Having been employed at Riviera a decade ago, I can say that there was nothing equal in my career to the daily access I had to the course. I can't tell you how many times I closed the shop an hour before dark and couldn't resist the siren's call of the course. Normally, as many golf pros both current and former can attest to, when you work at a course the last thing you want to do is stick around and play. Who wants to hang out at work after they're done for the day? Not many. But at Riviera, unless I absolutely had to be somewhere, I'd go get in as many holes as I could, even if it were simply playing 1 & 2. So many great little routing loop opportunities for 2, 4, 6, 9 holes. Almost endless opportunities to play great holes after work. Holes 1, 3, and 10 all virtually tee off within yards of the pro shop. I played the 1, 2, 10, 9, 3, 18 loop well over 40 times. So fun.
As to how this relates to this thread... since I played late in the day primarily I spent many afternoons and early evenings playing in sunlight very much like the pictures above. It certainly added an element of visual deception to playing. But the beauty of the light and shadows while playing alone on a hole like #16 is something I will never forget. The eucalyptus trees around the green while playing virtually into the sun with all the shadows was stunning. Riviera is truly one of the great gems of the golf world. It is solidly in my personal Top 5 anywhere and I miss it daily.
Jeff