Golf : Japanese Owners Plan to Beautify Riviera
The perceived uneasiness of members over a Japanese company buying 49% interest in the Riviera Country Club has reportedly abated.
That’s the view of Frank G. Hathaway, managing general partner of Laaco Ltd., which has retained a majority 51% interest in the landmark club in Pacific Palisades.
The course looks the same and holes haven’t been redesigned, or renamed with a Japanese theme.
However, there will be some cosmetic changes that will apparently enhance the beauty of one of America’s most famous courses, dating to the 1920s.
When it was announced last May that a Japanese company planned to buy Riviera for $108 million, there was some concern among the members that drastic changes were imminent. There was also some resentment over the secrecy of the identity of the Japanese firm.
The buyer, Naburo Watanabe and his Marukin Shoji company, have since been revealed. Moreover, Watanabe has met with members at various receptions.
“We think that the members who have had an opportunity to meet with them (Watanabe and his father, Kaneo) are quite pleased,” Hathaway said. “They’ve discovered that these people love golf. What is happening is that when people get to know these folks, they’re becoming quite friendly to them.”
Hathaway acknowledged that there was some apprehension that the new partners would want to run large tours into Riviera and make some other major changes.
“That’s not their style at all,” Hathaway said. “Their primary business is building office buildings in Tokyo. They want to expand into golf in Japan, and what they’ve told us is that they see Riviera as a sort of a showcase of quality here and they don’t intend to change things here except for some improvements--prettier and better maintenance--and, perhaps, a smaller membership, less crowding.”
Hathaway said that the new investors are interested in cosmetic changes.
“We started 2 years ago doing a lot of upgrading on the golf course. We gave our superintendent almost a blank check--and this was before these people came along,” Hathaway said. “We thought we were doing a fantastic job of bringing up the appearance and quality of the golf course, and they said it wasn’t good enough and wanted it better if they were connected with it.
“For example, there are certain areas of what I call rough rough, not just rough along the fringes of the fairways, but stuff clear off to the side. They said that doesn’t look good enough. They wanted the rough more tailored and attractive in appearance. They’re not redesigning holes. They’re just interested in maintaining the tradition of the golf course.”
Hathaway said that Naburo Watanabe and his associates want to reduce the membership because they believe that it’s too large, causing too much wear and tear on the golf course.
“We’re not sure we totally agree but that’s their view,” Hathaway said. “How would it be accomplished? The easiest way would be by attrition. We probably have four or five members who resign, move away, or die every month. We’d just stop taking people in for a while.”
Hathaway added that the Watanabes have not expressed any interest in changing the racial mix of the membership. It was speculated that the Watanabes scaled back their intent to buy 100% of the golf club and its tennis complex to defuse criticism.
“Their original intention was to buy the whole thing,” Hathaway said. “Then, two things happened. There was a great deal of uncertainty by the membership. The other problem was that the Watanabe family hadn’t had a lot of experience in operating a club and none whatsoever over here.
“So they changed their minds. They wanted to buy 40%, but we settled on 49%. They have the option to buy out the remaining 51%, but they haven’t exercised it yet. And being an option we don’t know whether they will, or won’t.”
Hathaway said that the Watanabes are avid golfers and demonstrated such recently.
“The last time they came here from Tokyo, they landed at 11 a.m., certainly suffering from jet lag. But they played 18 holes of golf that afternoon and then more golf for 3 straight days.”
Hathaway is comfortable with the business arrangement with the Japanese investors, concluding: “I see some good, positive things. These people are very quality conscious. They’ve told us they respect the tradition of Riviera, the membership and everything else. My feeling is that it could very well lead into a long-lived, very ongoing thing.”
Curtis Strange, golf’s first million-dollar man, was a relative pauper after the first 10 tournaments of 1988. Moreover, he was floundering.
His best effort in the first 10 tournaments was a tie for 12th in the Bob Hope tournament. He was 21st in the MONY Tournament of Champions and 33rd at Phoenix, missed the cut at the AT&T; Pebble Beach Pro-Am and was 78th at the Doral Ryder Open and 21st in the Masters, among his inconspicuous outings.
He even signed a wrong card in The Players Championship and was disqualified. That was hardly an auspicious start, and his earnings were $51,369.
Then Strange began to surge. He won 4 tournaments, 3 in playoffs, including a victory in the U.S. Open, his first major championship.
When the PGA Tour concluded last month, Strange had earned $1,147,644. He has won $2,089,123 in the last 2 years, elevating him to third place on the all-time money list. He trails Jack Nicklaus ($5,005,825) and Tom Watson ($4,974,845) and could conceivably pass them in the next 2 years.
That move up the money ladder was accomplished in his last 14 tournaments. It’s almost academic that Strange, 33, was named the PGA player of the year.
As the new year approaches, Strange has another goal--a better start. He’ll get his opportunity Jan. 5-8 in the Tournament of Champions at La Costa Hotel and Spa.
However, it’s obvious he’d settle for the same format of achievement in 1988.
Golf Notes
Riviera’s contract to be host of the Nissan Los Angeles Open expires after the Feb. 2-5 tournament. Charles F. Hathaway, one of the partners in the ownership of the club, said that discussions are planned with the sponsoring Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce concerning the possible future of the tournament at Riviera. “Our partners and the Watanabes (part owners) have expressed an interest in discussions with the Junior Chamber. So if it all works out, there will be an extension.” . . . Riviera was host of the U.S. Open in 1948, the first time it was held on the West Coast. As for the Open ever returning to Riviera, Frank G. Hathaway, managing general partner of Laaco Ltd., which owns 51% of the club, said: “The U.S. Open is a horrendous undertaking and the club has to do it. It was a much smaller operation in 1948.”
The Rod Dedeaux Trojan Major League tournament, celebrating the 25th anniversary of USC’s five national championship teams, will be held Jan. 16 at Lakeside Golf Club. Dedeaux coached USC’s baseball team to one of the five championships in 1963. . . . John Paulson, 30, a graduate of Carroll College in Waukesha, Wis., is the new chairman of the L.A. Open.
Chi Chi Rodriguez, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Billy Casper will play in the second annual Seniors Skins Game Jan. 21-22 at the La Quinta Hotel Golf Club’s Mountain course. Rodriguez won the Senior Skins title last year, earning $300,000 of the $360,000 purse. . . . Hal Rainey, from the La Mirada Golf Club, has been elected president of the Southern California Public Links Golf Assn. Other officers: Chuck Jorgensen, first vice president; Jon Wade, second vice president; Stan Loupe, treasurer, and Al Diaz, secretary.