Golf

“Your passion is our purpose.”

Since the course opened in 1968, Friendly Hills Country Club has hosted many qualifying tournaments for the SCGA Amateur, Mid-Amateur, the US Amateur and the US Open. Today's golfers play the same fairways that have challenged US Open Champions Scott Simpson, Jerry Pate, Lee Janzen, Curtis Strange and Tom Kite along with British Open Champion Bill Rogers and PGA Champion, Bob Tway. Friendly Hills Country Club is the proud home course for Eric Meeks, the 1988 US Amateur Champion. USC star Jordan Nasser, who grew up playing on the course at Friendly Hills, claimed the 95th California Amateur Championship in 2006.

Designed by James Wilfred "Jimmy" Hines, this club-style course is regarded as one of the finest and most challenging golf courses in Southern California. The course begins with a 567-yard uphill par-five which is flanked by bunkers and a scenic creek. Once players reach the green, the real fun begins as the green is a large two-tiered green, making a two-putt very difficult. The finishing 18th hole requires a straight tee shot to avoid the lake on the left. The second shot will likely require the player to either draw or fade the ball to avoid a beautiful strategically placed pine tree which looms in the middle of the fairway. In between the 1st and the 18th holes are tight par fours, lengthy par threes and a reachable par five requiring players to use every club in their bag. The combination of hazards and undulating terrain gives the course a 71.5 rating with a slope of 136.

Practice Facilities:

Get in a couple swings over lunch or hit a few golf balls after a long day at the office until dark at our state-of-the-art golf range. With three practice putting greens, a chipping green with a large practice bunker, and a full-length natural turf driving range, with 25 stalls, this practice facility will undoubtedly help you take a few strokes off your game.

Our PGA-trained golf instructors offer valuable assistance for beginners and veterans alike through private golf lessons. Our professional services include club fittings, club repairs, and much more to help you get more out of your game. At Friendly Hills Country Club, we have also partnered with the top golf manufactures to provide demo days to experience the latest equipment first hand.

Call the Pro Shop for more information: (562) 693-3623

About The Pros

Jay Prestella – Director of Golf

Jay Prestella has been the head PGA Golf Professional and Director of Golf at Friendly Hills Country Club for over 30 years. He began his career in the golf business when he was 12 years old at Alhambra Golf Course. It was in those early years where he grew a tremendous passion for the game of golf. During that time, he worked hard on his game and began to learn from some of the industry’s best; Ron James, Eddie Marines, Tom Sargent, Jim Petralia, Jay Hyon, Kenny Shiba, Dr. Gary Wiren, and Randy Henry. These Golf Professionals were responsible for giving Jay a strong set of fundamentals, along with his knowledge of club fitting.

Jay has won the PGA Assistant’s Championship for the Metro Chapter and has qualified several times for the televised Toyota team challenge. His victories consist of the Pro-Club Championship for the PGA section, fitting awards from Henry Griffiths, fitting awards from Ping, and many more. Jay has a passion for merchandising and was voted by his industry peers as PGA Metro Chapter Merchandiser of the year on two separate occasions. He is prolific in the execution of tournaments at Friendly Hills Country Club and serves as their Master of Ceremonies.

Jay truly believes in giving back to the community. He has donated much of his time to the Special Children’s League of Whittier, Special Olympics, and he serves on the board of Whittier Boys & Girls Club. Jay resides in Whittier, CA with his wife Terri and two daughters, Nicole and Christina.