Los Angeles' most exclusive golf and country clubs sit behind quiet gates in Pacific Palisades, Bel Air, Hancock Park, Century City, Burbank and the foothills. Riviera, Bel-Air, Los Angeles Country Club and their peers do not sell ordinary public tee times, even when their tournaments make the courses familiar to millions of golf fans.
This guide compares ten private clubs using details a golfer can verify: access, architecture, history and the limited ways a nonmember may see the course. The list is numbered for reference rather than as a claim that one membership is definitively harder to obtain than another.
What makes a Los Angeles golf club exclusive?
The common factor is controlled access. These courses generally require membership, a member host or a reciprocal arrangement. Architecture and history deepen the appeal: Los Angeles has an exceptional concentration of work by George C. Thomas Jr., William P. Bell, Max Behr and Norman Macbeth, plus clubs tied to major championships and the entertainment industry.
Are these the most expensive country clubs in Los Angeles?
There is no dependable public table of current initiation fees and dues for these clubs. Private-club costs are usually unpublished, can vary by membership class and change faster than third-party estimates. This guide therefore does not present a price ranking. It explains which clubs are genuinely private, why golfers value their courses and where tournament access may let the public see them.
10 exclusive Los Angeles golf clubs
1. Riviera Country Club
Riviera combines a private-club gate with unusually high public visibility. George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell created the canyon course, and spectators can see it during major events such as the Genesis Invitational and the 2028 Olympic golf competition. Tournament admission provides access to the grounds; it does not create a public tee time.
2. Bel-Air Country Club
Bel-Air is a private George C. Thomas Jr. course routed through steep canyons with tunnels, bridges and the famous Swinging Bridge. Its setting and member-hosted access make it one of the hardest Los Angeles courses to experience in an ordinary round, while championship events occasionally give spectators a view of the architecture.
3. Los Angeles Country Club
The North Course became familiar to a worldwide audience during the 2023 U.S. Open, but normal play remains private. George C. Thomas Jr.'s 1928 design and the Gil Hanse restoration define the course; the USGA has also scheduled the 2032 U.S. Women's Open and 2039 U.S. Open here.
4. Hillcrest Country Club
Hillcrest was founded in 1920 and became a social home for Jewish Angelenos who were excluded from other elite clubs. Its official history also documents the celebrated comedians' Round Table. The Willie Watson course was comprehensively rebuilt by Kyle Phillips, linking an important cultural history with a modern private-club layout.
5. Wilshire Country Club
Wilshire's private Norman Macbeth course occupies a compact Hancock Park property where a natural barranca influences thirteen holes. Its urban location, Golden Age design and long tournament record distinguish it from the canyon courses farther west, while normal golf access still depends on the club and a member host.
6. Brentwood Country Club
Brentwood traces its course through work by Willie Watson, Max Behr and a modern restoration by Todd Eckenrode. The native barranca is the central strategic feature. The course sits in the middle of one of the Westside's most recognizable neighborhoods, but it remains a private member-and-guest club without public tee times.
7. Lakeside Golf Club
Lakeside opened in 1924 around a Max Behr course beside the Los Angeles River in Burbank. Its official guest information makes the access model clear: guests arrive under club rules and the privacy of members and the property is closely protected. The Hollywood history adds fame, while the member-hosted model supplies the exclusivity.
8. Sherwood Country Club
Sherwood is a private Jack Nicklaus Signature course in the Santa Monica Mountains near Thousand Oaks. Its national profile comes from televised events including Tiger Woods' World Challenge and the 2020 Zozo Championship. Outside scheduled events, playing access is controlled by the club rather than a public booking system.
9. El Caballero Country Club
El Caballero pairs a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course with a 2021 Rees Jones restoration. The Tarzana club has hosted USGA and LPGA competition, giving spectators occasional access to the grounds, but the everyday golf experience remains private. Its Valley location broadens this list beyond the Westside's older social clubs.
10. Palos Verdes Golf Club
Palos Verdes is a private George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell course on city-owned land in Palos Verdes Estates. Ocean views, Golden Age architecture and LPGA competition give it a distinct identity. Municipal ownership of the property does not translate into ordinary public tee-time access.
The George Thomas connection
George C. Thomas Jr. is the architectural thread connecting Riviera, Bel-Air, Los Angeles Country Club and Palos Verdes. His courses use barrancas, angled greens and choices from the tee to reward position. William P. Bell helped turn several of those plans into finished courses, while Max Behr at Lakeside and Norman Macbeth at Wilshire represent other important branches of Southern California's Golden Age.
How can a nonmember see these courses?
Attend a ticketed professional, amateur or Olympic event when a club is serving as the host venue.
Play as the accompanied guest of a member and follow the club's guest policies.
Use a legitimate reciprocal-club arrangement when both clubs authorize it.
Check a club's official site for a scheduled charity event; availability varies and should be verified directly.
For current public golf, use the Los Angeles golf-course guide to compare courses that accept everyday bookings. Access policies and event calendars can change, so the linked club records and official club sites should be treated as the current decision points.
Official sources used for this guide
Riviera Country Club: official club history for its Thomas design and championship role.
USGA: Los Angeles Country Club history for the North Course timeline and championship record.
Hillcrest Country Club: official history for its 1920 founding and Round Table history.
Wilshire Country Club: official tournament program for its Norman Macbeth design and barranca.
Lakeside Golf Club: official guest information for its history, guest procedures and privacy rules.