Bishop Country Club - Bishop, CA

Every year my friends and I visit the Eastern Sierras in June for our annual “Guys Fishing Trip”. This year marked the 9th year that we have been going up, and every year presents a new adventure. It seems that every year we have gone up there, we have always talked about wanting to squeeze in a round of golf as well. Usually the course that is discussed most often is Bishop Country Club located in Bishop, CA. I assume we talk about that course most often because you can’t miss it driving up to the Mammoth and June Lake area. It’s located directly off the 395 just as you enter Bishop. So this year I called the course a few days before our trip and spoke to the manager asking if we could play the course and review it. He was very accommodating and more than happy to welcome our group. So our group headed up the 395 early Wednesday morning and arrived in Bishop around 1:00. The staff was amazing at BCC. From the generosity of the management, to the pro shop help and service. I can’t say enough about how impressed I was with them. What a great start to the round.
The first thing I noticed when we began our round is the overall course layout. Even from the first tee, the course seemed to be wide open which definitely helps the beginner golfer. But as I played the course, there were also challenging holes including long par 3s and occasional water hazards. You also notice the view as you start playing. It’s really amazing to be teeing off with a large mountain range as your backdrop.
I was also impressed by the conditions of the golf course. I know that Bishop can get pretty hot in the summer, and I was planning on seeing dry fairways and sun-scorched greens. On the contrary...the course was well maintained and watered, and the greens were in great shape. This was another pleasant surprise.
Hole #1 started with a pretty traditional 377 yard par 4. You don’t want to hug the left side of the fairway on your first tee shot. The fairway is not only adjacent to the driving range, but also is lined with trees and a fairway bunker. A few of us found that out the hard way.
Hole #2 is a wide open par 5 measuring 523 yards and is reachable in two shots. My brother-in-law and I both were on in two. His two putt and my three put was the difference between a birdie and par. From there, hole #3 is a par 4 with a slight dogleg to the left. Large trees guard the left side at the dogleg, and a perfect tee shot is placing the ball directly over those trees to a short second shot to the green.
Hole #4 is the first of some lengthy par 3s measuring 193 yards. Going long on this hole will find your ball down a slight slope in dried grass and dirt behind the green. Hole #5 is a 489 yard par 5. Water guards the front of the green making a long second shot a gutsy play. A tee shot with a slight fade is ideal since a large tree also guards the front left of the green.
Moving on through the rest of the front nine, all of the holes and conditions played nicely. As stated before, the fairways and greens were in good condition, and the rough was just thick enough to drastically slow your ball down on errant tee shots.

“The course is forgiving enough, allowing you to make a few mistakes if you follow those up with quality shots. I would highly recommend packing your golf clubs next time you plan on visiting the Eastern Sierras.”

As we moved to the back nine, the course greeted us with a few more challenging holes than the front nine in my opinion. It all started with the par 5 tenth hole measuring 558 yards. I noticed on this course that since it is so open, longer hitter can definitely attempt to reach most of the par 5s in two shots. A slight breeze in the afternoon will temper some expectations though.
Hole #11 is a short 397 yard par 4. My most memorable shot was on this hole. After I bombed a long drive down the right side of the fairway, I had about 90 yards left. But I was located on an upslope behind a huge tree. I took out a pitching wedge knowing I was going to need a little more club to hit it so high. The second shot barely cleared the tree and settled on the middle of the green. I’m sure the flight of that ball was higher than it was long.
I feel that hole #12 is the toughest hole on the course. It only measures 392 yards for a par 4, but the tee shot has numerous possibilities for producing high scores. First of all, large trees are scattered throughout the fairway making accuracy important off the tee. On top of that, water carries down the entire right side of the fairway gobbling up any slices or strong fades.
As we finished up the back 9, the four of us had an amazing time. How often do you get to play golf in the mountains where you can spot trout swimming in the creeks that run throughout the course? Overall I played pretty well shooting 8 over par. The course is forgiving enough allowing you to make a few mistakes if you follow those up with quality shots. I would highly recommend packing your golf clubs next time you plan on visiting the Eastern Sierras. We have been talking about doing it for years, and we were finally glad we did so. Thanks again to Bishop Country Club for their awesome hospitality, and we’ll see you next year.

Bishop Country Club is located at 1200 S. Hwy 395, 1 mile south of Bishop on Highway 395 in Bishop, CA. Their phone number is (760) 873-5828, and their website is www.BishopCountryClub.com

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Friendly Hills Golf Course : Whittier, CA

For this month’s golf course review, I had the privilege of playing golf at Friendly Hills Country Club located in the hills above Whittier. This historic club and golf course was established in 1968. Many who are not familiar with the area are not aware that Friendly Hills Country Club exists. I was even told by Dave Goodrich, General Manager/COO that many Whittier locals in the area are even unaware of the country club’s location. After having the chance to play the golf course and tour the facility, I highly recommend taking the time to get to know this private club. I was impressed not only with the club and golf course, but also the courteous staff as well.

Friendly Hills Country Club is more than a golf course. The club boasts numerous activities for a great overall country club experience including swimming, fitness, tennis, dining, annual socials, and more. Friendly Hills offers 4 lighted tennis courts with a professional teaching staff. The club offers junior tennis and special events such as Ladies Day, Twilight Tennis, Mixed Doubles, and a pro shop for all of your tennis needs. Friendly Hills also offers a heated Olympic-size swimming pool. Along with their main pool, they feature 1 and 3 meter diving boards as well as a toddler pool. The club has a swim and dive team called the Unicorns, and they regularly place high in the summer Sunkist League competition. After a long tennis match or swim, you can take time to work out in their fitness center, which includes elliptical trainers, bikes, treadmills, free weights, and machine weights.

To go along with all of these activities, the club boasts casual and elegant dining for the members. The upstairs restaurant offers gourmet a la carte dining on Thursday and Friday evenings with elegant ambience that is both intimate and magnificent. Their vaulted high-beamed ceilings and stately chandeliers help accentuate bay windows which offer panoramic views of the golf course. With a menu of American and Continental cuisine complemented by their extensive wine selection, you will surely find something to satisfy your palate.

Their lower dining room and grill offers an opportunity to meet friends for a quick bite before a round of golf or entertain business associates while overlooking Friendly Hills' signature first tee and eighteenth green. Available six days a week for breakfast and lunch, the lower dining menu selection appeals to those either looking for a relaxing lunch experience or something “on the go”.

Speaking of the first tee, what a great way to get introduced to this golf course. The unique first tee of Friendly Hills is located on a small island surrounded by water. This was definitely a first for me and a clever element at the beginning of the round. This was my first time playing Friendly Hills, and I was impressed with the course and the layout as well. The dramatic elevation changes designed by James Wilfred “Billy” Hines makes this a challenging and scenic golf course. Many of the holes on the course offer a view of the ocean and Catalina Island on a clear day. As we arrived early in the morning, we warmed up on the grass driving range and putting green. As our practice came to an end, we were introduced to Dave Goodrich, General Manager and COO of Friendly Hills. Dave decided to play the first nine holes with us and help familiarize us with the course. His course knowledge and guidance was a plus as I tackled this course for the first time.

As I spoke of earlier, the first hole tees off from an island surrounded by water. It makes for a fun and interesting tee shot. The first hole is lengthy playing uphill and measuring 567 yards from the back tees. Dave informed me that he has only seen two players actually making it on the green in two. Hole 2 is a par 3 measuring 191 yards, and the day we played the flag was tucked in the back right corner. As we putted on this hole, I noticed the elevation changes of the greens. Dave informed me that many of the greens on this course had some heavy elevation changes and that approach shots were critical to good scoring. As the round progressed, he wasn’t kidding. Hitting the right iron into the greens proved the difference between a one or two putt vs. a three putt or more.

Hole 3 is an interesting par 4 because the club provides two different sets of tees boxes. Dave told us that the tees boxes were changed on a regular basis. The first tee boxes require a fade, while the other tee boxes require a slight draw. This was another unique feature to this course. The fourth hole was a beautiful elevated tee with a view of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. With a downhill drive and an open fairway, this 458 yard par 4 plays a little easier than the yardage suggests.

The 5th hole is a uniquely laid out par 4. With the yardage at only 319 yards, it seemed easy enough. However, teeing off presented a serious left dogleg required an iron off of the tee rather than a driver or 3-wood. Knowledge of this green was key, as there is a severe elevation change with a shelf on the left side of the green. Knowing where the pin is placed will help on your approach shot. As we continued with the remaining front nine holes, Dave helped us with the optimal drive location for each hole and approach shot placement. As we finished the front nine, we stopped in for a quick casual bite to eat before tackling the back nine. Thanking Dave for his assistance with the front nine, we moved to the back nine.

Hole 10 is a short par 4 measuring 339 yards. Accuracy off the tee though is crucial here, because if you lose your tee shot on either side, there will be trees to deal with making it tough to get on in regulation. As we moved to hole 11, a 388 yard par 4, we noticed a water hazard on the right side of the fairway. This hazard definitely comes into play with a driver or 3-wood, so play it safe or hug the left side of the fairway. As we moved on to hole 12, there are heavy trees on both sides of this short par 4 making your tee shot accuracy all that more important. Hole 13 is a long par 3 measuring 199 yards. This green is guarded by bunkers in front and the wind may be in your face, so make sure you have enough club to carry onto the green.

Moving on to hole 15, this shorter par 5 measuring 499 is more difficult that the yardages suggests. The tee shot is fairly narrow with danger to the right. Going for this green in two can be tough, with trees heavily guarding the fairway and a water hazard in front of the green and to the right. This green also was severely elevated from back to front with two tiers, so flag location is important to be aware of. The 16^th hole is a long 221 yard par 3. This hole also seemed to play a bit further than the yardage indicated due to the slight breeze in our face. As we played 17 and approached 18, the hole presented a great view and challenge. This par 4 measures 393 yards and plays downhill. But there are a few issues to contend with on this hole. First, if you go left you more than likely will be OB or stuck in the trees. Going right will put you either OB or stuck behind a large tree guarding the green. A perfect tee shot on this hole is to start it down the right side of the fairway and let it run to the middle or left-center of the fairway. Then it’s just a short pitch into the green.

We thoroughly enjoyed playing Friendly Hills, and were very appreciative that Dave Goodrich invited us out. Memberships for the country club are extremely reasonable, and they are in the middle of rebuilding the locker rooms and other areas of the club. With all of the activities, events, and services they offer, you owe it to yourself to contact them today to find out more information about joining. You can reach Dave Goodrich by email at dgoodrich@friendlyhills.com, or by phone at 562-698-0331. He will be happy to assist you with any questions you may have. I’m looking forward to returning to the club and playing this golf course again.

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