Friendly Hills CC: Where Major Champions Qualified

Friendly Hills Country Club sits in the foothills of Whittier, about twenty miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, and the course has been quietly testing good golfers since 1968. James Wilfred Hines, better known as Jimmy Hines, drew up the routing on rolling terrain that climbs and falls more than the flat aerial photos suggest. From the back tees the layout stretches 6,406 yards to a par of 70, with a course rating of 71.6 and a slope of 132. The women's par 71 set on the same yardage rates 78.9 with a 143 slope, which tells you most of what you need to know about how thin the margins get when the wind picks up.

A short course that plays long

Most courses with a 6,400-yard scorecard read soft on paper. Friendly Hills does not. The fairways tighten in the landing zones, the par fours run on the long side for a par 70 layout, and the par threes ask for full clubs more often than not. The ground tilts in nearly every direction, so even straight tee shots feed into rough or kick away from ideal angles. Hines kept one reachable par five in the rotation, and the rest of the long holes punish the second shot more than the first.

The opener and the closer

The first hole sets the tone. It is a 567-yard par five that climbs uphill from the tee, with bunkers framing the landing area and a creek cutting across the second-shot zone. The green sits on two distinct tiers, so getting the ball on the correct level matters more than getting it to the surface. A two-putt from the wrong tier is a small miracle.

The eighteenth might be the most photographed hole on the property. A lake guards the left side off the tee, which already narrows the visual frame, but the real defense is a mature pine tree planted square in the middle of the fairway. You can play around it left or right, but the angle to the green changes meaningfully depending on which side you choose.

Pedigree on the bag tag

Friendly Hills does not market itself as a tournament venue, but the qualifying record speaks for itself. The club has hosted regional qualifying for the SCGA Amateur, the Mid-Amateur, the US Amateur, and the US Open. Scott Simpson, Jerry Pate, Lee Janzen, Curtis Strange, Tom Kite, Bill Rogers, and Bob Tway have all walked these fairways trying to punch a ticket to a major. That history is partly why local players still take Friendly Hills seriously even when newer Southern California layouts get the magazine attention.

Tee selection matters here

The course offers five sets of tees, and the spread is meaningful. Black plays 6,406 yards. Unicorn drops to 6,259, Gold to 6,100, Silver to 5,629, and Bronze to 4,969. Slope ratings range from 113 on the easiest set to 143 from the most demanding combination. If you have not played a Hines design before, the Gold tees at 6,100 yards and a 70.1 rating are a fair entry point. The hazards stay in play without forcing the long carries you would need from the tips.

Amenities and the rest of the property

The clubhouse anchors a full-service operation. Walking is allowed, the pro shop is stocked, and the practice facilities are unusually deep for a club this size. Three putting greens, a dedicated short-game area with a large practice bunker, and a natural turf range with 25 stalls give you room to actually warm up. Beyond golf, the club runs tennis and pickleball courts, a half Olympic swimming pool, and a renovated fitness center. The dining program operates Tuesday through Sunday with multiple venues on site.

Worth the round?

Friendly Hills runs as a private member club, so playing usually means a member invite or a tournament qualifying spot. If you find a tee time, the course rewards players who hit fairways and think about angles. The conditioning has historically been a strength, the tree work has shifted some sight lines in recent years, and the greens still read as some of the trickier surfaces in the area. Long hitters who cannot keep it straight will find their handicap tested by the close of the front nine.

Want the full scorecard? See every yardage, rating, and hole on the Friendly Hills Country Club page on Stymie before you tee it up.