Riviera’s touted “one weak point” has just grown even more problematic: the fourth hole now tops 270 yards. Ben Hogan once dubbed Riviera’s par-3 fourth as “the greatest par-3 hole in America,” and today it holds the title for the longest par-3 on the PGA Tour. Riviera Country Club lengthened the hole, extending it from 236 yards to 273 yards ahead of the Genesis Invitational. This increase tops Puntacana Resort’s 265-yard 11th, making Riviera No. 4 the longest regular Tour stop (outside of a historic exception: Cherry Hills’ 8th at 276 yards for the 2014 BMW Championship).
The hole is a modern interpretation of the Redan design, a par-3 set at a 45-degree angle with a green sloping from front to back. Traditionally, you’d expect a big bunker in front, another deep bunker behind, and a dramatic slope that nudges shots toward the center and back locations on the green.
The Riviera upgrade wasn’t just about adding length. The tee box was shifted roughly 30 yards to the right to fit a new setup for No. 18, effectively eroding a large portion of the classic Redan angles. Greenside adjustments were also made to encourage more roll on the ground, though Rico Hoey—Riviera member and former USC golfer—notes that the kikuyu rough and surrounding softness, especially in this week’s conditions, continue to challenge the traditional Redan concept.
Jordan Spieth, who starred for Texas at Riviera for the 2012 NCAA Championship and later earned two top-10s on tour at the venue, offered his take: “I don’t expect a dramatic change. Instead of a 2-iron or a hybrid, you’re now hitting a 3-wood. It was already a bit of a crapshoot to reach the green. It’s the course’s only weak spot, in my view, but that’s just the season. When we played the national championship in late May, you could land a 4-iron on the right side and hope it funnels toward the back.”
Two years ago, when Riviera hosted the Genesis for the event, No. 4 finished about 0.204 strokes over par, ranking as the third-toughest hole of the week. It produced just 11 birdies, and pros hit the green only 15% of the time, totaling 49 over par. Interestingly, there were no doubles.
What typically makes the hole so demanding is the speed and firmness of the greens at Tour levels, which makes it hard for balls that land on the surface to stay there.
Rory McIlroy commented on the idea of a 275-yard par-3: “If you want it to be 275 yards, you have to alter the apron up to the green. You can’t use kikuyu; you need a grass type that lets the ball run onto the surface. In the right conditions, trying to fly a ball with a 3-iron to stop on the green could have it finish all the way back near the fifth tee.”
This week, even with players hitting long clubs into the wind and Hoey’s decision to use a mini-driver on Tuesday’s wind (the hole measuring about 270 under those conditions), the damp weather has allowed the ball to stay rolling on the greens, raising hopes of landing and holding on the fly. Yet, experts think this relief largely offsets the extra yardage without removing the core difficulty.
“Naturally, it’s too long,” Nico Echavarria said. “There’s little point in a par-3 this lengthy.”
McIlroy didn’t mince words either: “I think this change is, frankly, awful.”
