One whisper of the Zaharias course at Industry Hills ("The Babe" as locals call it) usually incites fear in the hearts of anyone who has ever walked her fairways, and rightfully so, as it is certainly one of the more difficult courses in Southern California. Time has softened her bite, however, and if you're looking for a challenge and a top notch public facility within 20-30 minutes of downtown Los Angeles, there aren't many better options. With 36 holes on site, several putting greens, and the Pacific Palms Resort/Conference Center at your disposal, the Industry Hills spread is hardly short on amenities.
This is not to say that the golf course is not lacking, as it has both its strengths and weaknesses, but set against the surrounding courses, Industry Hills stands out as one of the best available options. The Babe is, without question, the tighter of the two layouts (The other being the Dwight Eisenhower course, or 'the Ike'" For even the average hitter, it is quite possible that you will not need or want to hit driver until the 4th or 5th hole. The Babe is a course that puts a tremendous value on course management and accuracy. There is little room for recovery once you leave the tree-lined fairways, and if you are lucky enough to find your ball in the tall grass that separates some holes, bogey is often a triumph.
The Babe is a nice getaway in an unlikely location, as many of the holes feel secluded from the surrounding areas due to the course traversing the side of a retired landfill "mound" and the course layout is solid. The Babe gives you varied looks, from the claustrophobic 2nd tee shot, to the brutish par 5 6th, to the deceiving 11th, to the benign 12th - Despite this, the predominant theme is that this course is unforgiving, and you will inevitably discover that on your own, sooner or later.
The conditions at the Babe are decent. The playing surfaces are all serviceable but somewhat slow. The fairways are lush and not mown overly tight, leaving many fairway lies sitting up nicely. The greens are spongy, fairly average in speed, and consistent. The entire course was very soft due to quite a bit of water on the ground, and this has been the case in my other trips to this course. Again, the conditions are very acceptable and there was nothing that particularly disappointed me about the course setup.
Overall, if you are up for a challenge and you're hitting your driver straight, give the Babe a try. If it beats you up, don't get too down as you are not alone, and if you happen to play well, you'll be the envy of your Los Angeles foursome for having conquered one of the most notorious layouts in the southland.
