing stretch above the Pacific, give the course its postcard reputation.

Playing the Course

From the Black tees the course is a genuine test at 7,242 yards, par 71, with a 74.6 rating and a stout 144 slope — numbers that reflect the exposed, wind-swept cliffs as much as the length. Coastal breezes, forced carries and firm, sloping greens reward accuracy over raw power. Multiple tee sets ranging down to about 4,600 yards make the round playable for higher handicaps, but from the tips this is one of Southern California's more demanding public tests.

Know Before You Go

• Access: Public, daily-fee — open to the public with advance tee times; premium green fees reflect the resort-caliber conditioning and setting.

• Location: 1 Trump National Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, on the Palos Verdes Peninsula about 45 minutes south of downtown Los Angeles.

• Amenities: Full-service clubhouse, restaurant and event space, practice facilities and a driving range, all overlooking the ocean.

• Contact: Call (310) 265-5000 or book through trumpnationallosangeles.com.

• Tip: Bring an extra layer — the clifftop exposure means wind and cooler ocean air can make the course play tougher than the yardage suggests.