Golf Course Superintendent

About the Club

Tucked away in the heart of the San Fernando Valley is an oasis designed for those who have attained distinction in their community and success in their endeavors. El Caballero Country Club represents an exclusive membership lifestyle - a place where families reconnect and friends spend precious time together. Members enjoy a world-class golf and country club experience in a serene environment complimented by superb dining, outstanding amenities, and friendly, personalized service delivered in a relaxed and refined setting.

The Club was founded in 1957 by Bernie Shapiro, who desired El Caballero to be a Club whose only membership requirements were that the applicant is of good moral character and charitably inclined.

Like much of California, the land on which El Caballero Country Club now resides was first claimed and influenced by the Spanish. In naming the local geography, the settlers called a gentle and meandering creek that drained rainfall off the north slope of the Santa Monica Mountains "El Caballero"—the Spanish word for "Gentleman."

Acclaimed golf architect Robert Trent Jones, Senior, designed El Caballero Country Club. The course long stood as a challenging track boasting many of his signature elements – tight fairways, gentle doglegs, and daunting green-side bunkers – on a layout that winds through modest hills and mature trees. In 2017, the Club's management and board set out to modernize and improve the course, devoting $10 million to a comprehensive venue upgrade. All turf grass was replaced with hybrid Bermuda grass, which is more drought-tolerant and requires much less water. This move by the Club resulted in a golf course that represents "Playability, Sustainability & Conditioning" at its finest.

The course was redesigned into a world-class experience tailored for modern players of all skill levels. Emphasizing a natural California look with beautiful yet drought-tolerant plants like bougainvillea, its improved aesthetic features smaller, better-positioned bunkers with new white sand, softened slopes, and strategic tree removal to open-up course vistas and highlighted its native oak, olive, sycamore, and other trees. Named Golf World Magazine's "Golf Architect of the Year," Rees Jones restored El Caballero's course to his father's vision with a modern spin. Rees focused on creating a golf experience that is more challenging for the better player and much fairer and more rewarding for the average player.

In addition to a phenomenal golf course, El Caballero Country Club has other recreational enmities, including four tennis courts, a pickleball court, and excellent food and beverage facilities. The Club has slightly over 500 members. The gross revenue of the Club is $15 million, with Food & Beverage accounting for $4.5 million and dues for $3.5 million. The Agronomy payroll is $2 million, and expenses are $2 million. The course was recently remodeled under the care of Rees Jones. Tees, greens, and bunkers were updated to offer a current design for today's game. Tees are Tahoma bermudagrass, fairways Santa Anna bermudagrass, roughs Bandera bermudagrass, and greens Pure Distinction bentgrass. The golf course maintenance staff is comprised of 29 team members. The Club uses a Toro Lynx control system, Toro sprinklers, and potable water. The par 71-course measures 6,830 yards. The Club owns and leases their equipment.