Balboa Golf Course

Just saw a commercial of the driving range with explosive targets. That would definitely bring a crowd.
But golf course is adequate for being public. Busy most weekends. But you’ll always find stragglers everywhere

The course is in really poor condition, not sure if anyone is to blame or if the sun is just brutal in the valley right in that spot lol, other courses in the valley are much better. Its just really really mediocre golf. People there seem to be zombies, cars going by and its super loud, airplanes overhead. Hardly an escape, not sure why I would want to ever come back, very very boring course.

Nice course for the price but had strange experience.
I played alone and caught up slow two some. They were walking and hitting balls everywhere. Also, their driving distance was shorter than 200 (It didn’t even fly 150 many times) but they teed off black and blue tees.
So I was gonna pass them thru, but they didn’t let me do so complaining two groups already had passed them thru.
So now I got stuck behind them, and they still took as much time as they wanted. Pretty inconsiderate.
I gave up and left after playing 12 holes.

VERY DISAPPOINTED in my experience with this golf course and maybe others in Los Angeles if they are also like this. NO KIDS ALLOWED unless they have had Golf Training and a Certificate from the city.
I found this out today after showing up to the course to play golf with my wife and bringing my 8 year daughter to just watch and learn the game. Immediately I was told by the Starter that my daughter could not be on the course unless she had golf Training and a certificate from the city even if she was just there to watch.
I am not from Los Angeles but I have been playing golf my whole life and never experienced anything like this. Aren’t we supposed to be motivating kids to learn and be part of the game golf and not turning them away from it. The starter said it was a liability issue because they have been sued previously when something previously happen to a kid but that doesn’t seem like a good excuse to me since an adult can sue the golf course if something happens to them as well.
I told the starter that if they are this scared about getting sued then they should have a liability form you sign before you play in order to not hold the golf course responsible under any circumstance. Play at your own risk document. He said that is good idea but doesn’t know why that hasn’t been done.
City of Los Angeles maybe you should consider this liability form if you are so scared of being sued and quit turning away kids who want to learn the game of golf. A kid should not have to have training and a certificate to experience the game of golf with their parents.
City of LA time to change this and make golf more accessible to children going forward.
Sincerely,
Disappointed and Upset Golfer

big, open playing field

I’m quite surprised with the other reviews. I played Balboa last week and did not have a problem with it. The fairways and greens were well-​maintained. For a regular-​but-​not-​awesome golfer like me, I thought it was challenging enough. The greens were smooth (surprisingly fast that day) and the bunkers were soft. The carts were also clean and in good condition.
The only negative for me was that I did not see a marshal. On the day I went, there was a group of novice guys in front of us– they hit a lot of balls out of bounds and drove the cart just under the green. Although we gently reminded them golf etiquette, their pace of play was extremely slow that it held back a couple of groups. They eventually let us pass them (at 14!!!) but two walkers got stuck behind them. For a course that was usually crowded, I expected to see a marshal at some point. But, alas, we were mostly stuck behind our beer-​drinking buddies. What could have been a 3.5 hour round became 4.5 hours.

As with Encino and Woodley Lakes — they are charging too much for these courses. Granted it was in quite good condition but the hole layout and lake of variation is what holds these places back.
The fairways were green and soft, tee boxes are mowed tight, and the greens were in good shape. Even some of the sand I got into was reasonably soft. I started at 530pm and was able to get 17 holes in by 8pm. I was playing by myself, quickly. I had to skip one hole as a 4 some didn’t offer me to play through.
That said, the hole here are all the same. I think there is about 2 dog legs with every other hole being dead straight. Really bores you. For that reason they should be charging less then they do. I can play $ 25 twilight w/​cart at about a dozen good courses within an hours drive, I have no reason to choose this place.
For those of you trying to pick between Balboa and Encino I would pick Encino. Everything is the same except Encino has slightly better hole variation.
1. Encino, 2. Balboa, 3. Woodley Lakes.

Teed off on sunday at 530. First ones out. There was already a line forming at 510.
Tee boxes, fairways & greens were avg. expect muni level quality. Very easy course. Flat, straight & open. Tied my PR here w/​o trying. Will return. But only early. It can get very crowded.

Course is okay. Greens get pretty tore up at times. Little crater like indentations that cause your ball to take weird turns when putting. I suppose it creates an added challenge if you’re looking for that. «which way will the ball break, no one knows.». Course itself is okay. A lot of trees and a lot of bunkers which isn’t bad. No water hazards. I like me a water hazard here and there. I just do.
As for the staff and the regulars… pretentious as all heck. I would normally choose a different word than «heck» but you know what I mean. Everyone there treats it like it’s a country club. Probably due to its proximity to Encino, Tarzana, etc.
Speical note to some of you regulars here… (and staff)… If you want to be a pretentious donkey hole… please just join or get a job at a real country club. Oh… what’s that. you can’t? OK then… fine, then you can come back here to this PUBLIC COURSE. Yes. it’s city owned PUBLIC COURSE you annoying donkey holes. That means you are just about the same as everyone else there. You are not special. No one loves you. No silver spoon for you.
ahhh that felt good.

I come here just to run on the exterior dirt trail. They have added gym equipment on the trail for those who want to exercise for free basically using your own body weight. Usually not very crowded but I have seen it get really annoying on the cemented bike path.
I have also been here before using there driving range and I had fun but I have never played golf here or anywhere for that matter.

I don’t consider myself a course snob. In fact, I love cheap golf. But I was a bit disappointed by the condition of this course last weekend. $ 40 to walk. Tees and greens are okay, but oftentimes the ground was pretty bare and hard about 50 yds from the green and in. The starter was friendly enough but definitely was more concerned with his conversation and enjoying his cigar than checking people in at sunrise.
I’m giving an extra star because my cousin and I had a 6:12 tee time (3^rd group of day) but the other twosome let us go off first and there was nobody ahead of us. This works both ways though as you might think you’ll be first off at 6am only to find some people arrived early or walked on and were allowed to tee off before you.

Balboa and Encino are the worst municipal course of the LA parks and Rec. system. From the driving range (worn out all balls full of mud), to the starters (rude jokes and attitude), the fairways are a mess, Green are just patches of low cut grass. No dress code, so if you have cut off jeans bring them, it’s the course attire. Drive to Griffith Park, or Simi Hills or better go out for a walk. The sad part is that as a golf course design its a decent one with Mature and old Eucalyptus trees. As a bussiness they are making money, always busy from local Senior golfers that prefer this substandard conditions that drive or wait in a better maintained course.

Course isn’t bad n has its difficulties at times. Down side is this course is what it is. Its smack dab in the middle of the valley. It’s always packed with players from all walks. Some devoted golf enthusiasts and others hacking away in a tank top yelling at each hole. This course is only worth it with the twilight price. Greens are just ok. Course is well maintained, but you see the occasional crunched beer can here or there. The balboa course is the one I usually play. The encino side isn’t as fun in my opinion.

Hit the driving range today, it was just OK. Kind of a big dust bowl and you can’t see the distance signs. Bring your own rubber tee and a tall one most mats don’t have their own. The course is lovely and I have enjoyed playing it and Encino both. Parking is easy. The proshop guy is really nice.

This is NOT for the course. Balboa, Woodley and Encino are all good courses! But the range… OMG!!! I had taken off a couple years for a shoulder injury. I went to try and hit some balls. Just wanted a medium bucket.
First…the guy at the counter was surely and pissed off. Mostly, he was pissed I didn’t understand his Korean accent. Now mind you… I talk to Asian people all the time. But this guy had both a thick accent AND an attitude.
What really blew me away were the prices! Range balls almost doubled in price! Way too expensive for me to hit a bucket or two every night… like I used to do!
Just phoned Woodley… where the range allows you to hit from the grass! Their prices are still about 75%. (Seems that the city sold the concessions at each course. So they can set their own prices.)
No wonder the range at Balboa was mostly empty the other night after work!

I called this morning to inquire about a lost putter. The gentleman I talked with was extremely rude. I understand I am a wife calling about her husband’s lost putter, but as a frequent golfer myself, I would never go back to this course based on the phone call I had this morning.
To be honest, someone with this must attitude should really think twice considering this is a public golf course paid by my taxes and that there are far superior courses and ranges of lesser cost in the Los Angeles area.
Bottom line Balboa, your greens aren’t that great for Gary to be that pompous and elitist.

I use the driving range — so this review is specific to the driving range.
It’s «ok». I guess because it is close by and stays open late with lights… but really it’s kinda dingy and dirty and the greens are a tad ragged.
The staff is nice, and the balls are average priced. The crowd is extremely safe — never felt scared here even late at night.
I wish they would clean it up a bit, but for functionality this place works.

This review relates to their driving range, because holy lord, it is not good. Their club house/​service location for the place is run down and scary dirty. The guy running it was rude and hard to talk to. He seemed like that grumpy old man that used to scream at you as you walked by his house as a kid.
I just showed up and didn’t have my clubs, so tried to rent or use whatever they had. Their selection looked like something from the 12^th century, including bent and mangled drivers. I finally managed to get an iron that looked straight, went out to use it after surrendering my driver’s license to them and after about 20 swings, the head flew off mid swing — just snap, broken. I brought it back to try to get another and the scary old man gave me the hairy eyeball until I convinced him to let me use another.
The range itself is not well maintained. There is only cover for some of the stalls, so don’t go on a hot day. There are no frills, not misting or anything like that I have found at other courses in the Valley. Not recommended.

This is a nice little muni course situated in a nice area of the Valley, just off the (101). Clubhouse is really only a dinky little building, separate from the restaurant. Not much selection, IMO. But everyone we spoke to was polite and cordial.
We got a tee time at 6am and we were third out. Walked the course as it is generally flat. One thing I noticed throughout the course is that the rough is quite thick, even in the second cut off the fairways. In actuality, it could be downright unfair. There were a few golf balls lost in deep rough just off the fairway on decent shots. The fairways were generous and if you can keep it there, you’re in pretty good shape. Course was in nice condition. Greens were quite fair and pin placement on this Sunday was good. Pace of play was okay, about 4:15. Finished in time to get home to watch Adam Scott choke away The Open!
You can really score well here and build your confidence. Slope rating was only 117 from the whites, not as difficult as some of the other local courses. One thing I did like was the consideration the groundskeepers showed. A number of the sprinklers were running on a few of the fairways and greens and they were nice enough turn them off as they saw us approach and tee it up.
I did think 40 bucks to walk before the sun comes out is a bit too much for such a simple course, though. As with most muni courses in So Cal, it could use some work. And I would have appreciated a course cart person, especially in the summer. But I will definitely return.

Was in LA for a wedding last weekend, and I was able to have a friend squeeze in a teetime at 8:30am on Sunday.
I know there are better courses around, but given that this is a muni, I’m inclined to give it 5 stars. I’ve played private courses that weren’t as well maintained.
PRO:
— The breakfast burrito in the restaurant is amazing!
— Conditions on the course were excellent for a muni, especially in LA
— Pace was faster than expected — played a full round with 4 people in 4 hours and 15 minutes with minimal waiting
— A little on the easy side (rating is about a 69 for men with a slope of 129), but still challenging enough to be a lot of fun
— Greens were pretty true and in excellent condition, although the breaks on the back 9 were much tougher to read
CON:
— The driving range looked run down