Recreation Park American Golf Club (Alternate Hole 5)

Overview: Recreation Park 18 is Long Beach’s historic municipal championship course, set among rolling ground in the northeast of the city. This directory record preserves the club’s alternate Hole 5 routing, while the round itself remains the full 18-hole course. The city’s championship blue card lists par 72 and 6,324 yards, and the layout combines elevation changes, mature parkland and strategic approach shots without relying on large water hazards.

History: Long Beach records date construction of the present municipal course to 1917 and explain that the site was originally associated with the private Virginia Country Club before opening to the public in 1931. The current operator also emphasizes the course’s earlier local golf heritage and its long role in community play. Recreation Park has therefore carried several identities while remaining one of the city’s central 18-hole golf destinations.

Did You Know? Recreation Park is commonly called “Big Rec” to distinguish it from the city’s shorter Recreation Park layout. The course’s elevation changes provide much of its character: a hole can feel more demanding because of the lie and the angle into the green than because of raw distance. The alternate Hole 5 label is a routing detail, not a separate facility.