RCC's 90-year commitment to preserving history and connecting it to the future

Throughout its 30-year history since its founding, the club has been a stage for top golfers to compete for supremacy, while also being loved by celebrities from all over the world as a place for socializing and relaxing, and has been hailed as ``the world's best private club.'' The Riviera Country Club (RCC) is the “flagship” of the Riviera Group.
While looking back at our history, I would like to introduce our efforts toward the milestone of our 100th anniversary.
RCC is located in Pacific Palisades, a suburb of Los Angeles, California, USA. As the name suggests, it is a place rich in natural scenery with expansive eucalyptus and sycamore vegetation overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and is close to Hollywood, Malibu, and Santa Monica, making it an ideal location for celebrities.
RCC opened its doors by focusing on this perfect location. That was in 1926 (officially opened in June 1927). It was designed by George C. Thomas, one of Southern California's most highly regarded golf course architects at the time. At this time, the RCC also had a horse track and was the venue for the equestrian competitions at the 6 Los Angeles Olympics. Japan's Takeichi Nishi, also known as "Baron Nishi," won the show jumping competition.
Many of the upper class at the time were polo enthusiasts, and Walt Disney enjoyed playing golf and polo at the RCC with many stars in tow.
Later, in the 60s, the Polo Club was transformed into a high-class tennis club with 24 courts, and was reborn as the Riviera Tennis Club, which is known for its outstanding achievements, including hosting the National Collegiate Championships for over 30 years.

Aiming to be the "top of the line," the RCC has been chosen as the venue for numerous major tournaments since its opening, as it is a golf course entrusted to a top-class architect.
The PGA Tour LA Open, which is also remembered for hosting the then 16-year-old Tiger Woods' spectacular major debut (1992), is usually held in February.
Except for a short period of time, the RCC has been the fixed venue. Even when he was away from RCC, there was a high demand among fans for his return, and due to the enthusiastic campaigning of country music giant Glen Campbell, who was also a member of the club, he settled in RCC from the 70s and continues to this day. .
RCC is affectionately known as "Hogan's Alley" among American professional golf fans, and is the place where legendary player Ben Hogan played at the 1947 LA Open and 1948 US Open. This is in honor of winning the LA Open. The venue for both is RCC.
Other major tournaments held at RCC include the U.S. PGA Championship (1983/1995), U.S. Senior Open (1998), U.S. Collegiate Championship (2012), and U.S. Amateur Championship (2017). It is held twice. It has also been decided that the RCC will be the venue for the golf competition at the 3 Los Angeles Olympics.

Ben Hogan said, ``The No. 4 at RCC is one of the shortest holes in America, and the one I like the most,'' and the ``emperor'' Jack Nicklaus also said, ``The 10th at RCC is the shortest hole in America.'' "It's the shortest, most strategic par-4 hole, and one of the finest courses hosting major tournaments."
Like these two, there are many players who rank the 4th and 10th holes as their "best holes." Also popular is No. 1, known as the “Bogie Tree.” This is a famous spot where famous actor Humphrey Bogart used to visit and drink bourbon. This is an episode that is unique to this historic club.
Riviera is particular about each piece of history. Since our company in Japan took over the management of the current RCC in 1988, we have maintained its original charm and operated it with care based on the concept of ``returning to the origins of George C. Thomas' design.''
On the other hand, RCCs that are chosen as venues for major tournaments are also required to always be at the cutting edge. Paul Ratchow, one of the most talented course managers in the United States, was invited as an advisor. We advocate ``tournament conditions every day'' and work on course maintenance that keeps up with the evolution of equipment.
Additionally, in 2016, we began the Ogawa Project, a flood control project in cooperation with the City of Los Angeles. This will take spring water from the Santa Monica Valley, which is having a negative impact on the marine environment, and draw it into the RCC, store it, purify it, and use it for irrigation. It is also responsible for preparing for the droughts that often occur in this region. It is hoped that by showing local children this flood control situation, it will also contribute to society in terms of education.
And one more thing. We are promoting the conversion of the entire clubhouse into a museum. In addition to the history of tournaments held at RCC, the exhibit also shows the history of the RCC as a perfect filming location for many Hollywood movies. In addition to its historical value, the clubhouse itself will become a museum worth seeing.
Preserving history and connecting it to the future. That is RCC's mission. With the big event of hosting the Olympics coming up in 10 years, the RCC will continue to make efforts to make history as we move towards our new 100th anniversary.