Jeff F.
Excellent pictures but for those who haven't played it, the little colored lines were the best.
Many questions and as a 15 year member and the father of the former club historian, maybe I can put in my two cents.
Tom Paul probably knows the hole better than most on the left coast and he is stuck to his computer somewhere in suburban Philly. Pretty impressive.
Tom H. may have a good point. With today's long hitting the hole is just as good and may be even better. In year's past almost all tour players just dropped a ball and hit their two iron 200 yards left and had SW to the green. Only Daly, much to the cheering crowds would pull out driver. I saw him make 5 doing so. Russ Cochran made a 7 there. I know don't how he did it.
Just think how interesting the hole must have been when it opened, no green side bunkers and no kikuyu. This would have really brought in the ground game. They added the green side bunkers for the Los Angeles Open of either 29 or 30. Billy Bell may have consulted on the construction, but they don't have the "Bell look." They have evolved into severe bunkers. They work well.
On why isn't it duplicated more:
The 12th at Rustic Canyon adopts its strategy in a reverse direction. Procter and Axland, like most, adore the hole and attempted to bring in its strategy in a hole at Wildhorse (the 14th?). It baffles the locals there.
Once Geoff spoke with a slide show to the Architects Society and mentioned that he was surprised the hole wasn't duplicated more. My only thought is today's architect is reluctant to use so much acreage for such a short hole.
What you don't see from the pictures, but is a great great feature on the hole. You think your second shot to the green is to a green sloping back to front. Actually with the slope of the green it is actually flat, maybe even sloping away from you. This really adds importance to having the right angle.
The size of the green is a tiny 2,300 square feet. This scares today's architect, but I believe the green could keep its strategy if built on another course.
At the Nissan (I still prefer LA Open) they always use the back of the green for "Sunday's hole placement." Actually there is a location front left, just before the green slopes down and away that is frightening.
I will be forever convinced that Ernie Els lost his first major at the 10th. He lead for 3 days in the 95 PGA. It was his tournament. On Sunday the PGA put the flag up front. The temptation standing on the tee was too much for the inexperienced Els. After laying up short for three days, his pulled his driver. Can't remember if he may 4 or 5, but he seemed deflated after that disappointment of not making 3.
Ron Forse built the temporary green. The priority was that it would not affect the regular green or the play of the hole. It has fulfilled that goal. They play charity events on Mondays. Folks pay $500 to play Riviera and always have the temp to play on #10. With about 60,000 rounds a year, the regular 10th could be okay, but the club errors on the side of making sure the greens are good for the Nissan. This is at the expense of member play.
When Jack Nicklaus did his best 18 holes in championship golf, the 10th at Riviera made the list, appropriately so.
Actually it is pretty playable for all. Hit it 170 yards left off the tee and you have an interesting 130 yard shot.
Finally, a guest standing on the 10th tee said, "why can't I just drive it straight at the green?" A member I know replied "well you have to play it about 50 times and then you will go left and safe."
A