Riviera Country Club has extended its par-3 fourth hole by nearly 40 yards, from 236 to 273 yards, ahead of this week's Genesis Invitational. The change makes it the longest par-3 on the PGA Tour. Players have mixed reactions to the modification of the classic Redan-style hole.
Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles has made significant alterations to its par-3 fourth hole in preparation for the Genesis Invitational. Originally designed by George Thomas as a take on the Redan hole at North Berwick, the hole was previously 236 yards long. The recent lengthening to 273 yards, completed under the direction of the USGA and the club, positions it as the longest par-3 among regular PGA Tour stops, surpassing the 265-yard 11th at Puntacana Resort. Since 2003, only Cherry Hills' eighth hole played longer at 276 yards during the 2014 BMW Championship.
The updates include moving the tee box about 30 yards to the right to accommodate changes to the 18th hole. This shift slightly alters the classic Redan angle, which features a green set at a 45-degree slope from front to back, with bunkers front and rear, and a kicker slope to feed balls toward hole locations. However, the kikuyu rough and soft conditions around the green, particularly this week due to rain, may limit the intended ground movement. A source involved in the project noted that the USGA, planning to host the U.S. Women's Open at Riviera this summer, the U.S. Open in 2031, and the 2028 Olympic golf events there, had suggested changing the approach grass for better bounce, but this was not implemented. Raising the tee or steepening the slope was also considered but not pursued.
Ben Hogan once described the hole as 'The greatest par-3 hole in America.' Jordan Spieth, who won the 2012 NCAA Championship at Riviera and has two professional top-10s there, commented, 'I’m not sure it’s going to change much. Instead of a 2-iron or hybrid, you’re hitting 3-wood. It was always kind of a crapshoot if you were going to hit the green anyway. … It’s the only weak spot on the course, in my opinion, but it’s just this time of year.'
Two years ago, during the last Genesis Invitational, the hole played 0.204 strokes over par, ranking third toughest. It produced just 11 birdies, with professionals hitting the green only 15% of the time and scoring 49 over combined, though no doubles were recorded. The challenge often stems from fast, firm greens that make holding tee shots difficult.
Rory McIlroy expressed strong reservations, stating, 'If you want it to be a 275-yard par-3, you have to change the apron leading up onto the green. It can’t be kikuyu, it has to be another type of grass that can help you run it onto the green because again, in the right conditions, you try to fly that ball on the green with a 3-iron, it’s going to finish up on the fifth tee box.' He added, 'I actually think it’s a horrible change.' Nico Echavarria called it 'Too long' and 'unnecessary.' Despite the rains making conditions more receptive this week, allowing some players like Rico Hoey to use mini-drivers, the added distance likely maintains the hole's difficulty.
