Riviera Country Club

Riviera Country Club opened in 1927 in Pacific Palisades, California, designed by George C. Thomas Jr. with construction overseen by Billy Bell. Thomas, a Philadelphia blue-blood who moved west for his health, initially resisted designing the course but ultimately created what many consider his masterpiece. The original plan called for an 18-hole championship layout, a shorter course, and a pitch-and-putt, though only the championship course survives today.

The club quickly became a fixture of Hollywood glamour and championship golf. It hosted the 1929 and 1995 PGA Championships, the 1948 U.S. Open won by Ben Hogan (earning the course its famous nickname "Hogan's Alley"), and has been the permanent home of the Genesis Invitational (formerly the LA Open) on the PGA Tour.

Riviera celebrated its centennial in 2026, having undergone careful renovations over the decades that preserved Thomas's original strategic genius. The course is consistently ranked in the top 15 in America and top 25 in the world, revered by architecture aficionados for its creative green complexes, bold bunkering, and brilliant routing through Temescal Canyon.

Riviera plays through a stunning natural canyon setting in Pacific Palisades, with eucalyptus-lined fairways, dramatic barrancas (dry creek beds), and gentle elevation changes throughout. The marine layer and coastal breezes from the nearby Pacific frequently come into play, particularly on morning rounds. The kikuyu grass rough is notoriously thick and grabby, making accuracy off the tee essential.

Despite playing at just 7,322 yards with a par of 71, Riviera is a stern test of golf. The course features only two par 5s (both on the front nine) and four par 3s, with the remaining twelve par 4s ranging from the drivable 10th to the brutish 476-yard 18th. Green complexes are among the most creative and demanding in championship golf.

Course management is everything at Riviera. The kikuyu rough punishes wayward tee shots severely, so keeping the ball in play is more important than distance. On the par 3s, pay careful attention to pin positions — the green complexes reward precision and punish anything that misses on the wrong side.

The greens are generally fast and feature subtle breaks influenced by the canyon terrain. Approach shots that land below the hole will leave manageable putts, while those above the hole face slippery downhill putts. On the iconic 10th hole, laying up to a comfortable wedge distance is often the smarter play than going for the green.