Riviera Country Club opened in 1927, and since, has become one of the premiere classic golf courses in America. In almost every listing of the greatest courses in the U.S., Riviera Country Club is always high up in the rankings. Riviera Country Club has been rated 16th in 1995, 24th in 1997, and 26th in 1999 on Golf Magazine's listing of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S., and it was rated 21st in 1997, 30th in 1998, and 31st in 1999 on Golfweek's listing of America's 100 Best Classical Courses. The course has been host to many championship golf tournaments in Southern California including several Las Angeles Open tournaments, the 1948 U.S. Open, the 1983 PGA Championship, the 1995 PGA Championship, and the 1998 U.S. Senior Open. Riviera has been the almost exclusive site of the Nissan Open PGA tournament since its inception, and holes 2, 8, and 18 have been called some of the most difficult holes that the PGA tour players see all year. The course is known for its tight fairways and small greens, and it is one of the greatest course designs that the PGA golfers get to play, according to Tiger Woods.