Heroes Golf Course: West LA’s Best Kept Golf Secret
On the sprawling Veterans Affairs campus off Wilshire Boulevard in West Los Angeles — tucked near the Japanese garden on the property, not far from where the UCLA baseball stadium sits on the other side of Wilshire — there is a 9-hole par-3 golf course that has been open since 1946. It costs $12 on a weekday. Veterans play free. Most people who live within two miles of it have no idea it exists.
Heroes Golf Course is operated by the Bandini Foundation, a nonprofit focused on veterans' therapy through golf. It's open to the public 365 days a year from 7am to 7pm, and it is one of the most genuinely underrated recreational spots in all of West LA.
“Twelve dollars, nine holes, walking distance of UCLA, almost never crowded. Heroes Golf Course is the kind of place that makes you wonder why everyone isn’t here.”
The Course
Nine holes, all par 3, ranging from 78 to 181 yards. Two sets of tees give you some variety on repeat visits. Walking only — pull carts are available — which means a round here is also a proper walk through one of the more peaceful corners of West LA. The VA campus is enormous and mostly quiet; the course sits beside a Japanese garden and feels genuinely removed from the city around it.
For beginners and high-handicap players, a par-3 course is the right place to build confidence and work on ball-striking without the pressure of longer holes. You can play a full round in under two hours, which makes it easy to fit into a morning or afternoon without it becoming a production. For more experienced players, par-3 courses are excellent for working on iron play and short game — and at $12, playing two or three rounds in a row is not a financial event.
Why It’s Better Than Rancho’s Par 3
Rancho Park's par-3 course in West LA is the better-known option and deservedly popular. But Heroes is significantly less crowded, easier to walk on without a tee time, and — crucially — free for veterans. The atmosphere is calmer, the pace of play is faster, and the setting on the VA campus has a character that a municipal golf course next to a driving range can't match. If you've been going to Rancho's par-3 out of habit, Heroes is worth the detour.
Lessons and the LA Golf Academy
PGA Professional Jim Dennerline runs individual lessons, group clinics, and summer camps at Heroes through the co-located LA Golf Academy. If you're a beginner looking for a place to learn the game properly, this is one of the best setups in West LA — affordable green fees, a short course that doesn't punish mistakes, and on-site instruction from a PGA pro.
Getting There
The VA campus entrance is on Wilshire Boulevard. GPS to 11301 Wilshire Blvd, West LA. Parking on the VA campus is free. The course is a short walk from the main gate, near the Japanese garden. The UCLA athletic complex — including Jackie Robinson Stadium — is across Wilshire to the south.
