Pros:
Two 18-Hole Courses On-Site
Concrete Tee Pads
Great Tee Signs
Good Use of Elevation
Good Layout
A Variety of Distances
Very Well-Maintained
Multiple Pin Positions
Requires a Few Different Shot Types
Restrooms In the Park
Practice Basket
Less Crowded Than Front Course
Cons:
Navigation (Some Tees are on Sidewalks)
No Benches
Very Few Trash Cans
Close to School (Causes Traffic at Times)
Plays (Dangerously) Close to Road
Other Thoughts:
The Back 18 at La Mirada is a nice compliment to the front/lakeside course. The biggest downside to the back course is the front course being there and the two often being compared.
The back course, much like the front, plays through beautiful grassy rolling hills and is very well manicured. Each hole has a concrete tee pad and multiple pin positions with the position marked on the tee sign with red tape.
Navigating the back course can be a real challenge. Not only are the baskets numbered incorrectly, some of the tee pads are on the sidewalk and hard to spot. I had a guide when I played and I would recommend a guide or map to first-timers.
From the "pro shop", head past the practice baskets, and around the tennis and handball courts to the first tee pad. The first hole plays down toward the baseball fields, and hole 2 plays back up towards the water park. The next few holes 3 through 5 follow the same pattern and play to and away from the water park.
Holes 6 and 7 play closer to the houses at the edge of the park and are two of the longer holes on the course at 440 and 452 feet.
Hole 8 is fairly short and plays away from the road, but the road and OB will come into play on several of the next few holes. Hole 9 plays back down, with the road just a short distance behind the basket. The road really comes into play again on holes 11 and 12. For a RHBH or LHFH player it can be dangerously close and if you don't have exceptional accuracy you can easily end up in the busy road or the side of a car.
Holes 13 and 14 also play along the road but have a lot more room for error and play towards smaller, less traveled roads. After 14 turn away from the road and hole 15 plays long, at 573ft. and around the baseball diamond.
The last few holes are pretty easy to navigate and pretty straight forward with 18 ending near hole 1.
Overall the back course at La Mirada, in its own way, lives up to the front course. While the front has more of a wow factor, gets better reviews, and easier to navigate, the back is a lot less crowded, longer, and get less use by other park go-ers. If you are in the park be sure to play both courses, you won't regret it.