Reflections on Riviera

I confess that I am less intrigued these days by watching the PGA Tour on TV than in previous years.  Aside from the linksland challenges of the Open Championship and being serenaded on my sofa by the guitar music of the Masters (is there a better afternoon nap, interrupted occasionally by chirping birds or gallery roars?), I tend to take a pass on most tournament coverage these days, much the same as I do the NBA.  Actually, I tend to be more intrigued by the venue than the actual play.  If there is an interesting course to see, I am more inclined to watch – simple as that.

One such occurrence was the event last weekend at the Northern Trust Open in L.A.  The venue?... Riviera Country Club; a revered course with oodles of history and the sort of place that inspires me as a golf course architect. So there, I admit, I tuned in to look at the course more so than to watch the players.    Guilty as charged.  What unfolded though, evolved into something that was incredibly captivating to me.

Fortunately for us all, the tournament came together for a gripping finish, complete with answering birdie putts to tie the leader on the 72^nd hole, then a sudden death, final act.  After all the dramatics in regulation, right on cue, the three pros tackled the lengthy 18^th seemingly with relative ease.  Long, straight drives… shall we say, “bombs”? The approach shots were nothing special, but allowed all three players to make par and push on. It was at this point that I became totally engaged… with the theatrics of the finish and now because the playoff sequence would shift to George Thomas' famous 10^th hole.

The tournament could not have come down to a better hole to settle the score.  Yes, only a mere 312 yards… a hole that is known the world over for its strategic options – now center stage for the world to see, and with some of the world’s best dueling it out for a massive paycheck.  But, for the length and talent of these battle tested professionals, it would seem that birdies would be a foregone conclusion.  What followed for us to witness was mind-boggling…. What the 480-yard finishing hole did not have, the crafty little 10^th certainly did - CHOICES.

Our tournament finalists seemed absolutely bewildered, if not in their minds then certainly in their execution as to which path they should choose.  Their play on the famous 10^th was entertainment at its best…. not completely in their struggles, but with the notion that such a short hole was giving them all they could handle, much because of the options they were confronted with and the choices they had to make under pressure.  It couldn’t have been better.

Too say I was surprised with each play from the tee would be an understatement – as one would have envisioned a mere mid or long iron over the bunkers to the broad fairway, a decent angle to the pin, wedge inside of ten feet, a reasonable assurance of a makeable birdie (par at worst) and advance to the next hole.  Although the green is certainly reachable, I really was not expecting 3-wood and driver tee selections and  the resulting awkward lie approaches from the rough – I really thought they would play the hole a bit more conservatively... under the circumstances.  I guess that is why Rivera’s 10^th is one of the most intriguing holes in golf.  Because it is short enough to reach in one shot, it is tempting to have a go for those with ample length, which all three playoff contenders possessed.  But those decisions come with risk, and Sunday’s finalists found themselves in very precarious positions as a result, and with a tournament title riding on it.

In an era where holes are believed not long enough to tame the touring pros, George Thomas’s nifty little short hole from 1927 was certainly holding it’s own, and it proved last Sunday that it is every bit the test as the tedious 18th.  As an architect and a golfer, I enjoyed all of those gripping moments, on both holes.  And the improbable happened, as Bill Haas rolled in a 40-footer for birdie from the front of the 10^th green, and then watched as Mickelson and Bradley try to scramble for their lives.

Haas rightfully earned the trophy and check last Sunday.  But the real winner was the architect, George Thomas.  With that in mind, let us all continue to find enjoyment and appreciation for the strategic, short holes in golf!