FRIENDLY HILLS COUNTRY CLUB

The parkland layout sprawls across rolling hills thirty minutes east of Los Angeles, where mature eucalyptus and oak trees frame every hole in a way that makes you forget you're in suburbia. The par-4 14th demands a blind tee shot over a ridge that separates pretenders from players, while the closing stretch features three consecutive holes that play into prevailing afternoon winds off the San Gabriel Valley. Members rave about conditioning that rivals courses twice the initiation fee, and the subtle green complexes reward local knowledge earned through years of weekend rounds.