The crown jewel of women’s golf comes to the West Coast this week, at Riviera Country Club, located just 20 miles west of downtown Los Angeles in Pacific Palisades, California. Known as “Hogan’s Alley” for the dominance Ben Hogan showed there back in the mid-20th century, in an 18 month span, The Hawk won 3 times at Riviera.
In this major championship, it will be the ladies vying for the title and the richest purse in Women’s golf. For Round 1 of the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club, the course is set up to play at 6699 yards (35-36–71). Keep in mind, at nearly 6700 yards, with cool temps and a marine layer hanging over Pacific Palisades (“June Gloom” weather pattern), the course will likely play more like 7,000 yards.
Riviera was designed by famed Golden-Age architect George C. Thomas Jr., with William P. Bell aboard in a supporting role. The club was founded in 1926, and the course opened in 1927. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw did a restoration of the greens complexes in 1993. Tom Fazio completed additional tweaks in the early 2000s, including the lengthening of several holes.
So how will Riv play for the Women’s Open?
The par 3 fourth has a new tee, and will play a shade under 200 yards in round 1. How about the iconic par 3 sixth…
The par 3 sixth with its famous bunker positioned in the center of the green will play as easy as it can, with a front hole location – 163 yards in round 1.
(Pictured above left) Often called the finest short par 4 in golf, the tenth will test not only your strategy, but also the player’s precise execution. We watched several players in practice rounds this week – the consensus is, if the tee is back, hit a fairway metal off the tee to the left side of the fairway… leaving a wedge approach from the proper angle. If the tee is up, we may see some drivers, over the left bunker leaving just a short pitch or chip onto the green surface. It’ll be fascinating to watch it unfold.
The champion at Riviera this week will be a ball striker of the highest order, and the 18th hole will put the winner to the test coming down the stretch. The tee box on this 428-yard brute sits well below the elevated shelf where the fairway resides… and that’s just the beginning of this finisher. If you need a par here to win, you’ll likely need a fade down the left center, where the fairway is contoured heavily – falling left to right. On the approach, it’s a similar theme, where everything feeds to the right, but leave it in the Kikuyu rough on the left, and getting up and down is a tall task.
Kudos to the USGA for bringing the best event in Women’s golf to Southern California for the very first time, long overdue to have this championship to Riviera Country Club.
BROADCAST INFORMATION (All Times PDT)
Thursday, June 4
First Round: USA Network, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
First Round: Peacock/NBCSN, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
Friday, June 5
Second Round: USA Network, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Second Round: Peacock/NBCSN, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday, June 6
Third Round: USA Network, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Third Round: NBC, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, June 7
Final Round: Peacock/NBCSN, 12 p.m.-2 p.m.
Final Round: NBC, 2 p.m.-5 p.m.
