Designed by George Thomas in 1926, Riviera Country Club is widely known as one of the most devious and confrontational golf courses in the world. Playing at just under 7,000 yards, the challenge lies not in the length, but in avoiding the dreaded kikyuyu grass, scores of bunkers and other strategically placed hazards. In 1984, the PGA's list of the 100 toughest holes included eight from Riviera, the most from any golf course on the Tour.
Riviera has many signature holes. Number 6 features the famous doughnut-shaped green with a pot bunker at its center. The 18th "Hogan's Alley" has been described as 451 yards of heartbreak, with its blind tee shot and natural ampitheater around the green. The looming bunker protecting the entire front of the green on number four (forcing an all-carry tee shot of 236 yards) prompted Ben Hogan to deem the hole "the greatest par three in America." Jack Nicklaus has referred to hole number ten as one of the great short par fours in golf, "315 yards of condensed architectural guile."
The Riviera Country Club has been the site of many past Majors, including the 1948 US
Open, won by the legendary Ben Hogan. More recently, it hosted the 1983 PGA Championship.
Each year, Riviera hosts the Los Angeles Open, now sponsored by Nissan. Being the golf
club of choice for much of Hollywood, Riviera has one of the most glamorous memberships
in golf. It has also been the setting for many motion pictures, including Follow the Sun.
Course Statistics
