Wilshire Country Club

Founded in 1919, its Norman Macbeth-designed course is a Golden Age gem, threaded by a meandering barranca that comes into play on more than half the holes. The par-71 layout is bisected by Beverly Boulevard, with a tunnel connecting the front and back nines.

Course History

Wilshire Country Club was founded in 1919 in the then-emerging Hancock Park district, with the Norman Macbeth course opening the following year. In its early decades the club became a fixture of Los Angeles competitive golf, hosting the PGA Tour's Los Angeles Open in 1928, 1931, 1933 and 1944. Olin Dutra served as an early club professional, and the course record of 61 has been shared by Ellsworth Vines and Jerry Barber.

In the modern era the club has continued to draw championship golf, including the Senior PGA Tour's SBC Senior Classic (1995-2000) and LPGA events such as the Office Depot Championship (2001) and the LA Open (2018-2022). Howard Hughes's former mansion borders the course's southern perimeter, a reminder of the club's deep ties to old Hollywood.

The Design & Architecture

Norman Macbeth routed the course across a tight urban parcel, using a snaking barranca as its central strategic feature. A 2008 Kyle Phillips restoration reclaimed lost fairway width and bunker edges. In 2024–25 Phillips and Eclectic Golf reshaped the barranca, bunkers, greens and tees again; their project page says the club will fully reopen in 2026.

Signature Holes

Wilshire has long been noted for varied par threes and barranca crossings. Kyle Phillips and Eclectic Golf reshaped its greens, bunkers and tees during the 2024–25 restoration.

The par-five sixteenth follows a broad bend in the barranca, while the eighteenth returns toward the clubhouse.

Playing the Course

Wilshire rewards precise placement around its barranca and bunkers. Recent work renewed many of the course features while retaining Norman Macbeth’s compact routing.

Know Before You Go

• Access: Private club open to members and their accompanied guests only.

• Location: 301 N. Rossmore Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90004, in the Hancock Park neighborhood.

• Contact: (323) 934-1121; visit wilshirecountryclub.com for membership information.

• Tip: Scoring hinges on staying out of the barranca and controlling distance into the shallow, well-bunkered greens rather than chasing raw length.

Course figures source: USGA Exhibition tee rating.