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Rating Index Rating
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4.1
739 Reviews (739)
5 Stars
201
4 Stars
326
3 Stars
133
2 Stars
43
1 Stars
36
Conditions
3.9
Value
4.0
Layout
4.1
Friendliness
4.3
Pace
3.9
Amenities
3.7
88.2%
Recommend this course
626 out of 739 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.2
35 Reviews (35)
5 Stars
18
4 Stars
10
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
2
Conditions
3.9
Value
4.1
Layout
4.2
Pace
4.0
Amenities
3.6
StaffFriendliness
4.3
88.6%
Recommend this course
31 out of 35 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.1
65 Reviews (65)
5 Stars
29
4 Stars
25
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
3
1 Stars
4
Conditions
3.9
Value
4.0
Layout
4.1
Pace
4.0
Amenities
3.6
StaffFriendliness
4.3
87.7%
Recommend this course
57 out of 65 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
This Long Beach public course impresses with elevation changes, true-rolling greens, and well-maintained fairways that reward accurate shot-making. Exceptionally friendly staff and reliable pace of play make for a consistently enjoyable round at strong value.

About

Holes 18
Type Public/Municipal
Par 72
Length 6405 yards
Slope 117
Rating 70.0

Also known as Recreation Park American Golf Club.

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Course Details

Year Built 1910
Fairways Kikuyu Grass
Greens Bent/Poa Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect William F. Bell William P. Bell (1910)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - $14.25 - $17.50
GPS Yes
Pull-carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes

Food & Beverage

Bar, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities
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Reviews

4.1
739 Reviews (739)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 10
Course Challenges Include:
Plays Long 9
Elevation Changes 7
Bunkers 6
This course/club is great for:
Locals 11
This Course's Location is:
Convenient to the City 13
Near the Airport 7

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 17
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Great time during COVID

Awesome afternoon of golf with friends

Social distance and masks being used

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Good conditions (FIX TEE BOXES though)

Played on a Sunday and surprisingly the POP was quite good for a weekend round (about 4.5 hours). Played with 3 other singles and all were cool people! Like the new greens (much smaller than before). Almost felt like a new course to me after all the green reduction project. Fairways and greens were in great shape. Rough was just ok, but all of the tee boxes were really bad. Some were actually muddy with not flat lies. Please fix your tee boxes! Also, $74 for a weekend round with cart is pricey for this course. Still had a good time though.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Big Rec

The greens are bad and the bunkers are very wet and muddy.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Great course great staff

35 plus years I’ve played Long Beach courses, and this has to be one of the best I’ve ever seen this course! Seeing a few reviews and comments by some disgruntled people, don’t represent this Golf course at all! ( Recreation Park Golf Course) ! The course is beautiful and the staff is friendly and the course is spotless! Pace of play is excellent 4 hours - 4 hours 15 minutes, so why complain?

By the way, all practice facilities are closed to the general public at all Golf Courses and how some feel they are entitled To take it on their own to give themselves the self authority to practice anyways , doesn’t surprise me ! Always has to be someone who thinks their game is just as important as an aspiring PGA player Whom they’ve never seen play! And yes certain people will have special privileges when you are trying to get your PGA card! Believe me everyone is desperately missing out on our practice time but that’s the way it is! Like it or not!

If you’re looking for an honest opinion and not one because of being butt-hurt. This is the review you want to read! Also great job by the entire staff especially the 1/2 staffed grounds crew that does both courses 18. & 9 !

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 11
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Previously Played

Corona isn't an excuse for bad behavior

Long Beach golf continues to be the worst destination for golf in Southern California. I have considered Big Rec my home course, since I began playing a year and a half ago. I know most of the employees, the instructors and definitely the regular players, grinding it out at the practice facilities. But the management and the course have made themselves so painful to patron, I'm not sure I can continue visiting.

Today, I visited the empty second green on the fifth hole as it is the only place in Long Beach to practice short game. There was a very petty little boy practicing his putting. I walked up and started chipping. Rather than being gracious, continuing his own session, and allowing me to continue mine, he made it known that he was the only one allowed to practice on the green. I asked him to mind his own business, but he called the management instead.

Now, I am no tour pro, but I have played to an 11 handicap in a little over a year and a half by practicing or playing everyday. The manager arrived to back up the petty little boy who can't share his toys, and the manager told me that Petty Boy was allowed to practice but not me. The manager blamed Gavin Newsome and Robert Garcetti, or whatever Long Beach's mayor is named. Though, neither of them were around to actually kick me off the green. Just three dudes in golf carts, not taking responsibility for their own actions. It was more blame casting, and "I'm just doing my job" nonsense, which the manager himself claimed to hate as he was doing it.

But that wasn't the part that rubbed me wrong. The manager, not a politician, made it very clear that they had made a special exemption for the very poor representative of their organization, the petty boy, because he is trying to get a tour card. Like I said, I'm not a tour pro, but I take the game seriously, and I put all of myself into it. I am really embarrassed for this course and game I've loved. The manager made it very clear that having all the privileges of a lifetime of golf makes this little boy more important than a golfer whose game was born on those same greens, and has used and loved the same facilities.

And the very worst part, this kid that they gifted extra course privileges, I've never seen him at the course ever before. He's not a local. He's not even impressive when he swings. He's an ego tripper that has self-aggrandized his game, and a rat. As he followed me around afterward, talking trash and abusing me, it was clear that this kid will never drop his ego enough to find the head space where champions live. So thank you Big Rec, for making me feel small over a newcomer to the course just because he's had a lifetime to master the game. If you ask me, the players who only have hope of getting better, nothing as divaesque as making the tour, and continue to practice all the time are the players that I would be serving, if I managed a course. And I would choose better people to represent my course than an arrogant kid, who believes himself more important than anyone else around.

Go play somewhere else. Nowhere in the state is as awful as Long Beach golf courses. I've been playing all of them, but Long Beach is by far the worst, and it breaks my heart.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great fun course

Great and fun course. Wide open fairways. A few extremely difficult par 4’s. My new favorite LB course.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 305
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 8
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0

Nice course worth playing

I had a great experience playing here. Nice long course with wide fairways. The condition was well and the staff was friendly.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

No Discount for Repaired Greens

$57 for a rec course with aerated greens is just plain robbery. Especially when there was no indication that they were... I would go back if greens and price was better

Conditions Fair
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Fair
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Fairly Easy
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Golf Packages

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