Rose Bowl Golfing - Brookside Golf Course

Brookside Golf Course
1133 N. Rosemont Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 795-0631

Type: Outdoor
Category: Golf
Company: Golfers, obviously
Cost: As low as $21 depending on when/where you book, but expect to pay in the $30 dollar range minimum during the week. 

Quickie: Two great full-length courses, with the famous Rose Bowl serving as a backdrop. 

Like every good UCLA fan, I have spent many Saturdays drinking and tailgating at the Rose Bowl.  I love that we don't have to hang out in a dirty parking lot, taking advantage of the vast field of green that is the golf course.  But I've always thought it a little odd that all those just park on what appears to be a nice course.  

To my surprise, not only is the course really nice (in the offseason), but there are actually TWO, the C.W. Koimer Course #1 and E.O. Nay Course #2, with the former being the longer of the two. 

I played the #1 course, and loved it.  While relatively flat, the grass was in great condition (no tire treads or drunken frat boys in the way).  On a Friday afternoon, with perfect weather, the course wasn't crowded at all. Granted, this could be an anomaly, but I like to think that it's a hidden gem that I am passing on to everyone else.  

The course starts and ends alongside the Rose Bowl itself, which would have brought up great memories of football games, aside from the fact that most true tailgaters can't remember even entering the stadium.  But it did make for some scenic views.  The course has a nice combination of trees and open fairways, making for a beautiful way to spend an afternoon.