Southland Focus

A weekly look at golf courses open to the public in Southern California.

Brookside Golf Club: Course 1

1133 Rosemont Ave.

Pasadena

(626) 796-8151

Green fees: $30-$40. Pasadena residents with course ID card get a discount.

Tee times: Seven days in advance.

The facility: There’s a lot of history at Brookside, which hosted the Los Angeles Open in 1968 and many local and mini-tour events since. Course 1 is the longer and more difficult of the two courses in the Arroyo Seco. A set of championship tees for low handicappers stretches the layout to 7,037 yards. Both courses get a lot of play and are in remarkably good shape considering they are used as parking lots during events at the Rose Bowl.

The good: For a relatively flat course that doesn’t have much water, Brookside has a great deal of character, and Course 1 has all the length anyone needs, even without playing from the tips. On Nos. 9 and 18, drives must clear the flood-control basin. There are twilight and super-twilight rates for the summer that make this a great bargain.

The bad: The course is so popular, and so centrally located, it is difficult to get a tee time.

The score: This is one of the top public courses in Los Angeles County at a reasonable rate. It isn’t fancy, or unfair, or tricked up. Simply a fine round of golf.

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Overall course rating: 3 balls.

* One ball: No-frills golf.

** Two balls: Worth an occasional round.

*** Three balls: Like shooting four strokes under your handicap.

**** Four balls: Where the golf gods play.

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Hole Back Tees Middle Tees Par Front Tees 1 301 290 4 282 2 398 386 4 375 3 447 439 4/5 438 4 406 393 4 377 5 305 287 4 285 6 492 477 5 462 7 410 370 42365 8 191 168 3 118 9 341 337 4 331 Out 3,291 3,147 36/37 3,033 10 403 389 4/5 413 11 515 461 5 441 12 466 454 4/5 442 13 186 158 3 142 14 358 339 4 316 15 510 488 5 467 16 393 367 4 358 17 169 156 3 149 18 441 413 4 353 In 3,441 3,225 36/38 3,081 Total 6,732 6,372 72/75 6,114

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Rating/Slope: Black--72.0/123, Middle--70.3/119, Front--74.7/128