Los Angeles Country Club – North Course: George Thomas Jr.’s Restored Classic
The North Course at Los Angeles Country Club is George C. Thomas Jr.’s celebrated 1928 design, restored by Gil Hanse and staged for the 2023 U.S. Open in the heart of Beverly Hills.
Los Angeles Country Club – North Course The current North Course at Los Angeles Country Club was redesigned by George C. Thomas Jr. and opened in 1928. Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner and Geoff Shackelford led a major restoration unveiled in 2010, returning the course closer to Thomas’s naturalistic and strategic design. In 2023 it hosted the U.S. Open for the first time, with a championship setup of 7,423 yards at par 70.
Thomas’s strategic design within the Los Angeles landscape
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Thomas shaped the North Course around the natural barrancas, sandy washes and elevation changes of the site. His philosophy offered players different routes and angles rather than a single compulsory line from tee to green. This creates a course that can be played in more than one way, with strategy changing according to tee position, wind and hole location.
A restoration that brought back Thomas’s intent
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The five-year restoration led by Gil Hanse and his collaborators rebuilt greens, bunkers and tees while studying archival material and the original landforms. The result revealed more of the North Course’s natural character and distinctive bunker shapes. The 2023 U.S. Open gave the wider golf audience its first major look at the restored design.
A private club in the centre of Los Angeles
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Los Angeles Country Club is private and does not offer ordinary public tee-time booking. The 2023 U.S. Open was a separate spectator event administered by the USGA. Playing access is controlled by the club through its own membership and guest arrangements, so visitors should not assume that a championship venue can be booked like a public resort course.
The North Course offers choices, not a single correct line.
Thomas’s routing rewards golfers who recognise alternate angles and use the ground. The 2023 championship setup showed the course’s ability to test the world’s best without erasing its strategic flexibility.
Understand LACC’s private-club access
The North Course is private and has no public tee-time booking route. U.S. Open spectator tickets are administered separately by the USGA and do not provide playing access. Confirm any guest invitation directly with the club.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ
Who designed the North Course?
George C. Thomas Jr. redesigned the current North Course, which opened in 1928.
Who restored the course?
Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner and Geoff Shackelford led the five-year restoration unveiled in 2010.
What was the 2023 U.S. Open setup?
The championship setup was 7,423 yards at par 70.
Can the public book a tee time?
No. Los Angeles Country Club is private; championship spectator access is separate from playing access.
