Marshall Canyon Golf Course

Los Angeles County, California

The Marshall Canyon Golf Course is an 18-hole Los Angeles County golf course of approximately 110 acres and built in 1966. It is located in La Verne, California adjacent to the foothills of the San Bernardino mountains. Working with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, Gruen’s landscape architects and consultants have redesigned Marshall Canyon Golf Course by refurbishing the existing irrigation system to improve efficiency, reduce water consumption and save on overall water costs. Additionally, the project will include the strategic reduction of turf to lower water use plantings and drought-tolerant native grasses throughout the golf course. Strategically removing turf provides a number of benefits. First, reducing the total area of irrigated grass will have significant impact on reducing water use and replacing the non-native rough with native rough will further reduce irrigation water use. Additionally, the visual contrast between the deep-green, non-native fairways and the brown, native rough will help with the teeing and visualizing of shots. The main goals of the project are not only water, electrical and operational savings, but improving the aesthetic character and enhancing the user experience throughout the golf course.