who designed rivera golf course

by Jermey Beier 10 min read

George C. Thomas Jr.

Which golf course is better La north or La Riviera?

Feb 16, 2022 · George C Thomas, an amateur architect was commissioned by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Actually, he was not truly commissioned as Thomas agreed to take on the project, free of charge. More about the golf course at The Riviera Country Club It took 18 months to develop the golf course at The Riviera Country Club before opening in 1927.

Did Tiger Woods ever win the Riviera Championship?

For nearly a century, the Riviera golf course has withstood the tests of time. The Los Angeles Athletic Club commissioned George C. Thomas, an amateur architect who agreed to take on the project free of charge, to design the golf course. It took over 18 months and opened to critical acclaim in 1927.

Is Riviera Maya a good golf course?

Feb 14, 2022 · Founded in 1926, Riviera opened after an 18-month construction process. George C. Thomas, an amateur architect who agreed to design the golf course free of charge, was commissioned by the Los...

Why is the Riviera Country Club so famous?

George C. Thomas Jr. designed Riviera, or should we say manufactured Riviera. When the course opened for play in 1926, the construction bill was almost $250,000 and this was one of the first courses where literally the earth moved in mysterious ways.

General information

Feb 19, 2021 · With that eloquent description of this design, Spieth might have a future in golf course design, should he ever want one. RELATED: Why Riviera’s fourth hole is one of the most fascinating par 3s ...

The course

The 18-hole "Riviera" course at the Riviera Golf Course facility in Lesage, West Virginia features 5,766 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 70. The course rating is 66.9 and it has a slope rating of 108. Designed by J.L. Jefferson, Jr., the Riviera golf course opened in 1957. Dirk McFann manages the course as the Owner. Scorecard

Who designed the clubhouse at Riviera Country Club?

George C. ThomasThe main clubhouse, built in a Spanish revival style, followed in 1928. The club called upon famed Golden Age-architect George C. Thomas to design a course that would challenge the world's best. After 18 months and 15 iterations of his design, his masterpiece and crowning achievement opened for play.

How much does it cost to join Riviera Country Club?

Experts estimate the annual dues at a minimum of $25,000 although there have been previous reports setting it at $40,000. Actually, the fee requirement may be the easiest hurdle for the potential members. You can't really be an applicant to the Riviera on your own.

Who is the owner of Riviera Country Club?

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.

What is Riviera Country Club famous for?

The Course Consistently ranked by national golf publications as one of the best and toughest courses in the U.S., Riviera plays host every February to the PGA Tour's Northern Trust Open, once known as the L.A. Open.Jun 23, 2011

What celebrities live on Riviera Country Club?

Riviera has had many famous members, which included Humphrey Bogart, Glen Campbell, Vic Damone, Peter Falk, Jack Ging, Dean Martin, Gregory Peck, Walt Disney, Hal Roach, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford.

What is the most prestigious golf course in the world?

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is the oldest and most prestigious golf club in the world. It is based in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, and is regarded as the worldwide "Home of Golf" founded in 1754.Nov 29, 2018

What golf Club did Dean Martin belong to?

Dean Martin was a Riviera member, and parts of his 1953 movie “The Caddy” with comedic partner Jerry Lewis were filmed at the course.Feb 13, 2018

Who are members of Riviera Country Club?

Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney, Howard Hughes, Glen Campbell, and Dean Martin are just some of the famous names who have been members at Riviera. In fact, the late country music singer Campbell was the host of the Los Angeles Open from 1971-1983.Feb 7, 2019

What are the white trees on the Riviera golf Course?

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

Does Larry David belong to Riviera?

Larry David, creator of Seinfeld and writer/performer in Curb Your Enthusiasm, is a member at Riviera, has shot 38 on the back nine and is rumoured to have made his first hole-in-one there.

What was Genesis Invitational called before?

the Los Angeles OpenThe Genesis Invitational is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in southern California, first played 96 years ago in 1926 as the Los Angeles Open. Other previous names include Northern Trust Open and Nissan Open.

What is the most exclusive golf club in California?

Cypress Point Golf Club in Pebble Beach, Calif., and the Los Angeles Country Club were selected by Billionaire.com as two of the 10 most exclusive golf courses in the world.Aug 12, 2014

Where is the 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 ...

How many feet above the fairway is the first hole of the golf course?

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.

How many times has the Riviera hosted the Los Angeles Open?

It returned in 1973, where it has remained, with the exception of 1983 and 1998, for a total of 75 times through 2020.

Where was Pat and Mike filmed?

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, ...

How long is the 10th hole?

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 .

How did Conrad Veidt die?

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.

Where is R Iviera Country Club?

R iviera Country Club, one of America’s iconic golf courses, is tucked away in a residential area off the busy Sunset Boulevard. The course sits in a small canyon, a relatively unpromising site where, in 1927, George C. Thomas, Jr., laid out his masterpiece.

Who restored Thomas's fairway?

In 2008, Tom Fazio’s firm completed what Riviera billed as a restoration of Thomas’s original split fairway on the 8th hole. Fazio’s work has perhaps brought back Thomas’s strategic intentions from tee to green, but in my opinion, Fazio butchered the green, which now stick out like a sore thumb.

What is the bunker on the 6th hole?

One of the most photographed holes in golf, the par-3 6th features a small bunker in the middle of the green. This iconic bunker is one of three around this green: there’s also a large, deep front bunker and a nasty back bunker, which come into play for different pin positions. The putting surface has a great deal of back-to-front slope, making any putt from pin-high or above a challenge.

What is the par 3 14th?

The thrilling back-nine run takes a breather with the relatively benign par-3 14th, which features an extremely wide and shallow green. The key here is distance control, as any miss long or short-sided will make for a tough up-and-down on a green running hard from right to left and back to front.

Who designed the Riviera Country Club?

The Riviera Country Club is undoubtedly an important course, not just because of its magnetic appeal to many famous members, including Glen Campbell, Dean Martin, and Gregory Peck, but also because this is a masterpiece in architectural design. George C. Thomas Jr. designed Riviera, or should we say manufactured Riviera.

When was the LA Open first played?

The Los Angeles Open was first played at Riviera Country Club in 1929, but the event began a long-term relationship with the club in 1973. Since 1973, The LA Open has been played here every year except 1983 and 1988 when Riviera played host to the PGA Championship and the U.S. Senior Open respectively.

Riviera Golf Course

The 18-hole "Riviera" course at the Riviera Golf Course facility in Lesage, West Virginia features 5,766 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 70. The course rating is 66.9 and it has a slope rating of 108. Designed by J.L. Jefferson, Jr., the Riviera golf course opened in 1957. Dirk McFann manages the course as the Owner.

Flyover

Front 9 has good holes but the back 9 is really short. Good conditions but the bunkers need care. Bermuda fairways and greens were good. Walkable and not too long, so I rate this good value for $32.

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Overview

The Riviera Country Club is a private club with a championship golf course and tennis courts in the Los Angeles, California neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, 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 the Genesis Invitational(original…

History

When the country club and course opened 96 years ago in 1926, it was known as the Los Angeles Athletic Club Golf Course. William P. Bell helped Thomas in the design and planning of the course. They were in charge of assembling a labor force to build the course from scratch in the Santa Monica Canyon. The entire country club and golf course cost $243,827 to build; at the time, it was one of the most expensive in golf history. The course has been modified a few times, most notab…

PGA Tour

Riviera hosted the Los Angeles Open in 1929 and 1930, then nine consecutive years from 1945 through 1953. It returned in 1973, where it has remained, with the exception of 1983 and 1998, for a total of 75 times through 2020.
The course is well known for Ben Hogan, and the course has been called "Hogan's Alley" (a moniker shared with Colonial Country Club in Texas). Hogan won the L.A. Open three times (194…

General information

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. Over the years, it gradually invaded the course and became the dominant species. Kikuyu provides optimal lies on close-mown fairways, but is very challenging in the spongy rough.

The course

The course is a par 71, at a length of 7,013 yards (6,413 m) from the back tees (which has been lengthened to 7,322 yards (6,695 m) for Tour play), 6,531 yards (5,972 m) from the middle tees, and 5,907 yards (5,401 m) from the forward tees. The men's slope ratingsare 74.6/135 and 72.2/130 for the back and middle tees, respectively. The ladies' slope rating is 74.3/142 for the forward te…

External links

• Official website
• Official PGA Tour website for the Northern Trust Open
• Golf Course Histories aerial comparison 1927 v 2013