Riviera Goes Back to Its Roots

Riviera Country Club did not come before its famed Kikuyu grass, even though it may seem that way. And for this week’s 80th Nissan Open, the Kikuyu doesn’t have quite as prominent a role, although it’s probably going to be noticeable only to the pros.

The greens on three par-four holes -- the third, ninth and 12th -- have been brought back to their original size and shape, all of them slightly enlarged to take away the encroachment of the Kikuyu over the years and to come up with pin placements that had been lost since the club opened in 1926.

“We’re restoring them to recover the flexibility that Riviera had in the very beginning,” said Michael Yamaki, the club’s general manager. “Mother Nature has been the one who kind of grabbed those greens. We fought back.”

Tom Fazio, the architect who oversaw Riviera’s previous round of changes in 2003, which basically involved the lengthening of the course, was again at the head of this latest project with the greens.

Todd Yoshitake, Riviera’s head pro, said the pin placements now reflect what was available in the past.

“We’re getting back to our heritage,” he said.

The green at the 434-yard third hole now presents the chance for a front-right pin placement. At the 458-yard ninth, there is a possible pin placement in the front right of the green over the bunker as well as a potential back-left pin.

Yamaki said the restored green at the 460-yard 12th may be the most dramatic of the three changes.

There is a possible pin placement at the middle right of the green over the bunker and at the back left.

“What we’ve done is given the course more versatility,” Yamaki said.

Looking through club archives and maps of the layout and studying aerial views of the course from the 1930s helped Fazio discover the original shapes of the greens that Yamaki targeted for restoration. Computer enhancement of the aerial photographs provided nearly precise dimensions of the greens. In their research, the revisionists discovered that the Kikuyu had moved in more than three inches on the greens.

Riviera is officially listed at 7,260 yards but could be played even longer if the tees were moved all the way back at the 12th and 18th. The 12th could be extended to 479 yards and the 18th, which is listed at 451 yards, could be played at 479 yards.

In last year’s rain-shortened, 36-hole tournament, which was not an official event because the minimum 54 holes were not completed, the 18th ranked as the most difficult hole, with a scoring average of 4.30.

The 12th was the sixth-hardest hole, but the ninth, with its scoring average of 4.25, ranked as the second-most difficult hole.

This week’s weather is the deciding factor in how difficult Riviera actually becomes, but the rough will be cut at three inches today and Tuesday, then allowed to grow the rest of the week.

“It’s probably going to play pretty fast, we think,” Yoshitake said.

Matt Morton, the course superintendent, says the greens are set up firm and fast, at least now, and that the fairways are along the same lines.

“It’s the same basic setup,” he said. “Maybe we’ll see a little more ball roll out on the fairways with the dry conditions we’ve had, but everything depends on whether we get any moisture.”

Morton’s staff of 33 will expand to more than 70 when volunteers from Merion, Winged Foot and Muirfield Village pitch in to keep the course in shape. Last year’s experience of draining bunkers, washed-out bunkers and squeegees on the greens has left its mark on Morton.

“I think they were all happy to even get 36 holes in,” he said. “We’re going to do better this time, we think.”

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Law of averages

Hole averages in last year’s Nissan Open at Riviera Country Club (Par 71):

*--* HOLE PAR AVG 1 5 4.38 2 4 4.15 3 4 4.00 4 3 3.21 5 4 3.99 6 3 3.05 7 4 4.12 8 4 4.22 9 4 4.25 OUT 35 35.37

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*--* HOLE PAR AVG 10 4 3.67 11 5 4.74 12 4 4.18 13 4 4.03 14 3 2.97 15 4 4.20 16 3 3.02 17 5 4.92 18 4 4.30 IN 36 36.03 Total 71 71.40

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