Rancho Park Golf Club

The setting is pure Westside LA: flat-to-rolling parkland dotted with mature trees, bordered by the bustle of Pico Boulevard traffic and the residential sprawl of Cheviot Hills. There's little of the coastal drama found elsewhere in the region, but the course's charm comes from its urban grit rather than scenery, a workingman's layout in one of the most expensive zip codes in the country. Golfers here range from beginners squeezing in a lesson to serious players chasing a low number on a course that has tested professionals.

As a city-owned facility, Rancho Park operates with the democratic spirit that defines municipal golf: walk-up tee times, modest greens fees relative to the neighborhood, and a clubhouse atmosphere that skews casual over clubby. It's the kind of place where you might wait behind a foursome of retirees one week and trade stories about the Open's history the next, a public course carrying real championship weight.