Love Letter To: Riviera Country Club

The PGA TOUR returns to Riviera Country Club after the devastating fires of January 2025 that came within 900 yards of the property. Last year, the tournament was moved to Torrey Pines while the Pacific Palisades remained in a state of emergency. But now, this historic golf course gets its place back—returning as the host of the LA Open (now called The Genesis Invitational) for the 61st time.

Ask TOUR pros, staff, and spectators their favorite stops on the PGA TOUR, and Riviera Country Club will always get mentioned near the top. This course is everything the TOUR should and does aim for: prestige, history, and one of the toughest tests for the world’s best golfers.

RELATED: On Tap: The Genesis Invitational at Riviera

A George C. Thomas masterpiece that sits in the golden hills of the Pacific Palisades in sunny Los Angeles, California, Riviera Country Club should be on every golf fan’s bucket list to see (and if you’re lucky, to play). Thanks to the PGA TOUR’s annual stop at this historic venue, we all have the opportunity to walk the grounds and experience what makes this place so special.

I’ve had the joy of photographing Riviera Country Club a few times now, and it’s always one of my favorite stops on the PGA TOUR. The golf course is so easily recognizable from its most iconic locations—the first tee tucked up against the walls of the clubhouse, or the famous short par-4 10th that sits bang in the middle of the property like a badge of honor.

But when you get out and walk 1 through 18, you see that every hole has its own character. Add the best golfers on the planet to the picture and you get one of those "pinch me" moments.

Given the nature of the routing and how tightly everything is packed, the golf course is a super easy walk. On almost every hole you can access two or three other holes without going far at all. It’s as much of a joy to walk as a spectator as it is to photograph.

All Hail (Storm) Riv

One of my more memorable walks at Riviera came during a Tuesday practice round ahead of the 2022 Genesis. I’m working in the media center after a long day on the course, when something you don’t usually see in Southern California starts to roll in: storm clouds. Most of the media are too busy to notice as they work through the buzz of a newsworthy Tuesday practice round. And then before you knew it, hail was coming down on Riviera Country Club.

Myself and a few other photographers scrambled for our cameras, batteries, and memory cards, bolting out of the clubhouse as fast as we could. And as much as we were scrambling to get out, there were twice as many people outside scrambling to get in. Not spectators, but TV crew, players, agents, and volunteers all seeking shelter.

The hail was coming down fast and heavy, covering the perfectly manicured course in white. And just 10 minutes later the storm was gone, the course was still, and the sun began to peek through the clouds.

It was as wild an event as, say, Tiger Woods being winless in 16 PGA TOUR starts on this same golf course. Then again, Riviera Country Club is always full of surprises.

This page was first published on February 13, 2025. Last updated February 18, 2026.

This story is part of Skratch Golf’s Love Letter series—an ode to the places that make the game unforgettable.

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Love Letter To: Riviera Country Club

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Love Letter To: Scottsdale National

Love Letter To: Pebble Beach Golf Links

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Love Letter To: Torrey Pines

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