LOS ANGELES – It was technically still morning when Tom Hoge stepped onto the 10th tee at Riviera Country Club and unleashed a drive that carved perfectly through the cool air before skipping to a stop on the front portion of the green.
Statistically, Hoge was something of unicorn to keep his tee shot on the putting surface. On Day 1 at the Genesis Invitational, 119 players attempted to “drive” the 10th green and just one was successful (Brooks Koepka). As one PGA Tour player explained, “you can hit driver at No. 10, but it’s not drivable.”
To add to the early scene at the 10th hole, Hoge flipped a perfect wedge off the putting surface from 67 feet to set up a 4-footer for birdie. Classic 10th-hole shenanigans.
“No. 10 is either the best hole in the world or the worst, not sure,” laughed Max Homa, the defending champion this week and a Los Angeles native. “I love it. It’s got some things that can be fixed, but for the chaos and the fun of it and the entertainment of it, it doesn’t need to be [fixed].”
No. 10’s 303 yards of bouncing brilliance is always a highlight of the week – and is regularly in the conversation as one of the game’s best holes – but an informal poll of players at Riviera suggests it’s not even the best hole on property. In fact, it might not be in the top 3 or 4 holes at Riviera based on player responses.
For Homa, who called Riviera “damned near perfect architecturally,” it’s a frequent topic of conversation.
“We were going through it the other day, I think the best hole is probably …,” said Homa before a long pause. “This is a good sign of a good golf course. I’d say No. 6. No. 8 is my favorite par 4, but [caddie Joe Greiner’s] is No. 13. There’s a lot of good holes.”
The par-3 sixth is a particularly interesting selection given the unique design feature of having a bunker in the middle of the putting surface. Architecturally, it would be considered more quirky than classic, but for the world’s best players it hits.
“No. 10 gets all the attention, let’s say, but how about No. 6?” Adam Scott said following a second-round 65. “Let’s put a bunker in the middle of the green. If you can ever get away with putting a bunker in the middle of a green and everybody thinks the hole is good it’s great.”
And No. 6 isn’t even Scott’s favorite. The 2020 champion at Riviera went with the relatively straightforward 12th hole.
“I think 12 is as strong a par 4 as you ever need,” Scott said. “There’s not a bunker off the tee and the shape and the firmness of the fairway at the moment requires a straight to fade tee shot; you’ve got to hit a shot. If you turn it, it runs through [the fairway]. The second shot has to be right down the middle of the green. If you hit a good one you’re in a good spot with a chance at [birdie] and if you’re enough off it rolls off the edge and makes you scramble for par.”
For Scott, who is something of an armchair architect, the quality of the hole is mutually exclusive to the degree of difficulty. Through 1½ rounds this week, the 12th ranked as the second toughest with a 4.257 average.
Full-field scores from The Genesis Invitational
In Homa’s opinion, the nod goes to No. 8, a 438-yard par 4 with a split fairway and domed green.
“It gives you options off the tee. You have to almost work your way back from the green. It also depends on the wind. I almost always hit driver as along as I can cover the left bunker,” Homa said. “It gives us the easiest way to make [par] and I can figure out how to make [birdie] later. It presents so many options.”
Homa explained that on Day 1 he had 80 yards for his second shot at No. 8. His playing partner Dustin Johnson had 60 yards for his second shot. “We weren’t going anywhere near the pin,” Homa shrugged. “We don’t get that a lot out here.”
As a general rule, Tour players are a tough crowd when it comes to golf course architecture, and consensus is nearly unheard of. But when it comes to Riviera, there is a single thought that seems to resonate: No. 10 may not be the best on property but it’s still part of one of the best properties in golf.
“I mean, honestly, you could go through every hole here and say three or four amazing design features about it,” said Russell Knox, who was tied for sixth following a second-round 67. “I think it’s one of the best designed courses in the world.”
