Riviera or Los Angeles CC North? Our raters debate

What’s in a quantity?

GOLF’s new rating of High 100 Programs within the U.S. is strictly that: an inventory of the most effective programs within the nation, organized in numerical order, “1” being the most effective.

Sounds simple. Onerous figures, arduous information. However as anybody who follows the rankings is aware of, whereas the roster itself is cut-and-dried, the pondering behind it’s not. It displays the views of our course raters. Eager-eyed and well-traveled, these of us know their stuff. However finally what they’re providing are their opinions. Which brings us again to the query on the high.

What’s in a quantity? Or, put extra instantly, what makes one course “higher” than one other that occurs to be ranked decrease?

To supply a deeper understanding of the issues behind the rankings, we’ve been asking our raters to take sides in a sequence of “Which is best?” debates: a comparability of programs meant to make clear how our panelists take into consideration design. We began final week with a dialogue of two High 100 public-access programs, Pebble Seaside and Pacific Dunes. This time round, we’re taking a look at a pair of prestigious personal programs, the North Course at Los Angeles Nation Membership and Riviera, ranked tenth and 14th, respectively, on GOLF’s new listing. Which is best? Learn on.

LACC North is best!

This debate is like selecting between your favourite youngster. I’d not have envied George Thomas if he had been posed this query, particularly with how markedly totally different however glorious each these programs are. That mentioned, the North Course at LACC is a private favourite and can be my alternative if I solely had one spherical to play.

For me, the case for LACC begins with its scale. It’s lengthy and huge (although exacting), and it navigates unexpectedly dramatic elevation adjustments. The Angles Military rejoices right here — you’re confronted with quite a lot of pictures within the prevailing agency circumstances, which permit balls to seek out the complete breadth of the property and thus presents a myriad of appears into geometrically inventive greens.

With its measurement and selection, you’re additionally enjoying considerate golf, with selections required at each flip: To problem the drivable however menacing sixth; to tackle the draw second shot from a dangling lie on the par 5 eighth; to go after the front-right pin on the fragile fifteenth. And on. From begin to end, the course calls in your psychological and bodily sharpness.

Riviera has marvelous charms and quirk (I like the bunker within the coronary heart of the sixth inexperienced), in addition to loads of enamel (the stout par 3 4th and the par-4 14th, for instance). However I’m unsure each gap performs in the present day as initially meant, together with the shrinking of the (theoretically) drivable tenth inexperienced and the sticky kikuyu in entrance of the par-3 4th, which prevents the usage of the Redan-esque slopes. — Will Davenport

Riviera is best!

This can be a hotly contested query in Los Angeles golf circles. However I favor to place it in a world context. To my thoughts, what separates the programs — each George Thomas designs which have confirmed to be main championship-worthy — is the variety of holes that may very well be thought-about among the many nice holes on this planet. In that head-to-head, Riviera will get the sting.

Let’s begin with the first gap at Riviera, which Arnold Palmer known as “the best beginning gap in golf.” The tee shot is an exhilarating and scary approach to begin your day. The 2nd is a magnificence and a beast, and an ideal follow-up to the “Getaway Gap” opener, which Thomas typically employed. The 4th options the primary Redan ever constructed on the West Coast. Ben Hogan mentioned it was “The best par 3 in America.”

The sixth is the par-3 with a bunker in the course of the inexperienced, with spectacular shaping to get you round that lure if wanted. It’s my favourite strategic inexperienced wherever. The ninth is a implausible par-4 that works again towards the clubhouse, with choices to play boldly or safely off the tee. The tenth? It’s typically thought-about as the most effective brief par 4 in golf. 

The beat goes on all through the again 9, on the fifteenth (lengthy par-4 with a wonderful double-plateau inexperienced); the sixteenth (diabolically small inexperienced on a par-3 ringed by wonderful George Thomas bunkers); and the 18th — one of many most interesting finishers within the sport — was simply lengthened to 498 yards, uphill, restoring Thomas’ unique tee angle. All of the legends have walked this ending stroll.

The opposite holes at Riviera are glorious in their very own proper. There’s not a weak one on the property. However the above holes stand out. 

As for LACC North, the nice holes on this planet for me can be 2, 7, 8, perhaps 11, and 17. The remainder are a mix of excellent to excellent. Tally the scores on this rarefied air of high 15 golf programs, and Riviera wins the match for me. — Michael Robin