Over the years I’ve played the Babe course—affectionately known as “the Babe”—many times. It’s named for Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias, whom ESPN ranks among the top 20 athletes of all time. The course is part of the Pacific Palms Hotel in the City of Industry, conveniently close to Los Angeles hotspots. The Pacific Palms property also includes the Ike, or Dwight D. Eisenhower Course. While the Ike plays fairly open, the Babe is the opposite: tight, demanding and often regarded as one of Southern California’s most challenging layouts. It used to be even tougher until a considerate greenskeeper cleared some of the most punishing trouble areas.
Both courses were designed by William F. Bell—appropriate since Zaharias and Eisenhower became fast friends through the game. Golf has a way of bringing people together, and the Babe is a course where those connections are often made and tested.
The day my group teed off at the Babe we played one of our favorite games, “wolf,” which rotates partners and injects an element of chance. In my group were two executives from Singapore Airlines, Ken Bright and Eric Orlanes, and Frank LoVerme, who serves on Global Traveler’s West Coast Advisory Board.
Hole 1 | 361 yards, par 4
The course has a reputation for being narrow and intimidating, and that reputation can easily turn a round into a disaster. The first tee is a dramatic start: you stand high above the fairway and drive down a dogleg right that falls steeply. Out of bounds lines the left, while a steep slope rises on the right. I’ve driven through the turn and out of bounds here more than once. That day, course familiarity paid off: I aimed left and cleared the fairway bunker. From there a pitching wedge should have reached the green, but it came up short. It felt like the greenskeepers had cleared some of the bramble around the opening green, giving a slightly friendlier margin for error.
Hole 8 | 419 yards, par 4
This hole plays longer than the yardage suggests. The tee shot moves slightly downhill and then bends a little to the right toward an elevated green. The approach requires extra club to reach the putting surface. Your tee ball should favor the left side of the fairway to avoid a tree on the right that can block the line. Eric and I executed near-perfect, side-by-side drives while Ken and Frank went right and disappeared into the rough. On my second shot I remembered that this hole plays long and took more club than felt logical. I hit a fairway wood flush and came up just a couple of feet short of the green. A tidy chip left me with a par opportunity and plenty of post-shot banter.
Hole 9 | 308 yards, par 4
The yardage makes this hole look straightforward, but the Babe rarely lets you relax. From the tee the fairway is so narrow the course strung four high nets along the left side to catch errant shots. A large hill to the right can either funnel balls back into play or hold them hostage. My drive ran weakly to the right and stopped in front of a blocking tree, making the approach impossible. Frank’s drive hugged the left and set up a good angle—so I applauded him. Eric and Ken again disappeared into the hills. Frank and I both bogeyed, but our consistency was enough to win that hole.
Hole 11 © Francis X. Gallagher
Hole 11 | 526 yards, par 5
This hole has tripped me up more times than I care to admit. The tee shot must be straight and accurate; stray right and you’ll be among pine trees. I was fortunate to find the fairway. The second shot needs length and must favor the right side so you can negotiate the last left turn into the green. If you come up short you face a lofted shot over trees or a conservative punch to the right. I flew my ball over the trees, clipped a branch and luckily landed in play about 20 yards short in the rough. From there I chipped onto the two-tiered green and sank a 20-foot putt up the slope for a double par, which felt like a small triumph given how many of my peers were still hacking through pine needles.
Hole 17 | 195 yards, par 3
This par 3 deserves special mention. It’s beautifully landscaped with a pond guarding the front of the green. That day, a flock of small black ducks foraged between the pond and green while yellow flowers brightened the tee. Three bunkers protect the putting surface, and many players either come up short or overshoot. I committed to an iron, flew it just past the hole and two-putted for par. Eric was pleased with the result.
Hole 18 | 564 yards, par 5
The finishing hole terminates near the defunct funicular that once ferried golfers and carts from the 18th green up to the clubhouse. That attraction has been out of service for years. The key on 18 is to keep the ball in play. Frank and I were paired together again: I hit a poor tee shot that ended just right of the fairway bunker, and Frank found a bunker as well. Eric and Ken stayed in play and raised the stakes. I decided to be bold and used a 3-wood to thread a shot through the trees and advance down the fairway. Frank followed with a strong recovery from sand. Our opponents ran into trouble on the left hills. We scrambled onto the green and eked out a bogey, which was enough to clinch our round.
The Babe Didrikson Zaharias Course
Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms
1 Industry Hills Parkway
City of Industry, CA 91744
tel 626 810 4653
ihgolfclub.com