Golf Map of Southern California

A rare 1922 Golf and Automobile Road Map of the Los Angeles District, courtesy of California Fireproof Storage Company.

Automobiles and golfing were both becoming increasingly popular throughout America during the 1920s, but these fads were glamorously celebrated and widely indulged in the two major coastal cities of New York and Los Angeles. With an ideal climate, wealthy residents, and plenty of space, the latter metropolis was primed to exploit the trend – membership in the Southern California Golf Association rose from less than 1,400 members in 1919 to around 20,000 by 1925.

This map by the Clason Map Company, dated 1923, showcases Los Angeles at the start of the Roaring 20s. One side of the folding sheet presents a detailed street map of L.A. with an accompanying alphabetical index and instructions for use (lower right). Two locations of the California Fireproof Storage Company, sponsors of the map, are highlighted in green. Otherwise, only cemeteries, parks, and transportation depots are named. Sadl,y the iconic Hollywood sign, which was completed the same year as printing, is not labeled!

The verso of the sheet presents a ‘Golf and Automobile Road Map of Los Angeles District.’ Twenty-six different courses are numbered within the image and listed in the lower left, with two others under construction and several more not shown. Additional panels of text and illustrations promote the California Fireproof Storage Company – “Service features to be found Nowhere Else!”

The map is quite scarce and I’ve been unable to locate any market records or other recorded examples.

Source: Southern California Golf Association