8/3/2019 Palos Verdes Golf Club: Historic Hole-In-One

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WTT By dS K

n 1923, on what were then vast, esoate his an bare covere with sage an

cactus, construction began on the uture paos Veres Go an ountr ub. This

ambitious unertaking was the origina vision o frank Vaneri, the owner o most

o the paos Veres peninsua at that time. His iea was to bui the biggest an

hansomest o a countr cubs, as quote in the Ju 18, 1914 issue o the Boston

Hera. Vaneris ream became a reait in 1924, an the much-anticiate course

an cubhouse oere unobstructe an unaraee views o the Santa onica Ba.

locate in the mie o an 800-acre arkan reserve, the chaenging course

was esigne an buit b George . Thomas, Jr., an Wiiam p. Bi Be, uring

an era which is now reerre to as the Goen ge o Go ourse rchitecture.

Go courses buit uring this time erio were one without benet o heav earth-

moving equiment, so the natura shaes o the an ha to be use to create naturahazars. Whie the paos Veres course is not ong in ength b moern stanars,

the combination o creeks, ravines, an numerous we-ace bunkers requires

strategica-ace shots to sma, we-manicure greens. ther exames o Thomas

an Bes course work incue the iviera ountr ub, Be ir ountr ub, an the

jai Vae nn Go ourse, a buit between 1923 an 1927.

during the origina construction, man varieties o trees were ante with

anscaing rovie b the mstea Brothers oman, an inuentia anscae

esign rm that was aso resonsibe or heing to create the ationa park Service.

Those origina trees are now ver mature an ine the airwas.

The cubhouse, buit at a cost o $170,000, was the secon oest buiing in

paos Veres states, ater the la Venta nn. The course was instant ouar, so

much so that on the thir a ater the gran oening a an was mae to exten the

cubhouse eastwar sixt eet to ho a new go sho, ca house, an aies gri

an sun orch.

n 1933, membershi was imacte b the deression an cub ues were reuce

to seven oars er month. The roert was eventua eee to the it o paos

Veres states with the restriction that the an cou on be use or recreationa

uroses or the benet o a cit roert owners an resients a restriction that

was crucia to the uture o the go course.

during Wor War , abor shortages mae it amost imossibe to maintain the

course. Knee-high wees an cracks in the earth covere the airwas an terrain.

Subsequent to this, the number o eoe aing on the course ecrease uring

the rst ew ears o the 1940s. ter reviewing its otions, the cit ecie to attract

more aers rom other areas b keeing green ees to a minimum. s wartime eneater in the ecae, however, the inux o resients to the area generate the oosite

robem. Green ees were so ow that eoe came rom areas throughout Southern

aiornia to a go in paos Veres with its beautiu surrounings. vercrowing

became such a robem that the cub membershi an the paos Veres states it

ounci took action to make imrovements.

from 2005 to 2007, the cubhouse unerwent an $11,000,000 renovation with the

goa o roviing increase caacit an the abiit to accommoate cub members

as we as outsie atrons wanting to host socia unctions. The ining room caacit

was oube an an exansive verana was ae to aow or outsie ining.

Whether oure there to hit the historic inks or atten a socia event, the paos

Veres Go ub has the winning combination o imressive histor with serene

surrounings.

l K G B K

histOric hOle-in-One

PalOs VerDes

GOlf club

8/3/2019 Palos Verdes Golf Club: Historic Hole-In-One

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PaloS VerDeS golf cluB circa 1925

Photo courteSy of PaloS VerDeS liBrary DiStrict, local hiStory collection

fun factsWater pigeon,eature m star, ine

at the cub in 1926

whie shooting scenes

rom a icture name,

iss obo.

n 1927,

home sites in cose

roximit to the cub

range in cost rom

$2,000 to

$6,000.

dougas fairbanks

Sr. attene the 1928

paos Veres $2,500

nvitationa en Go

Tournament.

n 1930,

the ouation o the

eninsua reache 500

an the entr ee or

the paos Veres en

was three oars.n 1951,

over the objections

o man members,

the boar institute

a oic that require

aers to

wear shirts.