#2 Riviera playing world class today

[Garland Bayley]

Th last threesome was embarrassed after perfect drives. The green seems subtlety devilish.

Why is it desirable to embarrass the best players in the world?

Seems to be a USGA Championship Committee mindset.

Clearly Riviera's 10th stands next to Perranporth's 12th as one of the worst golf holes in the world, because even the best golfers in the world have a difficult time getting their second shots to stay on the green.

[Ryan Coles]

Just to educate some who aren't familiar with Kikuyu or Riviera's locale.

Yes some rain recently helped green the look, but Riviera is so close to the ocean that its nights seldom get cold enough to want any grass to go dormant.
Thus, kikuyu, which usually doesn't go dormant much anyway, usually stays pretty green year round, especially when some fertilizer is applied, which is for the benefit of the look.

If you look at the barrancas, the kikuyu has a dormant look, less water and fertilizer gives it this appearance.

The TV showed how magnificent the bunkering was. Can you educate me as to why they grew thick rough around them?

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Which side the front or the back?

In front of the bunkers, looking at them from the tees, I believe they should be mowed tight up to the entrance into the sand.  They don't because they don't understand the strategy of the course and it is easier to keep the 5 rotary mower farther away from edge of the bunker.  As for the top, part closest to the green, the kikuyu has grown so high it is difficult to mow with any mower and so they are whacked down by hand on occasion without getting a scalped look.  Thus they can look fluffy at times, a look that I like.  To me it gives a look of evolving over many years, which they had until Macdonald Construction and Marzolf lowered many.  Hope this answers your question.

[Ryan Coles]

Lynn

Most of the holes to be fair. The fairway bunkers are in the rough. A ball bouncing short will stay in the rough rather than go into the bunker.

The green side bunkers have thick rough between them and the green. And thick rough in front of them.

John Huggan retweeted a great aerial shot today of a before and after at pinehurst no 2.

Short grass is favoured around greens on here, yet riviera and others get a pass.

[Matt Day]

I'd also say its over watered. Shouldn't be that green in a drought if what is preached on this site is accurate.

Not sure that it is proving to be particularly befuddling. The biggest bomb and gauge merchant on the tour looks like winning.

if you foliar feed iron and manganese you green up Kikuyu quite easily without overwatering

[Kyle Casella]

SoCal area courses CAN play like Sandbelt courses, but not in February. If you ever play any LA area courses in August, I think you will find quite a bit more brown!

[Carl Nichols]

SoCal area courses CAN play like Sandbelt courses, but not in February. If you ever play any LA area courses in August, I think you will find quite a bit more brown!

I played LACC 12 days ago and it was considerably browner than Riviera appeared on tv.  But it's also farther inland, and I don't know enough to know whether that makes a big difference.  I can say that LACC was in amazing condition.

[DMoriarty]

LACC is different grass throughout.

[Greg Chambers]

Carl,

LACC and Riviera have different grass types.

[Carl Nichols]

Carl,

LACC and Riviera have different grass types.

Fair enough.  Don't know enough about grass types to know whether you'd expect Riviera to be greener than LACC just because of that. 

[Bill_McBride]

LACC is different grass throughout.

Does LACC use the same tactic the Valley Club does to keep kikuyu out?

The Valley Club has a crew out every day looking for the stuff and eradicates it on sight.  Now that they've regressed all their fairways, I'll bet they still keep a close eye out.   If you've played both the Valley and cross town LaCumbre, you'll know why.  Bump and run is impossible at LaCumbre, essential at VC. 

[DMoriarty]

Maybe its their membership admissions policy . . .  What kind of a name is Kikuyu anyway?