Chester Washington Golf Course

By Jamie McWilliams

LOS ANGELES, California – The Chester Washington Golf Course in Los Angeles may have been named after a journalist from Pennsylvania who made a name for himself in California, but its place in golf history should be credited to Charlie Sifford.

The course started under another name in 1913 with nine holes. It was expanded to eighteen in 1965 by – hmmm. That’s a little hazy, because while the name of noted architect Billy Bell is credited as architect, this bell was wrung twice, because both father and son went by the name Billy and worked on the same projects at numerous times.

As a county owned property, the course, which was affordable and a well-designed par 70 layout, became a magnet for many of the most talented black golfers. In the 50s, the door for integration of the PGA Tour was slow to open for these players. The arrival of Charlie Sifford changed that in 1961 when he became the PGA Tour’s first African-American competitor.

Over time Sifford’s achievements brought notoriety to the club, and his memory is honored with a commemorative plaque and recently renaming the club’s street entrance for him.

Management of the course is under the umbrella of nationally prominent American Golf Corporation. They oversee a design that while short by today’s standards (6286 yards from the back tees, with an option to play some of the longer holes as either par 4 or par 5) with a good mix of elevation changes, dog legs and small greens that make it challenging for most players. Having championships such as the Los Angeles Open and 1975 PGA Seniors back this up. But for most visitors, another element awaits that they have never faced: kikuyu grass.

Kikuyu grass is often brought up during telecasts of the PGA Tour stop at Riviera Country Club because it can give the pros fits. At Chester Washington, you get to experience a little bit of agronomy heaven and hell. Bent grass greens, but guarded by the kikuyu. General Manager Matt Palafox acknowledges this peculiar dilemma. “I’m not sure it’s a Billy Bell design or it just happened that way. A number of other Bell courses have similar grasses, with kikuyu in the rough and around the greens area, and poana bent on the greens.”

Without the rare, beautiful lie, every mishap around the green leaves you guessing on the next shot. Even brushing a little of the grass usually means coming up a foot or so short of the green, where the ball doesn’t release, just dies. Too aggressively played shots mean putts outside ten feet or more. “You have to bring all the tricks out of the bag with kikuyu,” Palafox advises. “You can’t be timid with it, you have to attack it, swing all the way through it, or it will grab the club.”

“The greens are really the protection. They’re on the smaller end, so you have to do some thinking on the approach shots. A lot of the holes are pretty straight away, so we rely on the rough to give the protection that it needs. I tell people it’s a deceiving par seventy because you’ll learn a lot by playing it. A lot of the landing points will put you on the narrowest part of the fairway so you have to think.”

The water that is found on the course is largely cosmetic, and bunkers are not punishing. But keep a sharp eye on the ball flight in the rough. The grass, while not high, is amazing at hiding the ball, so keeping it in play on or near the fairway will speed up your game. With this is mind, you can usually get through the round at a good pace.

Barring any extreme traffic, the airport can be reached in around twenty minutes, so you might be able to play golf coming or going. Early risers also have an opportunity to get some play. “If you want to get in nine holes before taking off, we offer the back nine before 7:30,” says Palafox, “and while local play is about 70%, Monday to Wednesday you can call in from the airport and we can usually guarantee a spot for you.” So when you’re in L.A . and want to play, give Chester Washington Golf Course a try!

https://www.chesterwashington.com/

(Jamie McWilliams is President of VideoStream Productions http://videostreamproductions.com/ and Contributor to Pro Golf Weekly, Member Golf Writers of America, Co-Host/Director The Senior Delinquent www.seniordelinquent.com His email:mcmulti@verizon.net)