Riviera Country Club
Pacific Palisades, CA • Private

Carlos Amoedo

Taku Miyamoto/Courtesy of Riviera Golf and Tennis, Inc.

Carlos Amoedo

Carlos Amoedo

Taku Miyamoto/Courtesy of Riviera Golf and Tennis, Inc.

Carlos Amoedo

Carlos Amoedo

Taku Miyamoto/Courtesy of Riviera Golf and Tennis, Inc.
Overview
A compact and shrewd design by George C. Thomas Jr. and associate William P. Bell, Riviera features everything from a long Redan par 3 to a bunker in the middle of a green to an alternate-fairway par 4. With its 18th green at the base of a natural amphitheater, and its primary rough consisting of club-grabbing Kikuyu, Riviera seems tailor-made as a tournament venue. It hosted a PGA Championship in 1995, a U.S. Senior Open in 1998 and a U.S. Amateur in 2017, but no U.S. Open since 1948. Riviera was recently awarded the 2031 U.S. Open, and it will also host the 2028 Olympics. But it’s the site of an annual PGA Tour event, which is even better exposure to the golf world.
About
Awards


Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked since 1969.
2023-'24 ranking: 18th (highest ranking, along with 1985-'86).
Previous ranking: 22nd.
Best in State: Ranked third, 2011-'16. Ranked fourth, 2017-'24. Ranked inside the top 5, 1977-'85, 1995, 1999-2003, 2009-'10. Ranked inside the top 10, 1987-'93, 1997, 2005-'07.
2023-'24 ranking: Fourth.
Watch our exclusive drone tour
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Excellent conditioning and great, fast greens (despite playing a month after the Genesis); long and difficult course, but typically not a lot of choices to make in how to play the hole; kikuya grass for the rough is difficult to play out of, as the ball sits up and leads to unpredictable shots -- this is a real defense of the course, but I wonder about how fair it is given the variety of ways the ball comes out?; nice variety of short and long holes, but a lot of brutes; more of a corporate feel than private country club feel to it"
Read More2024
Review
“Excellent conditioning and great, fast greens (despite playing a month after the Genesis); long and difficult course, but typically not a lot of choices to make in how to play the hole; kikuya grass for the rough is difficult to play out of, as the ball sits up and leads to unpredictable shots -- this is a real defense of the course, but I wonder about how fair it is given the variety of ways the ball comes out?; nice variety of short and long holes, but a lot of brutes; more of a corporate feel than private country club feel to it"
Read More2024
Review
“Rivera is the quintessential Los Angeles golf course, with an incredible tournament history, Southern California landscape, and an incredible variety of holes from the diminutive 10th and 16th to the ball-busting holes at 2-3-4-12-13-15-18. Given that we get to see the course on TV each year, most avid golf fans are familiar with Riviera, but to play it is a true treat."
Read More2024
Review
“Another George Thomas classic.....Riv is such a treat to play and fully deserving as one of the Top 100 in the Nation. Challenging and fun, the layout provides for an excellent walk through a beautiful canyon in the LA suburbs. Fairways and greens were fast, firm and fair, which reward a well placed approach throughout the course. Summer has arrived in LA and the course gets warm in the mid-morning to late afternoon. This means less play during that time and course reflects the wonderful conditioning! Riv is loaded with character and Mr. Thomas chose to tie into this personality by providing interesting shot options on virtually every hole. Risk v Reward abounds but the rough outside of the fairways and the fast / firm greens offer ample protection on misplaced shots. A wonderful golf course and a must-play bucket list experience when in Southern California!"
Read More2023
Review
“Fantastic course to play with a member. Caddies are a must."
Read More2023
Review
“Located in Pacific Palisades, this beautiful, George C. Thomas design opened for play in 1926 and hosts the Genesis Invitation in mid February each year. It's always in pristine condition and features Kikuyu fairways, poa greens, challenging green complexes with deep bunkers and a great variety of unique hole designs. The short par 4 tenth holes is one of the best short 4's in the world and the sixth hole its unique for it's bunker in the middle of the green."
Read More2023
Review
“An absolute masterpiece. Historical, iconic, and challenging. If you ever get the chance to play, drop everything you are doing. You will talk about the short par-four tenth and the par three sixth (with the bunker in the green) forever."
Read More2022
Review
“Riviera is just outstanding these days. Green speeds are up and since the USGA recovered some spectacular George Thomas shaping before the U.S. Amateur that was hidden under rough, the use of side boards and punch bowls and just general slopes on or around each putting green has made the shot options really jump up for me. Examples: The 2nd green is very narrow for a long par 4, except Thomas had given the player the hill right of the green to bound the ball to the putting surface if you played a well executed draw. The PGA Tour grew rough all over that hillside, rendering it inert, but the USGA mowed the slope and reactivated that possibility, which is a wonderful change just through mowing. Same behind the back of the 6th green, wonderful slope activation of shaping that was put there by Thomas, and is now fully activated with green speeds of 11, as well as tightly mowed collars in strategic spots. Wonderful mowing left of 7 and 8 greens doing the same thing. Need to add that to the back of the “Alps” right of 5 green and left of 18 a bit? The latter will never happen, even though that was Thomas’ intent. The slopes on the greens are really electric with the fast speeds, which are only able to be there with the top notch agronomy of Marshall Dick. He has really mastered the sub-surface moisture management of the Poa Annua greens, which is giving Riviera maybe the best Poa greens in California. Yep, better than Cypress Point right now. Wow. Might be time for a slight tune up here as Riviera prepares to be the Olympic site in 2028. Who should do that work? Jackson/Kahn did work here when in the Fazio org, maybe them? Their green complex work is just so creative. It is so clear that 4 of the Best holes in the world are here - 4, 6(Best shaped green in the world, given all of the options?), 10 and 18. Not many other courses can say that. "
Read More2022
Review
“I was shocked at how simple the downhill par 5 1st hole "should" play until I reached the green. The large green has enough slope to make 2 putting almost impossible if you are not in the correct position in relation to the flag stick. I watched my partner hit the green in two and have to make a 25-footer for BOGEY. "
Read More2022
Review
“What can I say that hasn't already been written about the famed Riviera? I will add that it isn't a very long course at 7000 yards, but of course it makes up for this with mature trees, narrow fairways, large bunkers and superb routing throughout the bottom of the canyon in which it sits. I was shocked at how simple the downhill par 5 1st hole "should" play until I reached the green. The large green has enough slope to make 2 putting almost impossible if you are not in the correct position in relation to the flag stick. I watched my partner hit the green in two and have to make a 25-footer for BOGEY. Loved the par 4 5th, the par 3 sixth and my favorite hole was the par 4 10th. This may be the ultimate risk-reward shot in golf. Do you try to drive the green or lay up for an easy wedge approach? The smallest green on the course is almost impossible to hit with a simple short iron. The iconic 18th plays severely uphill where you will have a mid-iron approach to a sloped green. Amazing course in excellent condition. Not the fastest course I've ever played but the greens were perfect."
Read More2022
Readers
Collection of reviews from our readers
There are no readers reviews yet. Be the first to write a review.