Before the GOAT ever stepped onto the PGA Tour, a three-year-old named Eldrick “Tiger” Woods was learning the game less than ten minutes from home — at Navy Golf Course in Cypress, California.

Rumor has it, Tiger broke 50 here when he was only three years old… (through nine holes).

Welcome back to The Loop, our running series spotlighting the accessible, the historic, and the unexpected golf around Los Angeles.

A few miles off the Pacific Coast, splitting the difference between LAX and Laguna Beach, Navy has California Original written all over it.

The Course

Designed by William F. Bell, Navy Golf Course began as a military-only track known as The Destroyer Course — built to give service members a quiet escape and a fair test.

Today, it’s open to the public and as straightforward as it gets: no gimmicks, no blind tee shots, just good, solid golf.

Play stretches between 5,700 and 6,800 yards, depending on how much challenge you’re chasing.

Fairways are wide, greens are accessible, but when the wind off the coast kicks up, water starts to matter.

So there’s still risk-reward throughout — enough to make you think, but not enough to make you miserable.

“Fairways wide open. No tricks — but solid shot-making leads to treats on the scorecard.”

One where the roots of greatness were planted long before the Sunday red.

The Setup

Navy’s facilities keep it simple but solid: a matted driving range, practice chipping and putting areas, and a 27-hole layout that’s seen a lot of golf and has a lot of history.

The property’s military heritage shows in the details — from aircraft insignias on tee markers to the layout’s design that reflects a Navy-like discipline.

No pretense to it. They went for golf in its simplest, purest form.

The Round

We didn’t break 50 today, but that’s not really the point.

We got to play good golf on a great course. It’s the kind of course where every hole gives you a chance — and reminds you that the game was built on simplicity and repetition, not luxury. It reminds you the game can be enjoyed without wicked hole layouts and expensive green fees.

Sure, a full-on naval defense awaits any approach shot off target, but if you find the greens, birdies are out there. Focus on the smart shot, and you’ll be pleased with your score at the end.

The Point

Navy Golf Course isn’t trying to be anything more than what it is — accessible golf with ties to our nation and ties to the game’s greatest. .

It’s where Tiger’s first 48 happened, where everyday players still chase their own milestones, and where the story of Southern California golf continues to loop forward.

Because sometimes, greatness starts on the public track just down the street.