The greens at Riviera are Poa annua, common for the West, but the fairways and rough are Kikuyu grass. A tough, dense pasture grass originally from East Africa, it had been used at a nearby polo field in the 1930s and was also planted on hillsides to prevent erosion.
| Course Superintendent | Matthew A. Morton |
|---|---|
| 7,298 yards (2009) | |
| Grass | Bermudagrass, perennial ryegrass (tees); Kikuyugrass (rough, fairways); Creeping bentgrass, Poa annua (greens) |
| Tournament Stimpmeter | 12 ft |
| Sand bunkers | 60 |
5 rows · Dec 01, 2021 · There are Poa annua greens at Riviera, which are common in the West, but the fairways and rough ...
What Type Of Grass Does Riviera Have? This course uses three grass types for its turf: kuikuyu, annua and annua greens. Par-5s have been built at Riviera, and par-3s are in other areas as well. Since Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore renovated the bunkers in 1992 when they redesigned them, the course has managed to withstand only one major renovation.
Feb 15, 2022 · We’re talking, of course, about the peculiar grass that covers Riviera’s fairways, rough and green surrounds—not to be confused with …
Dec 02, 2021 · This is the Kikuyu grass found in Riviera. The Pacific Pearl is located in the state of California. It is spelled Kikuyu, which is odd. This weekend’s Genesis Invitational broadcast will feature the word kuh-KOO-yah countless times.
kikuyu grassThe fairways and rough are made from kikuyu grass, while the greens use poa annua grass. Riviera has three par-5's and four par-3's. The course has held up well, as it has undergone only one major renovation when Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore redesigned the bunkers in 1992.Feb 7, 2019
Riviera Country ClubClub informationTournaments hostedGenesis Invitational - (PGA Tour) 1948 U.S. Open 1983 PGA Championship 1995 PGA Championship 1998 U.S. Senior Open 2017 U.S. AmateurGreensPoa annuaFairwaysKikuyuWebsitetherivieracountryclub.com16 more rows
Another unique feature of Riviera Country Club's 92-year-old course is its abundance of Eucalyptus trees. The mammoth, white-barked trees are prevalent throughout the property, and in addition to looking and smelling great, they play a strategic role on several holes.Feb 13, 2018
One of the best-known features of the Riviera Country Club is its abundance of eucalyptus trees. The giant trees stand out because of their white bark, and they play an essential role in ensuring several of the holes are particularly challenging.Feb 15, 2022
Inside the course: Riviera Country ClubCourse SuperintendentMatthew A. Morton7,298 yards (2009)GrassBermudagrass, perennial ryegrass (tees); Kikuyugrass (rough, fairways); Creeping bentgrass, Poa annua (greens)Tournament Stimpmeter12 ftSand bunkers6015 more rows•Feb 12, 2012
Kikuyu grassRiviera's Kikuyu grass, explained. PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — The spelling is odd: Kikuyu. You'll hear the word, pronounced kuh-KOO-yah, umpteen times on this weekend's Genesis Invitational broadcast.Feb 15, 2022
12th holeAround the time Riviera became known as "Hogan's Alley" (Ben Hogan won the LA Open in 1947, '48 and '50 and the U.S. Open at Riviera in '48), Humphrey Bogart spent so much time watching golf from underneath a sycamore tree on the 12th hole that the club eventually named the tree after him.Feb 13, 2013
The giant Eucalyptus trees that line many of the fairways are truly monstrous.Feb 16, 2008
The Riviera clubhouse has welcomed many famous faces. Pictures of the likes of Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Gregory Peck and many of those mentioned above still hang on on the clubhouse walls.
That's part of Riviera's charm and why so many players call it their favorite course on tour. It is difficult without any bells or whistles but still rewards precise play.Feb 19, 2021
Although he rarely participated in celebrity tournaments, Bogart was one of Hollywood's better golfers. On many occasions, Bogart enjoyed catching a quick round of golf at Lakeside Golf Club in between filming at the nearby Warner Bros. studios.
tycoon Noboru WatanabeToday Riviera is owned by Japanese real-estate tycoon Noboru Watanabe, who paid $108 million in 1989 to the descendants of L.A. Athletic Club founder Garbutt. It was a small price to pay for one of American golf's true national treasures.
Its history is actually kind of interesting. Kikuyu grass was originally found in Kenya in Africa, and it was brought to the United States by the federal Department of Agriculture in 1915. It was tested in California in 1916, and in the 1920s, California-based agricultural scientists had obtained a fair amount of the grass from South African ...
Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for over a decade, working for NBC Sports, Golf Channel, Yahoo Sports and SB Nation. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He used to be a good golfer.
The Kikuyu tribe are the heart of the country's agriculture.
You can't watch a golf tournament at Riviera Country Club and not hear about kikuyu grass. It's a reality for the viewer because Jim Nantz just can't enough of saying the word, but it's more importantly a reality for the members, grounds staff and player guests at Riviera Country Club.
The Riviera Country Club is a private club with a championship golf course and tennis courts in the Riviera neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, California, a community in the Westside of Los Angeles . The Riviera was designed by golf course architects George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell, it has been the primary host for ...
It returned in 1973, where it has remained, with the exception of 1983 and 1998, for a total of 75 times through 2020.
The 1952 movie Pat and Mike, starring Katharine Hepburn and Babe Zaharias, was filmed at Riviera, as was The Caddy, starring Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, with a cameo appearance by Ben Hogan, and Follow the Sun, about Hogan, starring Glenn Ford and Anne Baxter. During the silent era, the 1927 movie Spring Fever was filmed at the new club, ...
The first hole, a short par five, is a relatively easy beginning hole. The tee is elevated 75 feet (23 m) above the fairway, tempting players to hit driver but out of bounds on the left side and a barranca crossing the fairway make players cautious. Scores range from eagle to double bogey. The second hole is a long par-four that plays uphill and into the wind, and is the number one handicap hole. The third is medium-length and also plays into a breeze.
The tenth hole is a very short, 315-yard (288 m) par four known as a risk-reward hole. Longer hitters can try to drive the green from the tee, but accuracy is a priority, as several bunkers surround the green. The eleventh is a long par-five where eucalyptus trees and a barranca come into play. The twelfth is a long par-four, often into the wind, that plays to a narrow green surrounded by the barranca, bunkers, and trees; Bogey's Tree is named after actor Humphrey Bogart .
The actor Conrad Veidt died suddenly of a heart attack in 1943 while playing golf at the club. Willie Hunter, the 1921 British Amateur champion and six-time PGA Tour winner, served as the head professional from 1936 to 1964. His son, Mac Hunter, was head pro from 1964 to 1973.