Bel Air Country Club members are Jack Nicholson, Tom Rothman, Pete Sampras, Clint Eastwood, Jason Bateman, Luke Wilson and Dennis Quaid.
Bel Air is a recreational facility for golf enthusiasts and famous celebrities from every sector, whether showbiz or pro sports. Having hosted the 1976 and 2017 U.S. Amateur, it is one of the ultra-exclusive golf clubs located in Los Angeles.
Not only it boasts a long list of influential names as its members and a 100-year history of existence, but the club also has a lush and wide green course that is hard for human eyes to catch in a single sight.
Bel-Air has 18 holes, for which one has to go through four tunnels, two elevators, and a swing bridge to finish all holes. The property’s huge size is a perfect practice and game ground for the UCLA Bruins men’s and women’s golf teams.
Meanwhile, it is only some time that the club may consider opening its land for more members and golf tournaments. However, they have been welcoming charity golf events so far.
Bel-Air Country Club Famous Members
The members of Bel Air Country Club California are:
- Jack Nicholson
- Roger Birnbaum
- Dennis Quaid
- Luke Wilson
- Leslie Moonves
- Patrick Whitesell
- Kelsey Grammer
- Jack Wagner
- Chuck Lorre
- Armando Nunez
- Tom Rothman
- Clint Eastwood
- Tom Cruise
- Pete Sampras
Jack Nicholson
The three-time Academy Award-winning actor and filmmaker Jack Nicholson makes his time to play golf at Bel-Air. He sits at the top of the membership list due to his work notability.
Some of his well-known movies are Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Detail, Batman, Hoffa, and The Bucket List, among many others. Jack was active in Hollywood from 1955 to 2010.
Nicholson resides in a 2,117 sq. ft. house on Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills, California. Thus, he drives by the country club whenever he can.
Tom Rothman
Tom Rothman is the current chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. He is responsible for all the studio’s worldwide motion picture production and distribution activities.
Having been in the business since 1985, Tom is one of the big names in the industry. He is also the brother of the Ghostbusters actor John Rothman.
Pete Sampras
A former world No. 1 tennis player, Pete Sampras, has been a regular at Bel-Air to play golf since he retired from tennis in 2002. Sampras is notable for bagging 14 major singles titles during his career.
He also boasts a record of seven Wimbledon titles, two Australian Opens, and a joint Open Era record of five US Open titles. He won 64 singles titles before retiring at the 2002 U.S. Open.
Meanwhile, the following names make up the former members of the Bel-Air Country Club.
- Chris O’Donnell
- Jerry West
- Howard Hughes
- Ronald Reagan
- Bing Crosby
- Richard Nixon
- Humphrey Bogart
- Clark Gable
- James Stewart
- Fred Astaire
- Spencer Tracy
The early 1990s film tycoon Howard Hughes revoked his membership in the mid-1930s when the club authorities towed his plane for landing there.
Hughes was eager to be on a golf fate with actress Katherine Hepburn but refused to pay for the towing receipt and ended his membership. The incident had famously hit the news for his boldness.
Bel Air Country Club Membership Cost
Bel Air Country Club Membership cost was $150,000 back in 2011. The monthly dues were calculated at $13, 500 while a green fee for a 9-hole course was set at $50 to $110.
Meanwhile, famous Hollywood actor Tom Cruise was known for tipping $100 to his golf club coach and his help on the premises. Now that 12 years have passed since the report by The Hollywood Reporter, the club is adamant about keeping its deets to itself.
However, they are open to welcoming new members though it is quite a hard and long process. Bel Air falls in the genre of “really hard to get on” private American courses, according to David Jones, best known as the UK Golf Guy.
Despite a hard process, a good letter of recommendation is one of the best ways to join the Club. Still, membership is a complete deal of the club’s invitation only.
Similarly, there are certain rules to follow for a club member so as not to get outcasted by the club. Out of them all, not wearing shorts is the most important. Here are some rules for the Bel Air members to follow:
- All club gentlemen should consider wearing tucked golf shirts with collars in full pants.
- Hats are not to be worn inside the Grill Room, Top of the Tee, or Bel-Air Room.
- Jeans and denim are not allowed inside the club premises.
- For ladies, tops, tank tops, cutoffs, swimwear, football jerseys, or any shirt with printed phrases and warm-up suits are prohibited.
- Bermuda shorts are prohibited in the Bel-Air Room except for lunch on Tuesdays.
- The use of phones to initiate or receive calls is prohibited on Bel-Air Country Club property. However, they may be used for texting and emailing only in the locker rooms, the Card Room, the Grill Room, and the patio.
- However, the phones should be silent and only used while sitting on the patio.
- For parking, a member or a guest should thoroughly register at the Security Kiosk.
- In terms of a guest, the club member should always accompany their guest to the club premises.
These are the basic rules that a Bel-Air club member has to follow for smooth interaction between them and the club. This enhances the two parties’ relationship and helps to maintain a gentle environment.
If any members are not seen following the above-mentioned rules, then it could result in the revoking of their membership.
Where Is Bel Air Country Club?
Bel-Air Country Club is located in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California. The complete location details are 10768 Bellagio Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90077.
Its terrain is considered to be a superior and better choice for golfers. Meanwhile, the big property also has a tennis court; hence, it invites athletic people from almost all varieties of sports.
Regarding the club’s history, founder Alphonso Bell started the project in 1922. Bell passed the idea of architect George Thomas to build a bridge over the course to cope with the shortcomings of less land given Bell’s big idea of the massive course.
The course used to have 76 bunkers, which was reduced to 42 later. However, Bel-Air’s design had been altered over decades by incoming architects, including Dick Wilson, George Fazio, Robert Trent Jones Jr., and Tom Fazio.
Meanwhile, Tom Doak had consulted the former LA Lakers player Jerry West during the club reconstruction in 2016. Jerry was famous as the club’s expert greens reader.
Golf Digest confirms that the ready-to-view-and-play Bel-Air was opened to its members and guests in 1925. The club is proud of its mansions, a steep for which golfers have to use a tunnel to move from one hole to another, an elevator, and its highlight, a suspension bridge.
Despite its private facility and hard-to-get-in status, it currently ranks as the 18th-best club in the state. Similarly, it has won two Gold Digest awards so far; Best Courses in Every State and the 100 Greatest of The Second 100.