The post Can anyone catch Joaquin Niemann at the Genesis Invitational? appeared first on Golf.

The post Can anyone catch Joaquin Niemann at the Genesis Invitational? appeared first on Golf.

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Equal parts awe and annoyance set in when the fate of a PGA Tour event rests on the shoulders of just a single player. What Joaquin Niemann has done through 54 holes at Riviera is damn impressive, but the field of competitors for the title seems whittled down to three. There isn’t as much fun in that. It’s either awesome or annoying, depending on how exciting you want your golf to be.

So it goes when one plays like Niemann has through three rounds. His 19 under total is just one off the 72-hole scoring record at this tournament, one of the longest standing scoring records on the PGA Tour, per statistician Justin Ray. That came one day after Niemann set the 36-hole scoring record. Awe! 

Normally, there’s the potential for a 75 or 76 at Riviera Country Club. Normally no lead out here feels secure. Ask Sam Burns about his back-in 38s on the weekend last year. That’s just not the case at this week’s Riviera. Annoyance! This week’s Riv’ is playing more than a full shot easier than last year. Saturday’s 69.28 scoring average was the lowest round at this event since the Tour began religiously keeping statistics in 1984. Four pros sit at 10 under par, which would have given them a one-shot lead last year and most every year. This week, they’re nine back, tied for 6th.

Tiger Woods warned us that scoring might be easier early on in the event, with the course firming up as the week went on. And that’s happened — it just hasn’t much affected anything. Firm conditions are what pros hold stock in when playing catch-up. It’s why Justin Thomas adamantly repeated “there’s a lot of golf left” Friday night. Well, half of that golf he had “left” evaporated from the final group Saturday afternoon, and Thomas lost two shots to the man he’s chasing.

Niemann reached peak awe and annoyance mid-day Saturday when he calmly eagled the 10th, right in front of Thomas and Cameron Young, who trails him by three. Young made four birdies and one bad swing Saturday, watching his deficit increase in the process.

Breaking records through two rounds is one thing, and it happens on occasion on Tour. But when the pursuit extends to a third day, that’s when you start really annoying the field. Viktor Hovland’s last 48 hours included a stretch of 39-holes without a bogey, during which he marked 15 birdies on his scorecard. You won’t find better golf than that on a course like this. Except for the tip-top of the leaderboard.

“It’s a little frustrating because seven under through 11 holes and I had hardly gained any momentum, or I was peeking a little closer but I was still pretty far behind,” Hovland said. “If they just keep playing the way they do, there’s not much I can do. Should have played better the first day.”

He’s not wrong. Most players don’t look back multiple days with their regret, but that’s what Niemann has done to Hovland, and much of the rest of this field. 

“I’m having the best time of my life right now,” Niemann said. “I’m enjoying it a lot and I just can’t wait to have a good day tomorrow.”

Nothing is guaranteed in golf, and 18 holes still remain between Niemann and his second Tour title. But with the way the young Chilean is playing, a trophy-lifting Sunday looks all but certain to be in his future.

His march to the title begins at 10:25 local time Sunday morning, and it’s sure to be equal parts awesome and annoying. It just depends how exciting you want your golf to be.

Agree? Disagree? Feel free to lob praise, critiques or any commentary to the author at sean.zak@golf.com.

The post Can anyone catch Joaquin Niemann at the Genesis Invitational? appeared first on Golf.

The post Is par relevant? On the 1st hole at Riviera, definitely not appeared first on Golf.

The post Is par relevant? On the 1st hole at Riviera, definitely not appeared first on Golf.

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — There’s a logical argument — often made in golf’s nonconformist circles — that par, those governing integers that define each hole of stroke play, is insignificant, bordering on irrelevant. What actually matters is the sum of strokes made over all 18 holes, and if you really must press, how that sum relates to the average score that day.

Golf’s freest spirits live this way. There are good 4s and bad 4s. But the Tour broadcast? It needs par to do the storytelling right. But if you — You is who we care about! — can get down with this Bohemian ideology, then this is your week: no course on the PGA Tour is more apt at telling that story than Riviera Country Club and its 1st hole.

From one of the most famous tee boxes on Tour, players look out over the 1st and see a straight-away fairway, a mini barranca cutting across around 320 yards, with about a 7-iron approach to a big green. Hit it, add two putts and you’ve got a birdie in hand. Simple as that. It’s when players write down a four with a circle around it that they enter the debate. Should this 503-yard par-5 actually be a par 4? 

News

Over the last five years, No. 1 at Riviera has been the 2nd-easiest hole on Tour. That’s 2nd-easiest of about 800 or 900, annually, and that is, of course, according to par. Scoring average: 4.28. If tournament organizers elected for some chaos and instead listed it as a par 4, it would suddenly rank among the 40 toughest. The balance is nice for this course, with the other 17 holes helping Riviera play as one of the toughest annual tests on the Tour. Scoring average: OVER par. But the 1st hole playing as it is presents a weird mindset adjustment. Make birdie? Okay, good. Make par? Get over it. 

“Look, it’s definitely a more welcoming 1st hole to be able to hit a 3-wood off the tee, hopefully you hit an iron and make a birdie,” Collin Morikawa says. “But I think if you do think of it as a letdown, you’re already putting yourself behind.

“You might be losing strokes to the field, but it’s not like 2 is an automatic bogey. It’s not like there are no other holes out there that you can make birdie. Is it a very birdiable hole? Absolutely, and you have to be ready to start the round and not just slowly ease into it. It’s just the way golf is.”

Morikawa is either the perfect player to ask, or the worst. His 3.825 scoring average on No. 1 implies, yes, he’s carded more eagles (2) than pars (1) in his eight trips down the hill. That’s definitely among the best of his Tour colleagues, but not alarming in reality. The only scores that really happen are 3s, 4s, 5s and 6s. In essence it’s a par 4+. The last double bogey on the 1st hole of the Genesis Invitational was made 1,095 days ago, by Joaquin Niemann. He tossed a wedge into three feet with his third shot and then four-putted from there. It was hardly evidence off the hole’s tee-to-green difficulty.

2021: 4.279 scoring average, zero double bogeys.

2020: 4.324, zero doubles.

2019: 4.199, one double (easiest hole all season).

2018: 4.284, one double.

2017: 4.271, two doubles(!)

What’s rare about holes like this one is that there’s no other room for change other than the signage posted next to the tee box. Tiger Woods stated the obvious Wednesday when he said: “you can’t lengthen that tee shot, it’s not going anywhere. The clubhouse is in the same spot, the same road, the same cart path, same everything.”

He also called the tee shot for what it is: iconic. Everyone from Ben Hogan to Collin Morikawa to the 2040 Masters champion will hit that shot. And they’ll likely all make a bunch of birdies. So what do we do about it? Absolutely nothing at all.

The benefit of what Riviera presents in the face of all that niceness on 1 is plenty of near-half-pars littered throughout the course. Make your 4 on 1, the next hole plays comfortably .15 strokes over par. No. 3 plays .2 strokes over the number. There’s a delicate game of tug-of-war going on all throughout the course, where the value of a par becomes either an asset or a burden to work against with whatever you’ve got left.

The total par at this track should be top of mind. It’s 71. The average score at this course the last five years? 71.3. At the end of the day, if you’re beating that you’re doing great.

The post Is par relevant? On the 1st hole at Riviera, definitely not appeared first on Golf.

The post Seeking America’s next rising golf star? Here’s why the Genesis is a good place to look. appeared first on Golf.

The post Seeking America’s next rising golf star? Here’s why the Genesis is a good place to look. appeared first on Golf.

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Besides sharing a month on the calendar, there’s little connective tissue between last week’s raucous Phoenix Open and this week’s placid Genesis Invitational. But there is one piece of Scottie Scheffler’s win and Sahith Theegala’s impressive start that bridges the two events: the Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase.

Every year, this week’s Invitational grants a sponsor’s exemption to the best of about 15-20 collegians invited to take on RCC the Monday of the event. Back in 2018, that was Scheffler, then a senior at Texas. In 2017, it was Theegala, then a sophomore at Pepperdine. 

More often than not, it’s clear, the winner of the Showcase has gone on to quickly make an impact on the PGA Tour. (Will Zalatoris, 2021 Tour Rookie of the Year, won the inaugural event as a freshman in 2015.) This week’s winner is Wake Forest sophomore Michael Brennan, the 19th-ranked amateur in the world who put together a damn-near-perfect 66 Monday. 

Will he follow in the footsteps of Scheffler, Theegala and Zalatoris? It’s of course much too soon to place those thoughts on him. Too soon to even place them into the ether. But comparisons like that take place at the Showcase every single year. The best ams compete for a chance to hang among the best pros. As he tapped in for five under, world No. 3 Viktor Hovland trotted on by, headed to the range. Tour rookie Cameron Young hung around to congratulate him. Zalatoris did, too, but he had been watching all day long from the same pro-am group.

News

“The kid moves it,” Zalatoris said. “He’d be Top 10 in driving on Tour, distance-wise. And today, seeing him hit a few irons in there — stoney — where he didn’t even have to mark it. Just tap it in. Man, you’re making this place look easy. It’s not that easy, I promise you. I’ve played here a few times.”

It’s not easy at all. Riviera routinely plays as one of the toughest courses on Tour, but there was Brennan, five under through 11 after making a 20-footer for eagle. Zalatoris’ “stoney” description elicited a chuckle from Brennan, who despite shooting the best score in the event’s eight-year history, anxiously waited for the scores to roll in, just to make it official. He two-putted for par from the back of the 18th green to win by two, single-checked, double-checked and finally triple-checked his score before signing the card.

Ten minutes later, he stood atop the 1st tee at RCC, one of the most recognizable tee boxes in all of golf. It’s the highest point on the property, towers over the 1st fairway, from which it is quite natural to consider all the shots you just took, or the shots you’re about to take the rest of the week. Brennan had just completed his first career trip around RCC, and somehow earned his first Tour start in the process.

“Obviously, I want to play well,” he said, taking in the view. “But regardless of how I play, being able to play out here, on Thursday, with the big boys, is pretty cool.”  

The exemption into this week’s event is just another part of Brennan’s life that’s headed in the pro golf direction. He signed with Wasserman Media Group just last week, thanks to the new Name, Image and Likeness rules enacted by the NCAA. Not 30 minutes after his round, Terry Reilly, an exec at Wasserman, was on the phone with Brennan’s family discussing travel plans and how to hire a legit, pro caddie to loop for him at this tricky, intrinsic course set up to challenge the world’s best.

While his teammates head back to the East Coast for an event this weekend, Brennan is now stuck here in sunny California for the rest of the week, for the all the best reasons. Brennan won’t be completely on his own, but some of those lonely realities of pro golf have conveniently arrived a bit sooner than expected.

“We’re playing down in Destin, Fla., this weekend and I’ll have to miss it” he said, a grin washing over his face. “Bummer! [laughs] Snap!”

The post Seeking America’s next rising golf star? Here’s why the Genesis is a good place to look. appeared first on Golf.

The post How Max Homa pulled off that tree escape during the Genesis playoff appeared first on Golf.

The post How Max Homa pulled off that tree escape during the Genesis playoff appeared first on Golf.

Max Homa walked up to his ball after his tee shot on the first hole of Sunday’s playoff at the Genesis Invitational and immediately stood over it. To his and his ball’s left on the 315-yard, par-4 10th hole at Riviera Country Club, 70 feet away, was the hole. To his ball’s right, a few inches away, less than the size of an iron head, was a tree. Homa took an imaginary swing with just his arms.    

Which, for a while at least, looked like his only swing. 

“Oh right up against the tree by the looks of things,” analyst Frank Nobilo said during CBS’ broadcast on Sunday. 

“Absolutely snookered,” analyst Nick Faldo said. “Oh my goodness. Holy smokes.” 

“Can he get a club on it?” Nobilo said.

“Can he do anything, Frank?” Faldo said. 

For the next 112 seconds, Homa did many things. Then one thing. 

Homa, after his initial assessment, walked up to the green, about 55 feet away, walked a few steps off and tossed away some debris. This would be where he’d try to land his ball. He walked back to the green, then walked back to his ball and took another faux swing before being handed his 50-degree wedge from his caddie, Joe Greiner. 

With the tree impeding a traditional, straight-on shot, Homa would stand at an angle slightly behind and left of the tree, turn the toe of his club inward, or hood it, hook his chip and let it spin left.

“I think what he can try and do is hood a sand wedge and maybe try and hook it out toward the front of the green or maybe just right of the green from this angle and then go from there,” analyst Trevor Immelman said on the broadcast. “There’s no way he can put any kind of normal golf swing on this.”

Homa took a practice swing with the wedge, then another. He moved behind the ball, and  Greiner walked up to where it might land. Homa took another imaginary swing, then he and Greiner talked. The shot was settled.  

“I’m going to try to pull it over,” Homa said.  

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Greiner said. 

Yeah.

Homa, after two more practice swings and two looks up, chipped it 15 yards, it kicked to the left and rolled to within 11 feet. Homa smiled at Greiner, grabbed his putter and took off its head cover.  

“What a cool shot,” Immelman said.  

“A heck of a shot there,” Nobilo said. “Tremendous from Homa.”

“Obviously had a weird looking shot, but I had a shot, which is cool,” Homa said afterward. “Took a 50-degree out and just hooded it as much as I could to get it started as left as I could with some tumble spin, because going into that kikuyu uphill it all sticks, so I tried to land it as low into the hill as I could to get it rolling.”

Two strokes and about a half-hour before his chip, Homa had missed a 3-foot putt on 18 that would have given him a near-insurmountable lead, and he and Tony Finau would go to the playoff. Five strokes and about 15 minutes after his chip, Homa won. He would miss his birdie putt on 10, but parred the second hole of the playoff, while Finau bogeyed it. 

“Ten’s a crazy hole,” Homa said. “Talor Gooch and I were talking about it on 11 today during the regulation round. A lot of people don’t like it; I love it. I think golf could use a little chaos at times. It’s probably not a perfect hole, but it’s fun; a lot can go on. You kind of aim at these trees and kind of see what happens.”

The post How Max Homa pulled off that tree escape during the Genesis playoff appeared first on Golf.

The post Course Rater Confidential: What are the two best public courses in Los Angeles? appeared first on Golf.

The post Course Rater Confidential: What are the two best public courses in Los Angeles? appeared first on Golf.

GOLF’s Top 100 course panelists are among the most respected and well-traveled course evaluators in the game. They’re also keen to share their opinions. In this GOLF.com series, we’ll unlock their unvarnished views on all questions course-related. The goal is not only to entertain you but also to give you a better understanding of how to understand and appreciate golf course architecture. You can see GOLF’s latest Top 100 Courses in the World ranking here, and meet all of our Top 100 panelists here.

With the PGA Tour in Southern California this week for the Zozo Championship, we’d like to get your insights into Los Angeles-area golf. Let’s define our boundaries as anything within a (traffic-free) hour’s drive of downtown LA.

On GOLF Magazine’s new list of Top 100 Courses in the United States, Los Angeles CC North gets top billing in the Los Angeles area, with Riviera close behind. Do you agree with that ranking? And what if we were looking for the top three LA-area courses? Which course would you add?

Noel Freeman (panelist since 2010; has played 81 of the World Top 100): I do agree with that ranking. LACC’s restoration was one of the best of the recent past. The attention to detail in the natural appearance of the bunkering, plus the way the land unfurls just makes for better grounds for golf. Furthermore, the re-infusion of strategy, thanks to vegetation clearing and width building along with the repositioning of greens back to where George Thomas put them makes LACC flow better. LACC’s routing, especially on the front nine (the reclaimed 2nd hole, drivable 6th) is perfect for taking you around the property. The 11th is the best par-3 in Los Angeles. Oh, and I may be a period piece-lover but the bye hole 17th is a real treat to play. Gil Hanse and Geoff Shackelford restored it, and it’s one of the remaining Herbert Fowler touches.

Courses

By contrast, Riviera has, in my opinion, lost some of the naturalness of its hazards: just look at the old pictures. It remains a great and mighty golf course but if they took the ethos that LACC took in restoring it, it would only enhance its shot values. What I love about playing Riviera is the variety of shots it calls for, and aside from the 1st hole, it is a true challenge. Riviera also has one of the iconic par-4s in golf (the 10th), along with pomp and majesty of the clubhouse location and the amphitheater 18th.

Steve McHugh (Panelist since 2009; has played 75 of the World Top 100): I enjoy the strategy and shot value at Riviera more than at LACC. The redo is fabulous at LACC and it is a great place, but for straight golf, I prefer Riv. As a club, Riviera has a long way to go to make it friendly and welcoming. If Riv had a redo like LACC, it would be spectacular!

Thomas Brown (Panelist since 2015; has played 95 of the Top 100): Bel-Air Country Club is the third leg of the George Thomas triumvirate. Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design restored strategic elements to the canyon layout in 2018, and GOLF Magazine panelists recognized the improvement by moving it up twelve slots to 68th in the recently released Top 100 courses in the U.S. Thomas was an amateur golf architect visionary and wrote in detail on Bel-Air’s strategy, advocating for uneven terrain and variety as important design factors in the club’s newsletter during the development of the course. Thomas’ shaper Billy Bell must have been instrumental in developing the historically significant bunker style that we recognize today. Bell went on to become a founding member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects in 1947.

Niall Hay (Panelist since 2020; has played 65 of the World Top 100): Any discussion of Los Angeles area golf begins with the Thomas Triumvirate. My own ranking has Riviera slightly ahead of LACC. For pure strategy, design, and routing, Riv is one of the greats. What George Thomas was able to do with a relatively small parcel of land (130 acres) in a canyon basin is remarkable. There are no weak holes, and you’re rewarded if you can hit the ball both ways off the tee. In their quality and variety, par 3’s and par 4’s are remarkable, all the more so considering the flat ground. The iconic 6th hole — with a bunker in the middle of the green — isn’t even the best par-3 on the front. That honor goes to the 4th. The use of the barranca and limited natural hazards makes Thomas’ routing even more impressive. Riv also has one of the best short par-4’s in the world in the 10th. There are a half dozen other first-rate holes that could be mentioned. Add in the immaculate conditioning, spectacular clubhouse, Hogan association and history, and it is tough to beat Riv.

Travel

LACC would be 1A in the area, and the work by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, with an assist from Geoff Shackelford, is one of the all-time great restoration/renovation projects. Being able to pull out the Thomas and Bell elements, along with echoes of Herbert Fowler, was no small feat. The land is superior to Riveria’s, with much more elevation change. The routing is also strong. One of the great strengths of the course is its myriad half-par holes. A good example is the reclaimed short par-4 7th, which can play 290 from the new back tee. The best hole on the course is the long par-3 11th , a reverse Redan. Another thing that sets LACC apart is the gorgeous bunkering. The Fowler original bonus hole off 17 is also cool. I can’t wait to see how the USGA sets this place for the 2023 U.S. Open.

With the last of the Thomas Trio, the transformation of Bel-Air by Tom Doak and his team, led by Eric Iverson, has been dramatic. They removed trees, added bunkers and revived original Thomas characteristics, including the “Mae West” mounds on 12. They also did away with work by other architects that had diminished the quality of the course. The land is almost a combination of LACC and Riviera, and only a true routing wizard could have done what Thomas did in connecting the nines. The use of a tunnel, an elevator and a swinging bridge make the design a true original. Bel-Air used to be the club where you enjoyed the culture and the lively atmosphere while — if you were lucky — listening to stories from the L’il Pro, Eddie Merrins. Now, Bel-Air also has a course that can stand proudly with its Thomas siblings.

If a friend asked you for public-access recommendations in the LA-area, which two courses would you point them to first, and why?

Noel Freeman: I would tell them to play Rustic Canyon and Santa Anita. Rustic Canyon is a Gil Hanse original and a minimalist’s treat. The greens, the naturalness of the hazards and the shot values are stellar, and a boon for public-access golf.

Santa Anita in Arcadia is a hidden gem, largely overlooked by LA’s golf elite. It was built under the WPA in the 1930s by the one-hit architectural wonder and engineer James Harrison Smith. Smith was a student of great golf courses. On a moribund piece of land, he built bold swales, bumps and hollows, infused with traditional strategies. He even added a boomerang green (an homage to George Thomas). Though only 6,400 yards, the course is big in character. The $35 greens fee won’t burn a hole in your balance sheet, and a round affords you wonderful views of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Steve McHugh: While Rustic Canyon and Soule Park are not in LA, just north, they are both fantastic. Two Gil Hanse gems and both very affordable, worth the short drive. If you only have time for 9, Terranea is great. Right on the cliffs above the Pacific in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Thomas Brown: I admire Rustic Canyon as well, but I am stuck on George Thomas. Thomas developed the two municipal courses at Griffith Park in 1923-1927, named after Presidents Wilson and Harding. Griffith Park occupies more than 4,000 acres and is one of the largest urban parks in the nation. More than 200,000 rounds are played on the courses annually, including the City of Los Angeles Junior Championship each spring. Noel Freeman and I recently attended a Zoom symposium on golf course architecture, where we listened to historians Geoff Shackelford and Tommy Naccarato present the quality of Thomas’ routing and the benefits that would come from a restoration. Thomas must have thought enough of the property because, in the midst of the Roaring 20’s, the city told him that he would have to come out of his own pocket to finish the project, and he did. Two weeks from now, the PGA Tour is revisiting Houston’s Memorial Park, a municipal course that completed a renovation last year. With any luck, Griffith Park will get the attention it deserves as well.

Steve Lapper: Rustic Canyon and Santa Anita are the clear and worthy favorites. Both are very solid values and won’t disappoint. A mention should go to the Armand Hammer/Holmby Park Pony Course. This 17-18 hole public pitch-and-putt is unique in that it’s just behind LACC and set amidst Gatsby-like mansions. It’s a great place to bring a wedge, a putter and a beverage. No better place I can think of to hone your short game with a smile on your face, no matter the outcome of any shot.

Niall Hay: My initial response is Rustic Canyon, which is possibly the closest high-quality and affordable public-access course near where the guys are playing this week at Sherwood. The modern Hanse, Wagner & Shackelford LACC team design is a sharp contrast to the Thomas courses mentioned above. The arid nature of the location, combined with the minimalist design and the contours of the land, give the places the feel of a links. Think large greens, large fairways, and tightly mown grass. The browned-out “rustic” waste areas enhance the ambiance. But because I assume that every other person asked might offer the same answer, I’ll suggest two others: Rancho Park and Griffith Park, a pair of municipal courses that hosted the LA Open on multiple occasions.

Rancho Park is possibly the best of the true LA public courses. It’s also among the busiest golf courses in the country. Pace of play and conditioning can be an issue. The course has a rich history in that it was designed by Billy Bell and William Johnson, on the bones of an earlier Herbert Fowler design. It’s a stout test of golf. As a tournament venue, it has a couple claims to fame. It was the site of Jack Nicklaus’ first tournament and paycheck as a professional. It’s also where Arnold Palmer won his three LA Opens.

Griffith Park is a 36-hole municipal facility, designed by our man George Thomas. In fact, when the city of Los Angeles ran out of funding, Thomas himself put in the money to complete the project. Of the Harding and the Wilson courses, I recommend the Wilson, which was touched up at one point by William Watson. It’s very solid, and hosted the LA Open from 1937-1939.

Even in an area as well-traveled as LA, there has got to be a sleeper course or two. Tell us about your favorite.

Steve McHugh: While Lakeside may not be a sleeper, it does fly under the radar a bit. It has been redone, it is fun and great looking. It is a small piece of property, but a good, solid routing with loads of strategy and fun.

Noel Freeman: To me it would come down to Wilshire and Annandale (Pasadena). Wilshire is a well-known course that was recently restored and has a terrific history and strategies. Annandale was sympathetically renovated by Brian Silva and is a wonderful property with great bunkering. Either one would make a great day.

Thomas Brown: Yes! Add Todd Eckenrode’s par-3 course at Terranea as a contender for GOLF’s Top 25 Par-3 Courses in the World. Traffic is light right now, so let’s go east of downtown to Hacienda Golf Club in La Habra. Golf architect William Watson built the course in the early 1920s, on property that covers rolling topography, with a natural creek running through it. Notably, 18-year-old Tiger Woods set a course record 62 here en route to his victory at the 1994 Southern California Amateur Championship. Architect John Harbottle made revisions to the course in 2005 using the natural topography to bring the winding stream and canyon features more into play.

Steve Lapper: I’d go with Wilshire CC above all others. Discovered to some measure, it’s an intimate Kyle Phillips renovation set in Hancock Park that plays far bigger and bolder than its footprint. It’s no weak sister to the big three, and an invite here won’t ever disappoint.

Similarly, Brentwood CC, another well-done Todd Eckenrode renovation has re-invigorated itself into a sturdy members-course on LA’s tony Westside. It’s tougher than it looks and shot-values here are high. PS… Stay for the food as well. The kitchen plays at scratch!

Niall Hay: Originally designed by William Watson in 1921, Virginia Country Club in Long Beach was redesigned by A. W. Tillinghast and William P. “Billy” Bell some 10 years after opening. In 2015 Todd Eckenrod, restored the Tilly and Bell look and feel. He removed turf, expended greens, and redid the bunkering. The result is impressive. Not overly long by today’s standards, but there is enough variety and defense to make it challenging. Good greens and smart bunkering along with excellent conditioning make this a worthwhile drive from LA. If you make it down there, you may also see several PGA Tour players who work with VCC teaching professional Jamie Mulligan.

One more sleeper worth checking out is LACC South. It’s a nice contrast to the North course.

Lastly, a good friend recently recommended Hillcrest Country Club, a William Watson design that has been refreshed by Kyle Phillips.. Having seen the incredible work by Phillips at Cal Club, I cannot wait to see Hillcrest.

The post Course Rater Confidential: What are the two best public courses in Los Angeles? appeared first on Golf.

The post GOLF’s Subpar: Why Jordan Spieth’s caddie FaceTimes Justin Thomas every time they play at Riviera appeared first on Golf.

The post GOLF’s Subpar: Why Jordan Spieth’s caddie FaceTimes Justin Thomas every time they play at Riviera appeared first on Golf.

Subpar’s Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by 3-time Major Champion Jordan Spieth why his caddie, Michael Greller, always FaceTimes Justin Thomas from the 15th hole at Riviera Country Club. This episode of Subpar is brought to you by Rokform. Go to Rokform.com and enter code SUBPAR for 25% off.

The post GOLF’s Subpar: Why Jordan Spieth’s caddie FaceTimes Justin Thomas every time they play at Riviera appeared first on Golf.

The post The 5 weirdest design features in golf and what makes them so strange appeared first on Golf.

The post The 5 weirdest design features in golf and what makes them so strange appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to A Beginner’s Guide to Golf Course Design, where we’ll dig into the history, design and meaning of golf course architecture terms you’ve probably heard before but might not fully understand. We’ll explain all of the above in an accessible Q&A format, and better yet, teach you how to identify these features and plan your attack for the next time you see one, saving you strokes along the way. In this installment, we’re breaking down the weirdest elements in golf architecture.

So, a lot of the golf courses we play, well, they look the same. In this series we have discussed a lot of different types of holes and courses, but almost all have the same basic elements. They all have relatively similar bunkers, some water features, maybe some interesting rough.

But golf is weird. It’s full of interesting characters and extends to parts of the globe you would never expect. And some of that quirkiness seeps into the golf courses themselves. So, this week, we’re spotlighting five holes with some of the weirdest features you can find on a golf course. Enjoy.

The first two holes are not outrageous, but maybe the two weirdest holes on the PGA Tour. The first sits in the middle of one of the most prestigious courses in the world, Riviera Country Club.

Bunker in the middle of the green on Riviera’s 6th hole

At arguably the best course on the PGA Tour, we find one of oddest holes. The 199-yard par-3 6th hole would already be a tough challenge with bunkers front left and back. But architect George Thomas didn’t stop there — he also put a pot bunker right in the middle of the green. This bunker splits the green into four sections, which is great because it offers so many options. It’s also lots of fun when players end up on the wrong side of it from the flag. Chipping off the green is a fun and exciting option, but the contours of this green also allow you to putt around the bunker to get fairly close to the hole.

Anywhere else, this hole might get written off as a gimmick. But at Riviera with a master creator like Thomas, we have no choice but to enjoy the drama and give him the benefit of the doubt.

Travel

The cave bunker at Mayakoba

The second unusual feature is at a course that doesn’t have quite as much prestige as Riviera, but the element is much more unusual. This opening hole features a cave, yes, a real cave. El Camaleon is the site of the PGA Tour’s Mayakoba Golf Classic, and the hole that features the cave is the 7th during competition, but if you visit it will play as the 1st. You can read in more detail about the hole from two brave souls who climbed into the cave here. Oh, and the cave is actually a cenote, and basically, all you need to know is it should be avoided, and you especially don’t want your golf ball to go anywhere near it.

Tournaments

The mine-shaft bunker at Scottsdale National

Our next hole takes us away from the PGA Tour, but not too much closer to the surface. Bob Parsons’ (of PXG fame) Scottsdale National includes one of the nastiest bunkers you’ll find anywhere. The Mine Shaft course includes one bunker that is 13 feet deep on the 15th hole. At the bottom is a tiny little pot bunker of sand, with wood panels all around, some of which can help you get all the way down there to attempt one of the hardest shots of your life. Nicknamed the mine shaft bunker because it really does look like your climbing in, and out, of an old underground tunnel, this is about the last spot you want to end up in all of Arizona.

Fossil Trace’s rock pillars

Fossil Trace Golf Club in Golden, Colo., is set in a beautiful landscape. And while there are many lovely looking holes, the 585-yard par-5 12th clearly takes the cake. Architect Jim Engh was faced with a problem, large sandstone pillars sat around the site. But as the website describes, his solution was much better than having them removed. “Some thought Jim Engh to be crazy to attempt it, but you will see it was well worth the effort. The sandstone pillars in the fairway were slated to come down, but Jim Engh said, ‘Leave them where they lie.'” And so, there they are, right in the middle of the fairway, three massive sandstone formations. The pillars will come into play on your second shot, forcing you to be precise and not be blocked out for your approach into the green. But I’m sure you’re going to want to go take a peek, even if you successfully keep your ball far away. If you look close enough at some of the sandstone walls around the course, you might find fossils from dinosaur footprints. You don’t get to see that during too many rounds of golf. (Like Fossil Trace, the Monument course at Troon North in Scottsdale, Ariz., also has, you guessed it, a massive boulder in the middle of one of its fairways.)

The time-zone shift at Tornio Golf / Meri-Lapin Golf Club

Tornio Golf / Meri-Lapin Golf Club is so large it spans two countries. Well, it’s not really that big, it just sits right on the border of Sweden and Finland. Eleven of the holes are in Sweden while the rest are across the border in Finland. Where else can you play one round in two countries? But it gets better. That border is also a time zone shift. The highlight of the round comes on the par-3 6th hole, where the actual border sits. According to their website, tee shots on this hole average about one hour and five seconds in the air. If you were to ace this hole, it would be the longest hole-in-one possible on Earth. Imagine telling your golf buddies about that one. There is no physical element on this course out of the ordinary, but the time zone is certainly an added bit of fun.

The post The 5 weirdest design features in golf and what makes them so strange appeared first on Golf.

The post What is the origin of the split fairway and why do golf courses utilize them? appeared first on Golf.

The post What is the origin of the split fairway and why do golf courses utilize them? appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to A Beginner’s Guide to Golf Course Design, where we’ll dig into the history, design and meaning of golf course architecture terms you’ve probably heard before but might not fully understand. We’ll explain all of the above in an accessible Q&A format, and better yet, teach you how to identify these features and plan your attack for the next time you see one, saving you strokes along the way. In this installment, we’re breaking down split fairways.

What do you mean by a split fairway?

There are few views in golf more confusing than that of a hole with multiple fairways. But with some thought, these holes can be fascinating, thought-provoking challenges.

A hole with a split fairway is a great way to present strategy to those who don’t like or have enough skill to consider strategy on most holes.

While the strategy on many golf holes comes down to placing the ball down the correct side of the fairway, the overwhelming majority of golfers don’t have the skill to be that exact. The ideal solution is to improve fairway width, but that is often expensive to maintain. In its place, architects have turned to split fairways.

But while they’re built to inject energy and creativity into a round, split fairways can sometimes do the opposite. If one of the fairways is rarely used, the hole loses its strategic value. There has to be a distinct reason for each fairway and, ideally, an obvious risk/reward element to each choice.

Travel

But what exactly is the point to more than one fairway?

A common risk/reward element of a split fairway hole involves distance. This is common on par-5s, where if you aim at a tougher fairway, the green may be reachable in two. If you play to the safer fairway it will be easier to hit but will leave you with a much longer track to the green.

Another strategy for split fairways is to have the better option dictated by the day’s conditions and pin position. In this instance, it should be equally difficult to find either fairway. One of the big reasons for having multiple options is to introduce doubt into the player’s mind — to leave a player asking, which way should I play this? If the answer is obvious and the same to everyone, there isn’t any added strategy or intrigue to the hole.

Many think that a centerline bunker is an effective addition to a split fairway because it presents options. On either fairway, you can stay short of the bunker or try to carry it. It also creates the opportunity for a great recovery shot. It’s not uncommon to see water, a clump of trees, a large bunker, or a waste area serve as the divider between fairways.

The key is the balance between the two options. Depending on the day, either fairway can play as totally different holes. Part of great golf design is having a course that is a new and exciting challenge each time it is played.

Travel

The intrigue of many great golf holes is that they take a few rounds (or a few hundred rounds) to find the best strategy for attacking the hole. That isn’t exactly the case with many split fairways. The challenge and decision is often clear.

As with any good strategic hole, a split fairway is a question of risk and reward. Do you risk hitting a harder fairway to have an easier next shot, or play it safe?

So what should I think about when I see one of these holes?

There are plenty of things to consider on a hole with more than one fairway, so take a moment on the tee box and make the best decision for your game. Where are your strengths? Is your best club your driver, or would you rather show off your iron skills? Are you at a point in a match or round where you need (or can afford) to take a risk? What are you hoping to accomplish on this hole? All of these should factor into which fairway you choose to aim at. Most important, once you make a choice, don’t second guess it. Commit to your plan.

Where are some examples of holes with more than one fairway?

No. 8, Riviera

The Riviera website features a quote from George Thomas on split fairways: “Holes with double or triple, or even more fairways or landing places, present unlimited possibilities to our golf course development.”

On the 8th at Riv, you can take the easier tee shot to the right, which leaves a long approach shot over a barranca, or take a risk off the tee and go for the narrower, left fairway that usually leaves an easier approach. Riviera is home to some of the most iconic holes in the world, the 8th is just another great example.

No. 7, Valhalla

The Jack Nicklaus-designed major venue also features a split fairway hole. The par-5 7^th hole has a semi-island left fairway and a right fairway that is much easier to hit. This hole is all about risk and reward. Going for the left fairway is risky, but if you reach safely, you can cut down the hole yardage dramatically versus the longer, safer right fairway. While playing down the left cuts off significant yardage, it is still a carry over water all the way to the green, so you have to think backward from the green to the tee about the best way to attack the hole.

No. 14, Saguaro course at We-ko-pa

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw also have some split fairways on their resume. A great one can be found on the Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa in the Arizona desert. On this desert course, the par-5 14^th hole curls to the right and has a second fairway that can cut down the yardage acting as an island within the desert sand. If you can find the right fairway, you might have a chance of getting home in two, with a clear view of the green and no bunkers in front. Playing to the left fairway has some bunkers to contend with for running shots at the green, and the angle of attack isn’t quite as good. Coore and Crenshaw are masters of creating strategy, and this hole has plenty of that.

No. 12, Talking Stick North (O’odham)

Coore and Crenshaw have another great split fairway hole in Arizona, this time at the Talking Stick O’odham course. The par-4 12^th called “Red Mountain” has out of bounds down the left, and plenty of room to play it safe to the right fairway. The hole is 392 yards from the back tees with a 237-yard carry to the left fairway that plays right up to the green. If you hit the safe shot out to the right, you have plenty of room to work with, but a longer approach with a sandy waste area just short of the green. The OB left will scare many away, but the brave who can pull off the shot will certainly be rewarded.

The post What is the origin of the split fairway and why do golf courses utilize them? appeared first on Golf.

The post Course Rater Confidential: Is Riviera’s 10th hole the greatest short par-4 in the world? appeared first on Golf.

The post Course Rater Confidential: Is Riviera’s 10th hole the greatest short par-4 in the world? appeared first on Golf.

GOLF’s Top 100 course panelists are among the most respected and well-traveled course evaluators in the game. They’re also keen to share their opinions. In this GOLF.com series, we’ll unlock their unvarnished views on all questions course-related. The goal is not only to entertain you but also to give you a better understanding of how to understand and appreciate golf course architecture. You can see GOLF’s latest Top 100 Courses in the World ranking here, and meet all of our Top 100 panelists here.

The 315-yard 10th hole at Riviera Country Club, host of this week’s Genesis Invitational, is frequently described as the greatest short par-4 in the world. Do you agree? If not, what hole deserves the honor? And if Riviera’s 10th truly is the finest, what’s the runner-up and why?

Adam Messix (panelist since 2015; has played 100 of the current World Top 100): The 10th at Riviera is the ultimate example of strategic architecture because it offers the player so many options on how to attack. It is also one of the few holes that has become better with the hot equipment today, as driving the green is now a viable option (even though I’m unsure if that’s the best option). The player can play short of the bunker on the left, leaving a full wedge with an open look at the length of the green. The farther right you go off the tee, the more precise you have to be with your pitch, as the green is incredibly narrow and works away toward the back bunker. The player can challenge the left bunker and leave a shorter open pitch or they can attempt to drive the front left of the green, challenging the deep, front-right bunker. What makes the hole great is that George Thomas was not afraid to make the hole difficult and the punishment for a miss severe. What’s amazing is that the hole is on dull, flat land and has similar cousins on better ground — like the 6th at LA North, 12th at Pine Valley, 10th at Merion East and 12th at Wade Hampton — yet it is still clearly the best. The runner-up is the 17th at Crystal Downs, an Alister MacKenzie design with multiple options, played downhill through a fairway with numerous rolls that progressively narrows toward the green with enough severity to punish a poorly played or thought-out shot.

Riviera Country Club's par-4 10th hole offers plenty of options off the tee, but not executing could result in disaster.

Getty Images

---

Brian Curley (panelist since 2011; has played 65 of the World Top 100): There is a lot to love about the 10th at Riviera. There’s great choices off the tee, and the massive cross-bunker hides much of the primary landing area. The tiny, skinny green is set at an angle and flanked with deep bunkering, and the rough is in all the right places along the right side, making second shots difficult for even the premier players. And don’t forget the views back to the imposing clubhouse set above the hill. My impression is that, in recent years, the surroundings of the green (maybe 2,500 square feet?) have been shaved to where balls that used to hold now run off and the target has become perhaps a bit too difficult to hold from less than a perfect angle. I’ve seen some impressive shots that used to hold up in the outer fringe but now roll off into the greenside bunkers. Even some Tour pros go bunker to bunker with seemingly well-played shots. In my opinion, there are too many great candidates to choose a single greatest short par-4. Additionally, answering the question of what is the best drivable par-4 is becoming more and more difficult as the gap in players and length is so extreme that it is impossible to make a drivable hole for the average player (or the average Tour pro in the field) without making it just a long par-3 for the bombers. I think those days are gone.

A look at the difficult and narrow green of the 10th at Riviera.

Getty Images

---

Tim Gallant (panelist since 2019; has played 62 of the World Top 100): Adam and Brian do a great job explaining why the 10th is such a fantastic strategic hole. It just goes to show that yardage is just a number. One of the interesting concepts that I’ve had a discussion on recently is the idea that golf is a sport, recreational pursuit and an experience all rolled into one. Like it or not, in an Instagram world, how photogenic the hole is can be quite important in helping aid a sense of experience one derives from the round. From a sporting perspective, golf at times can mirror an adventure — something that must be conquered and overcome, a pursuit that will leave you breathless, physically and otherwise. In that sense, I agree that the 10th makes players think and is a fantastic recreational hole that stimulates the mind. But is there a short 4 that engages the recreational, sporting and experiential mind equally? I don’t know if it’s the best, but the 9th at Cypress Point comes to mind. Strategic, raw, wild and photogenic.

Travel

Course Rater Confidential: Is Pebble Beach better than Bandon’s Pacific Dunes?

Michael Goldstein (panelist since 2020; has played 56 of the World Top 100): Of course Riviera’s 10th is a brilliant hole. A poor shot can have disastrous results and knowing that such a small mistake could result in a disproportionately bad outcome plays into your mind, which is cool. The severe tilt has helped the 10th to withstand the advances in technology; even with 2020 equipment the angles, the proportions and ultimately the strategy remains relevant. Is it the best short par-4 in the world? For me, it lacks the idiosyncrasies of my favorite short 4s, which are more elastic, more subject to the bounce of the ball and where strategy can be more wildly dictated by the pin position and conditions on the day. I’m not brazen enough to classify one as the greatest, but holes like 16 at North Berwick, 12 at St. Andrews or even 6 at Paraparaumu Beach are pretty special.

To receive GOLF’s all-new newsletters, subscribe for free here.

The post Course Rater Confidential: Is Riviera’s 10th hole the greatest short par-4 in the world? appeared first on Golf.

The post Tour Tales | Dustin Johnson’s Marathon Sunday appeared first on Golf.

The post Tour Tales | Dustin Johnson’s Marathon Sunday appeared first on Golf.

Fog and rain wreaked havoc on the 2017 Genesis Open and forced 36 holes on Sunday. But DJ was red-hot having gone 49 holes without a bogey and won at 17-under.

The post Tour Tales | Dustin Johnson’s Marathon Sunday appeared first on Golf.