Love Letter To: Riviera Country Club

The hailstorm at Riv. It was the Tuesday practice round in 2022, I’m working in the media center after a long day on the course, when something you don’t usually see in Southern California starts to roll in: storm clouds. Most of the media are too busy to notice as they work through the buzz of a newsworthy Tuesday practice round. And then before you knew it, hail was coming down on Riviera Country Club. Myself and a few other photographers scrambled for our cameras, batteries, and memory cards, running out of the clubhouse as fast as we could. And as much as we were scrambling to get out, there were four times as many people outside scrambling to get in. Not spectators, but TV crew, players, agents, and volunteers all seeking shelter. The hail was coming down fast and heavy, covering the perfectly manicured course in white. And just 10 minutes later the storm was gone, the course was still, and the sun began to peek through the clouds. It was as wild an event as, say, Tiger Woods not winning in 16 PGA Tour starts on the same golf course. I guess Riviera Country Club is always full of surprises.

A few weeks back, the PGA TOUR announced The Genesis Invitational will sadly not be at Riviera Country Club this year due to the devastating fires in the Pacific Palisades that came narrowly close to the property. The tournament move is a small footnote of bad news when compared to the tragedy that Southern California has endured. But the move is worth noting as the Genesis Invitational’s true home is Riviera CC. Once called the LA Open, it’s been played at Riviera a total of 60 times, first in 1929, and every year for the last 25 going back to 1999. For it to not be at Riviera CC for the first time in the 21st century is a big deal.

A George C. Thomas masterpiece that sits amongst the golden hills of the Pacific Palisades in sunny Los Angeles, California. Riviera Country Club should be on every golf fan’s bucket list to see (and if you’re so lucky, to play as well). Thanks to the PGA TOUR’s annual stop at this historic venue, we all have the opportunity to walk the grounds and experience what makes this place so special.

I’ve had the joy of photographing Riviera Country Club a few times now, and it’s always one of my favorite stops on the PGA TOUR. The golf course is so easily recognizable from some of its historic locations such as the 1st tee, which backs up to the walls of the clubhouse, or the famous short par-4 10th that sits bang in the middle of the property like a badge of honor. But when you get out and walk 1 through 18, you see that every hole has incredible character. Go ahead and add the best golfers on the planet to the picture and you get one of those pinch yourself moments. Given the nature of the routing and limited space, the golf course is a super easy walk. On almost every hole you can see and get to 2 or 3 others very easily.

It’s as much of a joy to walk as a spectator as it is to photograph.