Los Angeles, in addition to recently hosting the 2023 (men’s) U.S. Open at L.A. Country Club’s North course, is home to the second-most golfers of any metropolitan area in the country. The County of Los Angeles owns the largest and busiest public golf system in the nation, with 20 courses at 18 different sites.
We’ve detailed how “devilish” a game golf can be. But there are plenty of angelic options beyond the so-called “City of Angels.” Here’s a handful of cherubic examples.
Angel Fire Resort—Angel Fire, N.M.
At an elevation of 8,600 feet, this 18-hole public course can certainly feel a bit closer to heaven, scenically surrounded by the majestic southern Rocky Mountains. The front and back nines have a different feel, with the front playing through two canyons of aspen, spruce, and pine trees, while the back is more open, with smaller greens and a host of bunkers. The course’s signature par-three 6th hole starts from a tee box that sits 200 feet above the green and can stretch well over 200 yards.
Angel Hill Golf Course—Rossville, Ind.
Just over an hour northwest of Indianapolis, this 18-hole public course has several quirky charms. Perhaps the most notable connection to the mortal coil is the small family cemetery near the 15th tee that dates to the turn of the century and the farm that pre-dated the golf course. There are also a few small bridges that cross the Wildcat Creek, including a steel bridge that connects a layout split between two different counties. Another signature feature is a small, covered bridge that connects the tee box to the fairway on the 15th hole.
Angels Crossing—Vicksburg, Mich.
This 18-hole municipal layout—its golden angel logo complete with wings and a halo—stretches across 360 acres of land just south of Kalamazoo that was shaped by glaciers thousands of years ago. Angels Crossing is in Vicksburg, one of the small “mill” towns along the state’s river valleys. When the mill closed in the late 1990s, a local group stepped in to create a golf course and destination to draw visitors and new residents to its community. The course was acquired by the town in 2009 to continue offering affordable golf as a social and recreational amenity for residents.
Angeles National Golf Club—Sunrise, Calif.
About 20 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, this daily fee course in the San Fernando Valley boasts a desert-style layout free of the homes that can intrude on many public courses in the L.A. area. While relatively flat, the well-conditioned course from Nicklaus Design sits near the edge of the Angeles National Forest and is dramatically backdropped by surrounding mountains.
Angel Park Golf Club—Las Vegas, Nev.
This 48-hole property delivers the full Las Vegas golf experience. In addition to two 18-hole championship courses designed by Arnold Palmer, there’s also a popular 12-hole Cloud Nine Par-3 course and a natural grass putting course. The short and putting courses are both lit for nighttime play—the former with nine of 12 holes open at night and the latter having not only dogleg “fairways,” but bunkers, rock outcroppings, and water hazards for putters to contend with. During the day, golfers are treated to spectacular views of Red Rock Canyon and the Las Vegas Valley at the facility’s elevation of almost 3,000 feet.
What other courses with angelic names come to your mind? Let us know in the comment section.
