The Genesis Invitational

Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course)



    Riviera Country Club

    Pacific Palisades, CA Private

    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

    Holes 18
    Length 7400
    Slope 144
    Facility Type Private
    Year Opened 1926
    Designer George C. Thomas, Jr./William P. Bell, ASGCA

    Awards

    100 Greatest
    Best Courses in Every State

    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.

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    Golf Digest Logo Panelists

    Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

    4.8

    100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

    Shot Options
    8.0362
    Character
    8.1316
    Challenge
    8.0468
    Layout Variety
    8.1164
    Fun
    7.9912
    Aesthetics
    7.7352
    Conditioning
    7.9506

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