Riviera Country Club - Pacific Palisades, California

On Sunday the American John Merrick won his first-ever PGA Tour title at the Northern Trust Open, held at the famous Riviera Country Club. This week we review this iconic golf course which has played an important role in the history of golf in North America.

Known as “Hogan’s alley” after the American golfing great who had a special fondness for the course, the Riviera Country Club is a private golf course in Pacific Palisades, California, a short drive from Los Angeles. The course opened in 1927, with the George Thomas design having served the world’s top golfers for almost a century. As one of the grand dames of the US golfing circuit, Riviera has seen many top golfers lift the trophy, including Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, and Ernie Els.

The Riviera Country Club is one of the few premier golf courses in the United States that has kept its original layout over the years, giving fans and the occasional lucky visitor the opportunity to experience golf as it was played in times gone by. The course is generally closed to the public, but memberships do become available from time to time, and golfers who are fortunate to have a friend or relative who is a member may play as guests on specific days.

Some course highlights at Riviera include the infamous back nine, which frequently makes or breaks the fortunes of would-be champions during the final round.

• The par four 10th hole deceives many a golfer with its modest yardage, but can easily result in bogeys for players whose short game is a little rusty.

• The 15th hole is a lengthy par 4 that tests the skills of every golfer who plays it – tee shots are fired directly into the ocean breeze, producing many an errant shot.

• The final hole measures 454 yards and requires players to play their tee shots onto an elevated fairway. The green is set against the backdrop of an amphitheatre, providing a dramatic close to any round of golf played at Riviera.

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