The greater Los Angeles area has more than 100 golf courses, which vary in quality from abysmal to superb. Most of the city's public courses are administered by the Department of Recreation and Parks, which follows a complicated registration/reservation system for tee times. While visitors cannot reserve start times in advance, you're welcome to play any of the courses by showing up and getting on the call sheet. Expect to wait for the most popular tee times, but try to use your flexible vacationer status to your advantage by avoiding the early morning rush.

Of the city's seven 18-hole and three 9-hole courses, you can't get more central than the Rancho Park Golf Course, 10460 W. Pico Blvd. (tel. 310/838-7373; www.rpgc.org), located smack-dab in the middle of L.A.'s Westside. The par-71 course has lots of tall trees, but not enough to blot out the towering Century City buildings next door. Rancho also has a nine-hole, par-3 course.

For a genuinely woodsy experience, try one of the three courses inside Griffith Park, northeast of Hollywood (see "L.A. Parks, Gardens, Views & Zoos" earlier in this chapter). The courses are extremely well maintained, challenging without being frustrating, and (despite some holes alongside I-5) a great way to leave the city behind. Bucolic pleasures abound, particularly on the nine-hole Roosevelt, on Vermont Avenue across from the Greek Theatre; early morning wildlife often includes deer, rabbits, raccoons, and skunks (fore!). Wilson and Harding are each 18 holes and start from the main clubhouse off Riverside Drive, the park's main entrance.

Greens fees on all city courses are $21 Monday through Friday, and $27 on weekends and holidays; nine-hole courses cost $13 weekdays, $16 on weekends and holidays. For details on other city courses, or to contact the starter directly by phone, call the Department of Recreation and Parks at tel. 888/527-2757 or log onto the city's parks website at www.laparks.org.

Industry Hills Golf Club, 1 Industry Hills Pkwy. City of Industry (tel. 626/810-4653), has two 18-hole courses designed by William Bell. Together they encompass 8 lakes, 160 bunkers, and many long fairways. The Eisenhower Course, consistently ranked among Golf Digest's top 25 public courses, has extralarge undulating greens and the challenge of thick Kikuyu rough. An adjacent driving range is lit for night use. Greens fees are $63 Monday through Thursday and $93 Friday through Sunday, including cart; call in advance for tee times.