Pros:
- cement tees
- multiple pin locations
- a few extremely fun/unique pin locations (11 in the long, 13 on the island, 14 in C-position behind the 3 power line boxes)
- signs showing multiple positions, all OBs and semi-accurate distances
- good course for opening up your big arm, or learning to throw long distances rollers
- lines for both forehand/backhand routes on almost every hole
- usually pretty empty, so you'll have most of the course to yourself
- many trash cans speckled throughout the course
- two bathrooms (on the walk between 7 & 8, and near 15)
- can play 18, or 27. Not many people know how to follow the Alt 9 (19-27). See my 'Other Thoughts' below for directions
Cons:
- zero elevation change for the entire 27 holes can get quite boring
- signs are outdated
- the basket positions are not moved very often, if at all
- many baskets are very old
- many 'dead' tees from prior incarnations of the course
- pay to park on weekends, to avoid this, turn left on the road right before the course entrance and park down at the end of the fence, and jump on at hole 6
- many police cars patrol the area because South El Monte isn't a shining gem in LA, but just be conscious of where you 420 or drink and you shouldn't have a problem
- other park goers are clueless, so make sure you let them know if you're about to hit them
Other Thoughts:
Directions for the Alt 9:
Hole 19: After 18, go back to tee 17, and throw to the basket way off in the field that you see if you look on the other side of the powerline directly off the tee.
Hole 20: from basket 19, walk to the fence on your left (West), turn right (North) and walk along the fence line. You'll see a worn patch of grass between 2 trees about 75 feet up. Throw across the field to the basket by the pavilion.
Hole 21: from basket 20, walk to the path (NE), and around the corner to the top of the small hill. Tee 21 is painted on the cement path in bright white and throws to basket 6.
Hole 22: from basket 21(6), walk 50' back toward tee 6 and you'll see an old cement tee in the ground, throw from this tee to the basket directly East, past the picnic tables in the pines.
Hole 23: from basket 22, walk another 50ish feet East to another old cement tee. Do not throw down the channel (the direction the tee faces) at the old mach basket up on the small hill. You are actually throwing at the DISCatcher on the same hill, but 100' to the right of the basket that looks obvious. The tee does not point at the correct basket. Again, make sure you're throwing at the DISCcatcher, not the mach.
Hole 24: from basket 23, turn around and walk back to the cement path, tee 24 is painted (faintly) on the path in orange paint. Throw away from the basket you just played to the basket in in the far corner of the park (North)
Hole 25: from basket 24, walk SE toward the baseball field fence. the tee is an old cement tee along the baseball field fence, and throws to the older mach basket on the small hill, by the DISCatcher (23)
Hole 26: from basket 25, turn around again and walk NE back toward the baseball field fence. The tee is on the cement pathway about 50'-75' East along the path from the corner of the baseball field fence. It is painted with faint orange paint. It throws over the small hill about 350' to a basket by the bathrooms.
Hole 27: from basket 26, walk off to the left and you actually have to make up your own tee on this one. We usually tee off from about 25'-50' directly E of basket 26 (toward the pavilion), and you play to the basket near the beach volleyball courts, back toward the parking lot.
League nights are on Thursday, so if you want to play a casual round, don't come on Thursday night.
Whittier can be a fun course, but it can also be very unforgiving. It may be flat, and pretty wide open, but it still provides even the most seasoned player with a challenge. One of the original LA area courses, and a staple of the Worlds held in LA in the 1980s, it's definitely worth checking out.