Everything you need to know about Riviera CC
When players arrive at the Genesis Open each year, the majority say Riviera Country Club is their favorite to play on tour.
Set in the Pacific Palisades, this community within Los Angeles was home to Hollywood's early elite such as Walt Disney, Humphrey Bogart, Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor, and current stars Mark Wahlberg and Larry David.
Here are some facts and notes about the club.
- Built in 1926 by George C. Thomas
- Par 71, 7,322 from the Championship tees
- No. 24-ranked golf course in the United States
- One of two tracks known as "Hogan's Alley," a label shared with Colonial Country Club in Texas
- Three major championships contested (1948 U.S. Open - Ben Hogan, 1983 PGA - Hal Sutton, 1995 PGA - Steve Elkington)
- Boasts unusual holes, like the bunker in the middle of the green at the par-3 sixth
Easiest hole - 503 yards, par-5 1st hole
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
The tee shot is elevated 60-feet; most of players hit a 3-wood off the tee and then a mid-iron in the green.
Avg. Score - 4.186
38 eagles, 292 birdies, 103 pars, 7 bogeys, 1 double-bogey
Hardest hole - 479 yards, par-4 12th
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
A tight driving hole off the tee, the cup is protected by eucalyptus trees on the right, bunkers by the green, and a gorge in front of the putting surface.
Avg. Score - 4.349
30 birdies, 244 pars, 152 bogeys, 14 double-bogeys, 1 other
(2016 stats courtesy: pgatour.com)
Coolest shot - 2nd to par-4 18th
The hole has a natural amphitheater, and with the clubhouse overlooking the green, it provides one of the coolest settings in all of golf.