It's official, Santa Anita has been turned over to a brand new "regime". The rumors turned out to be true about the change of ownership. We quickly found out when we didn't see our old friends Ed or... Continue »

It's official, Santa Anita has been turned over to a brand new "regime". The rumors turned out to be true about the change of ownership. We quickly found out when we didn't see our old friends Ed or Gary at the starters window. Found a lone stranger/starter in an empty golf shop who could only take cash and a closed snack window/coffee shop. (Rate has increased to $30) This turnover probably explains the recent downturn in conditions for SA. I was told that his management group also runs Los Amigos and Eagle Glenn, so I'm hoping they can turn this place back around because the current around course conditions are far below par. Our group noticed that many trees were clearly "marked" for something, I hope they don't do anything too drastic. I'm willing to be patient and give these new guys time to bring Santa Anita (a former Southland Golf Course of the Year) back to what once was a favorite course where I grew to learn and love the game ...and hopefully make it even better!

At long last, after years of saying 'I really should go play Santa Anita,' I finally went and did it with three friends on Saturday. I had always heard very complimentary stories about this old time t... Continue »

At long last, after years of saying 'I really should go play Santa Anita,' I finally went and did it with three friends on Saturday. I had always heard very complimentary stories about this old time track and, while conditions did not match the reputation, I could definitely see how this would be a really fun course to play when it's in top-notch shape.

Unfortunately, for now, it's far from it. The greens were pretty good on the front nine but really took a nosedive later in the day and were bumpy, burned out and difficult to get any consistency out of putting. Ball marks galore, as well.

The fairways had some decent coverage depending on the hole, but there are far too many areas cleverly disguised as grass from a distance, but upon closer inspection it's really just some type of weed growing out of ample patches of dirt just underneath - in other words, expect to find yourself with some terrible lies.

The sand in the bunkers was okay, so no real complaints there, but the tee boxes were well chewed up and the rough was a hodge-podge of thin, thick and dirt and bare. Really did not know what you would find each and every time you hit a ball out of the fairway (and even sometimes when you did).

That all being said, the track itself is actually a very fun design and layout. It's not a hilly course, but it makes up for that with some pretty interesting undulations in the fairways and a few nice green complexes to challenge every skill level. But sadly it could not be enjoyed to the fullest in the current conditions.

We played the white tees for the first time around and it was $37 walking, which is a fair price for this place. For a crowded course, the driving range doesn't have enough stalls to accommodate all of Santa Anita's guests, but the diner and bar in the clubhouse are nice and serviceable.

So I will definitely play this track again when I see that the course conditions have improved. I understood (rumor perhaps?) that the folks who fixed up Los Amigos a few years back will be working to restore Santa Anita, so if that happens, I'm not going to hesitate to make the drive and see it at its best.

Played 7/24. From my last visit a few weeks ago or so, course is definitely showing signs of summer. Fairways were very blotchy with different mixes of conditions, some green some mixed. Playable for... Continue »

Played 7/24. From my last visit a few weeks ago or so, course is definitely showing signs of summer. Fairways were very blotchy with different mixes of conditions, some green some mixed. Playable for the most part but stills one bad fairway lies just behind grass clumps. Rough about the same. Greens good but slower than previous. Some marks from that day but still good. Sand good as usual. Still well playable, just not as good condition as a few weeks ago. Staff good as always. Pace of play decent for a Sunday 4.75 hrs. Still probably the best of the LA county I've played so far.

Finally got around to playing this course. $32 mid day rate from golfnow. 4hrs for 18 holes. Typical LA muni conditions. Most fairways browned and patchy. Not the worst, not the best. Playable. Good v... Continue »

Finally got around to playing this course. $32 mid day rate from golfnow. 4hrs for 18 holes. Typical LA muni conditions. Most fairways browned and patchy. Not the worst, not the best. Playable. Good value for price paid. Paired with two nice guys. Ok layout. Starter was kind of robotic. Easy recommend if you score cheap rate.

After San Dimas Canyon, sixpez and I played Santa Anita. It was my first time here, at a course I'd heard great things about. Those expectations were not really met on any level. Conditions are not ve... Continue »

After San Dimas Canyon, sixpez and I played Santa Anita. It was my first time here, at a course I'd heard great things about. Those expectations were not really met on any level. Conditions are not very good. The greens accepted full shots well and rolled smoothly, but were medium slow. The fairways were very thin and oftentimes balls in the "fairway" were not rewarded with a good lie. The rough is also thin and has lots of bare spots. The bunkers were pretty good. Tee boxes were decent except a few that were lumpy.

After hearing a lot about the nice ground movement out here, I guess I was expecting something more dramatic. Yes, the lumps and bumps in some of the fairways are cool, but with current conditions including many dry and hardpan areas, there is no definition to the course and nothing is aesthetically pleasing. Other than the rolling fairways and a few elevated greens, the layout was very reminiscent of any run-of-the-mill muni to me, and the setting is pretty terrible surrounded by city streets.

I should begin by saying I really love this old style traditional golf course. This course is visually appealing to anyone who grew up playing these type courses. The rolling fairways, the absence o... Continue »

I should begin by saying I really love this old style traditional golf course. This course is visually appealing to anyone who grew up playing these type courses. The rolling fairways, the absence of housing, greens well protected by bunkers, etc.

That said, Santa Anita is unquestionably in the worst condition I have even seen it in. The greens were decent, the greenside bunkers were great!. EVERYTHING else was in dire need of attention. I've never seen so many bare areas on this course. There were a few spots of each hole where there was grass, but not much.

The course was not crowded (Conditioning???) so we were able to finish in just under 4 hours, which for this course isn't too bad. I sure hope they can turn this course around, because it deserves better.

After San Dimas in the morning, Itslikeimsayin and I had a second round scheduled at 12:30 at Santa Anita. He booked a GN hot deal for $29 a player. We got there early and it wasn't super busy out (at... Continue »

After San Dimas in the morning, Itslikeimsayin and I had a second round scheduled at 12:30 at Santa Anita. He booked a GN hot deal for $29 a player. We got there early and it wasn't super busy out (at least by this course's standards), so we teed off around 12:00 and played as a twosome. We had to wait on most shots, but the pace was pretty nice at 4 hours on the nose. This course was also in pretty mediocre shape. The tee boxes were fine enough, but the ground was firm underneath. The fairways and rough have a lot of dead spots. In the sections where there is grass (some holes better than others), the grass was very nice. However, it seemed our balls always ended up in hardpan or patchy areas with not-so-desirable lies. The rough was pretty ugly. Like San Dimas, things did also get nicer here around the greens. The collars and rough around the greens is much better kept than the fairways. The bunkers here were pretty nice. The greens were slower San Dimas and didn't look nearly as pure. They rolled okay enough, I guess. It has been many years since I last played here. I used to play here a lot (at least a couple times a month with a regular weekend group), but it's probably been almost 10 years since those days. Either way, I still have a soft spot for it. I think it's an enjoyable course and all the mounding in the fairway makes things interesting. Fairly forgiving off the tee and a good mix of hole lengths that allows you to use most clubs in your bag. Good course where I have a lot of positive memories, but just so/so conditions right now.

Well, I finally gave in and played here today. Not really a fan of the LA County courses so I try to avoid them as much as possible. I tend to find the people rude, the day of golf long and dangerous ... Continue »

Well, I finally gave in and played here today. Not really a fan of the LA County courses so I try to avoid them as much as possible. I tend to find the people rude, the day of golf long and dangerous with typical fairways going back-and-forth and people hitting in and out of your fairway. However, I was pleasantly surprised today with Santa Anita. Shocked with a very acceptable just under 4 1/2 hour round on a busy day with many foursomes and a clientele that is famous for six hour rounds. Pro shop cordial enough, started on time.
Teeboxes average, some crowned a little, some divots, grasses varied, but all playable enough.
Fairways pretty typical of LA courses with some varying types of grass throughout but on a whole actually really nice and plush here today. That was a big surprise to me as I went in with low expectations.
Rough basically like the fairway just a little longer in some spots but again most lies were pretty solid minus a couple occasional holes that I was in.
Sand was actually pretty decent. A little hard underneath on a couple of the flat greenside bunkers but there was definitely sand in them and better than most courses in the SoCal area.
Have to say, this was another pleasant surprise.
Greens were a big surprise. Really nice, almost no divots whatsoever. Medium slow I would say and definitely slower than the practice green though which was definitely medium fast. Took a little while to get used to and believe that they really weren't as fast as the practice green was. You know how that goes.
Carts are basic with no amenities on them and no cart girl on course. But there are plenty of bathrooms, water stations and good food at the turn with very polite girls cooking.
Two reviews previous to mine definitely give a great idea of the courses conditions. It is not a premium course. But it is definitely one of the nicer if not the nicest LA County course I have played. Additionally, unlike most of the county courses, it does not rely on length to be the difficult factor. While no holes are overly memorable, they are definitely challenging with sightlines to the greens, undulation, bunkering and just general good layout. I pretty much used every club in the bag and was never bored throughout the round.
I hear rounds can be very long here, and I can see how that could happen, but that wasn't the case today and we had a real good time.

Got to SA early today and Ed sent me right to the tee to play solo. Very surprised to see no one out there but had a very enjoyable day. The greens were very good. Don't think I have ever said this... Continue »

Got to SA early today and Ed sent me right to the tee to play solo. Very surprised to see no one out there but had a very enjoyable day. The greens were very good. Don't think I have ever said this about SA. Not real fast but the heavy poa annua rolled true. Fairways were in very good shape. Tee boxes the same. Sand traps however were a different story. Hard as rocks! Very wet and very hard under the surface. Wish this could be addressed. You could easily skull a sand shot across the green.

This is about as good as SA gets and if in the area, go play!