If you owned Riviera

[Ted Sturges]

Let me start off by saying I love Riviera.  I consider it a strategic design masterpiece.  So much fun to play.


Having said that, I think Riviera is very close to a "Doak 10", and probably would be with a few minor tweaks.


Q:  If you owned Riviera, what is the first thing you would do to improve the golf course?


Would it be to rebuild the "new" 8th green?
Would it be to cut down the trees left of 12 and 13?
Bunker restoration?


If you were only permitted to make one change initially, what would it be?


TS

[jeffwarne]

I'd play it twice every day

[Jeff Schley]

They were just completing their bunker rebuild a couple years ago when I was there and lining them.  I believe it was Polylast.

[William_G]

tree removal

[Lou_Duran]

Likely impractical, eradicate the kikuyu.

[Jimmy Muratt]

Remove the cart paths and make it walking only.

[Michael Moore]

https://grantland.com/features/the-veil-opulence-whether-really-relate-everyone-sports/

[Michael Dugger]

Continue to rough up/naturalize the appearance of the ravines.  Make them a true hazard again.

[Terry Lavin]

I'd play it twice every day

And I’d pull the Dabney Coleman and live in a small suite upstairs.

[Mark Kiely]

https://grantland.com/features/the-veil-opulence-whether-really-relate-everyone-sports/

If it's not glaringly obvious in the first paragraph or so how an article relates to the topic at hand, maybe add a little context to your post?

[Ted Sturges]

https://grantland.com/features/the-veil-opulence-whether-really-relate-everyone-sports/

If it's not glaringly obvious in the first paragraph or so how an article relates to the topic at hand, maybe add a little context to your post?

I think he was trying to tell me I shouldn't ask such a question...


TS

[Adam G]

Re-establish the barancas as native areas rather than just ditches kind of like LA North or Bel Air. And while I'm doing grassing, get rid of the Kikuyu (Hillcrest CC just did this so it's doable, although I'm not sure if its the right thing to do in the canyon). The kikuyu takes away so much of the ground game that Thomas designed.


After that trees on 12 and 13 (make 13 a cape again), fix 8, etc.

[Buck Wolter]

I'd develop it into housing and move to Tasmania (after doing what Jeff suggests for a year).

[Michael Moore]

The question is not a bad one. It just made me think of an essay by Jay Kang that finally illuminated so much of what I hear about sports. I (used to) work in an office where people talk about their fantasy league instead of the artistry on the field. This year I joined a Masters pool to hopefully foster some camaraderie during quarantine and it impinged on my enjoyment of the tournament more than I could have imagined.
 
It is below freezing and snowing again as I watch the brilliant colors of Riviera in high definition. I trust that the owners, the members, and the restorers have done their best. People on this site and elsewhere write about this course, as you have above, with great reverence. As Jay writes, I prefer to experience Riviera through the lens of my "immediate self-interest" tonight.

[Tim_Weiman]

Likely impractical, eradicate the kikuyu.

Lou,


Agree with you. Wasn’t a real fan of the kikuyu. Not sure I liked #6 either.


Playing a round behind Peter Falk was kind of interesting. Sure seemed like a pretty serious guy.

[John Kavanaugh]

Likely impractical, eradicate the kikuyu.

Lou,


Agree with you. Wasn’t a real fan of the kikuyu. Not sure I liked #6 either.


Playing a round behind Peter Falk was kind of interesting. Sure seemed like a pretty serious guy.

One of the great mysteries of my golfing life has been the stock hate of the playing surface at Riviera. It fit my taste perfectly and is running like hell today.

[Kalen Braley]

Running like hell is about right Barney.


P.S.  I can't recall ever seeing a round delayed due just to wind...

[MKrohn]

Remove the cart paths and make it walking only.

I wish I could find the before and after photo looking down towards the 10 green, the cart paths are an incredibly ugly scar.


Interesting discussion on kikuyu, having grown up playing in the stuff. The Riviera kikuyu is different to what we get on a lot of courses in Australia. Out here the grass almost seems to sit above the soil making it very spongy, I enjoyed Riviera as the grass seems "tighter" and you can certainly play some sort of ground game that is denied on the surfaces I played.


I play on a course where we took the kikuyu out and replaced with predominately couch, our guys spend a lot of time eradicating the kikuyu, the weed just keeps coming back.

[Terry Lavin]

Likely impractical, eradicate the kikuyu.

Lou,


Agree with you. Wasn’t a real fan of the kikuyu. Not sure I liked #6 either.


Playing a round behind Peter Falk was kind of interesting. Sure seemed like a pretty serious guy.

Larry David was out there one day when I was playing. He was rambling and prattling around a halfway house. Hilarious.


But my fave story was when we had an older caddie who readily took a cart to grab cocktails for us. After a couple trips we could tell he was slaking his thirst, too. He got so loaded he couldn’t walk straight so he stayed in the cart and still read every putt accurately even if he was twenty yards away. Awesome guy.

[Rob Marshall]

I'd play it twice every day

I had friend who was a really good golfer who moved to LA in the 70’s after high school. He got a job tending bar at Riviera. I believe that an individual or family owed the course then. When he wasn’t working he was allowed to play golf everyday after 3pm. Said it was blast between playing golf and serving drinks to guys like Dean Martin.

[Mike_Trenham]

I'd play it twice every day

I had friend who was a really good golfer who moved to LA in the 70’s after high school. He got a job tending bar at Riviera. I believe that an individual or family owed the course then. When he wasn’t working he was allowed to play golf everyday after 3pm. Said it was blast between playing golf and serving drinks to guys like Dean Martin.

If I owned Riviera, I would expect that I could play my own course with three friends the Wednesday the week a PGA Championship.

[Tommy Williamsen]

The first time I played my brother-in-law got me on with his Hollywood connections. I was paired with actor David Wayne, another actor, and a vp of Coca Cola. On the first tee they wanted to know if I wanted to get in on their game. I asked what the game was, "A dollar a yard."  That meant the first hole was worth $500. I told them I'd carry their wallets.

[David_Tepper]

"I believe that an individual or family owed the course then."


If I remember correctly, Riviera was owned for many years (at least into the 1980's) by a company known a LAACO, that also owned the Los Angeles Athletic Club in downtown LA and a marina/yacht club on the coast. LAACO was controlled by a family, but it was actually a public company whose shares were traded every once in a while in "the pink sheets." 

[AChao]

Hathaway


If my second ever high school varsity match in my first year of high school, we played a team that had Riv as it's home course.  After teeing-off on 1, we walked left toward the path and passed a gentleman that was obviously too well dressed and stuck-out.  (Some of us today might say he was over-dressed and therefore not too important - but not back then for sure.).


My opposing team captain who was quite nice said "That's Mr. Hathaway.  He owns the place."  I sensed he felt like he was walking on eggshells a little also.

"I believe that an individual or family owed the course then."


If I remember correctly, Riviera was owned for many years (at least into the 1980's) by a company known a LAACO, that also owned the Los Angeles Athletic Club in downtown LA and a marina/yacht club on the coast. LAACO was controlled by a family, but it was actually a public company whose shares were traded every once in a while in "the pink sheets."

[Carl Rogers]

Join the ranks of those calling for the ball and clubs to be rolled back so that my massive investment could stay relevant