ALERT: (Projected Aeration & Overseeding Alert)
Aerating greens and overseeding 10/27 – 10/29 reopening 10/30.
* Please note that although we put a great amount of effort into forecasting course maintenance, we still recommend you contact the golf course to confirm this information.
With a name like Trump National Golf Club - Los Angeles, certainly every golfer who comes here will arrive with a set of expectations. From the moment players valet the car at the opulent clubhouse, it's obvious that you can expect to be pampered and enjoy the feel of an exclusive country club for the day. Few will leave without something memorable to talk about.
While it would be easy to talk about the facility (and it's a magnificent one) the golf course is what has to do the heavy lifting to keep players coming here. The course wastes absolutely no time introducing players to what's in store. The first tee sits perched high above the clubhouse, much of the course, and the ocean cliffs. Immediately, you have uninterrupted views up and down the Pacific coastline. As breathtaking as the views are, the most riveting feature from the first tee is no doubt the waterfall behind the green, some 350 yards away. Love it or hate it, it's certainly a conversation piece fitting for the only "Donald J. Trump Signature Design" on the face of the planet. Whether you love the spectacle of it or dismiss it as gimmick better suited to Disneyland, one thing is guaranteed: you will not soon forget playing the hole.
Trump invested millions of dollars (both in out-of-pocket expenditures as well as forfeiting multi-million dollar homesites) to improve the former Ocean Trails golf course. While what remains is still haunted by a few of the issues that dogged the original layout (narrow corridors terraced down the hillside, native environmental areas that swallow golf balls, and the simple fact that it's a very difficult and penal test) Trump's changes have clearly improved the course. Bunkers are bigger and bolder than they were before (though it looks as if not all were renovated as the look is not consistent throughout) and landing areas have been better framed to give golfers a clue as to where they're going.
There are still weak holes (the second and third are overly narrow and the 14th is a downright goofy par 5) but Trump's improvements have left behind many strong (or at least stronger) holes, reaching a crescendo at the "Best in LA" 18th. If pressed to think about it, I truly cannot think of many better finishing holes in the area than this one…particularly from the 500+ yard back tee. Assuming you aren't holding the group behind you up, I recommend that everyone at least take the walk back there. Even putting the setting aside, it's a stern par 4 with beautiful and dramatic bunkering holding your attention all the way to the green.
Do not let the yardage on the card fool you. The blue tees at 6,291 yards are enough for all but the professional (especially if there is any kind of wind) and those of you who insist upon playing the black tees will either move up one set at some point during the round or stop in the pro shop for more ammunition after the front nine. Check your ego at the door, play tees within your abilities, and you will enjoy your day a great deal more. Most of the yardage is given up in the par 5s (which are, as a whole, somewhat weak) and a several short par 4s. Par 3s (a set of 5 very good ones) range from 150 to 206 yards: an excellent range for most players. The course plays much longer than the scorecard, and I am truly at a loss to think of who would play the black tees other than touring professionals.
Conditions at Trump National are good from tee to green. The greens themselves are lush and healthy, though a bit on the spongy side which lends them to getting a bit bumpy late in the day (a bit surprising considering they had recently completed aeration). Overall they roll decently quick and suffer perhaps only from the weight of lofty expectations. Watch out for the first green, though, which is firmer and significantly quicker than the rest of the golf course. Fairways and rough are all lush and well cared for, and the sand is Augusta-white, soft, and groomed.
On the whole, there is probably no bigger lightning rod in California golf. Benefitting from a setting on the Palos Verdes coastline that is second-to-none in beauty, it's easy to fall into the trap of holding it to the same standards as coastal stalwarts like Pebble Beach. While the vistas can compete with the best in the world, the course will never hold up to that level of scrutiny: the land is just too severe and the holes too narrow and penalizing to provide the average player with the chance to post a good score. Still, Trump National Los Angeles is a special experience that will give you, your family, friends, clients, or whomever you've come with plenty of memories to keep and a probably a couple of beautiful snapshots suitable for framing.
