Los Amigos Golf Course

Los Amigos Golf Course sits in Downey, a city in southeastern Los Angeles County, and was designed by Billy Bell Sr., one of Southern California's most prolific golf architects during the mid-twentieth century. Bell, who worked extensively throughout the region from the 1920s through the 1950s, built numerous municipal and daily-fee courses that brought accessible golf to the expanding suburban communities of the Los Angeles basin. His designs typically emphasized playability for average golfers while incorporating strategic elements that rewarded thoughtful course management. The course occupies relatively flat terrain characteristic of the Los Angeles coastal plain, with mature tree plantings that define holes and provide separation between fairways. As a municipal facility in a densely developed urban area, Los Amigos serves the local golfing community with a layout that fits within a compact footprint while maintaining variety in hole lengths and angles. The design reflects Bell's practical approach to public golf architecture, balancing challenge with pace of play considerations. Like many Southern California municipal courses from this era, Los Amigos operates as an important recreational resource in a region where public access to golf has long been valued. The course represents the type of neighborhood facility that characterized post-war golf development in greater Los Angeles, providing affordable play within residential communities. Its longevity speaks to the enduring demand for accessible golf in one of the nation's most populous metropolitan areas.