Riviera Country Club is one of golf’s most iconic venues.
Located in Los Angeles, it has always been more than just a golf course. It’s a place where Hollywood meets golf.
Known as “Hogan’s Alley” for the legendary Ben Hogan’s historic dominance on the greens, it’s a place that simply has an aura. And since its opening in 1926, it has served as a second home to the elite of the silver screen, from Adam Sandler to Jack Nicholson.
Because the club is so deeply intertwined with the film industry, it’s only fitting that the members have named the 12th hole after an incident involving Nicholson.
Why the 12th hole at Riviera is called the ‘Tarzan Hole’
Nicholson once had an embarrassing incident on the 12th hole at Riviera that led to him being teased by the members there.
He hooked his drive into trees, then failed to advance his second shot. In frustration, he grabbed some vines in a nearby tree, and they launched him into the air like Tarzan.
He recalled to Golf Digest in 2007, “They pulled back. Lifted me straight up in the air, so I was flying around for a few seconds before I came down. Now I can’t play that 12th at Riviera without somebody saying, ‘The Tarzan Hole.’”
It’s something that he never lived down, but I think we would all live through an embarrassing moment like this if we were associated with this iconic venue for years to come.
Jack Nicholson’s golf handicap
It might surprise you to learn that Nicholson is known as a calculated, strategic player on the golf course, which has enabled him to maintain a handicap of around 12 for much of his life.
In 2011, reports placed his index at exactly 14.7, making him a solid mid-handicap player. On a typical day at a demanding course like Riviera, he would shoot in the mid-to-high 80s, which is a score most recreational golfers would envy.
Nicholson does have a flair for extravagance on the course. He was famously known for using a set of custom, gold-plated irons. However, he’s known to be intensely quiet and focused on the course.
What happened at Riviera was an exception to that rule, and one that he’ll be remembered for in those parts for many years to come.
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