The Los Angeles Country Club is host to the 2023 US Open, marking the first time that the ultra-private club has hosted the USGA's biggest championship. (It'll do so again in about a decade and a half, too.)
Los Angeles Country Club is located right in the heart of Los Angeles, close to the Westwood area where the University of California - Los Angeles is located. In such a sprawling, wealthy city, a club like Los Angeles Country Club is going to have some pretty interesting neighbors, and one of those neighbors owns the property that was once known as the Playboy mansion.
The Playboy mansion is located just off the 14th hole at Los Angeles Country Club's North Course, which is hosting the US Open. That mansion is the former home of Playboy editor Hugh Hefner. He did in 2017, and he sold the property in August 2016 to the ultra-wealthy Daren Metropoulos of Metropoulos & Co. While Hefner and his Playboy bunnies no longer are at the property, the home has a clear fan base and still is referred to as the Playboy mansion by thousands of people.
The property is quite expansive, particularly in Los Angeles terms. The Playboy mansion property is a massive 5.3 acres, and Hefner bought the it in 1971 for $1.1 million. That amounts to about $8.2 million in 2023 dollars, but the property is worth drastically more in the open market given the changes in Los Angeles and the Playboy history associated with the home and property.
The house also has an incredible amount of wildlife that lives on the site, including squirrel monkeys and peacocks, among other birds. The animals make constant noise that can be heard by club members or 2023 US Open contestants.
Hefner was never a member of Los Angeles Country Club, though, as his application for membership was rejected by the club, which is known for its intentional efforts to keep famous people and Hollywood stars out of its gates.