12 Famous Members Of Riviera Country Club

Mark Wahlberg, Adam Sander, Larry David and Tom Brady — A host of famous faces have been members of Riviera Country Club

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The host venue for the Genesis Invitational, Riviera Country Club, is one of the most exclusive in Los Angeles, while its proximity to the homes of Hollywood stars has made it the ideal choice for many of the world’s most famous golf fans for decades.

Through the years, some of the most famous stars of their generation have taken up membership at the club, from movie icons to superstar musicians.

Humphrey Bogart

The classic Hollywood cinema actor loved spending time at Riviera Country Club, and even used to watch events from his favourite sycamore tree on the 12th hole sipping bourbon.

Eventually, the club named the tree after him, and to this day, it is still referred to as Bogey’s Tree.

He wasn’t a bad player, either, with a handicap in single figures.

Tom Brady

The NFL legend is known for his love of golf, and, among tournaments he has taken part in are the 2022 edition of The Match featuring fellow NFL stars, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, and the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

He made headlines when he retired from the NFL in early 2023, but a few months later, he was in the news again as he was spotted enjoying a round at Riviera Country Club while ex-wife Gisele Bundchen attended the Met Gala 3,000 miles away in New York.

Glen Campbell

Campbell was best known as a country singer in his heyday, but he also played a pivotal role in reviving the fortunes of the Los Angeles Open (now the Genesis Invitational) in the 1970s.

With its profile at an all-time low, Campbell stepped in as host of the tournament, and in 1971, it became known as the Campbell Los Angeles Open. Two years later, it found a permanent home at Riviera Country Club, where Campbell was a member.

It has remained there ever since, barring a temporary move to Torrey Pines in 2025 because of the LA wildfires.

Campbell, whose big name helped attract high-profile celebrities to the pro-am and who also put on a dinner show at the event, was the host until 1983.

Larry David

The Curb Your Enthusiasm actor and Seinfeld co-creator has never made a secret of his love for the game, and both shows even have classic golf-based episodes and scenes.

Some scenes from Curb Your Enthusiasm were even filmed at the club, while during the Covid-19 pandemic, David helped raise money for its caddies when they were forced to step away from their duties.

Rita Hayworth

Another member of Hollywood royalty who was once a member of the club is Rita Hayworth. She became an avid golfer after taking up the game in the 1950s.

Per PGATour.com, in 2014, her Riviera Country Club membership certificate was even put up for sale on eBay for $850.

Katharine Hepburn

Katherine Hepburn playing golf — Katharine Hepburn was an accomplished golfer

Katherine Hepburn had a glittering acting career, including winning four Oscars, but she was an accomplished golfer, too, and once reached the semi-final of the Connecticut Young Women's Golf Championship.

After moving to LA, it made sense that she would continue her passion at one of its courses, and eventually she became a member of Riviera Country Club.

She also filmed the 1952 movie Pat and Mike at the club, where she played a golf and tennis star, with cameos from LPGA members Betty Hicks, Beverly Hanson, Helen Dettweiler, and Babe Zaharias.

A photo of Hepburn, who died in 2003, is still displayed at the clubhouse.

Howard Hughes

The entrepreneur and movie producer was a regular at LA’s most exclusive golf clubs, including Riviera Country Club, along with five other clubs in the city.

'At least he didn't have his membership revoked at Riviera, which is what reportedly happened at another LA golf club, Bel-Air. There, he reportedly landed his plane on the eighth fairway when late for a date with Hepburn, who was playing there.

Dean Martin

The Rat Pack singer and actor was an avid golf fan, and at one point had his own golf ball brand, Dino’s.

He once shot an even par on the back nine at Riviera Country Club, where he was a member. He filmed scenes from his 1953 movie The Caddy there too. The movie featured cameos from Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead.

Gregory Peck

Gregory Peck was another big name from Hollywood's golden era who was once a member of Riviera Country Club.

Peck, who lived in nearby Brentwood, received five Best Actor Oscar nominations in his career, winning once for his portrayal as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Dennis Quaid

The Parent Trap star was once a scratch golfer, and has even been referred to as “the best golfer in Hollywood.”

He is also reportedly a member of both and Bel-Air Country Club and Riviera Country Club and used to have a home near the latter, but put it on the market in 2018 for $6.5m.

Adam Sandler

Comic actor Sandler is one of the most famous celebrity golf lovers. The Riviera Country Club member played a starring role in the 1996 classic Happy Gilmore and its 2025 sequel, about an ice hockey player who turns to golf after winning a long-drive contest.

In 2023, he even sent a message to a real-life Happy Gilmore, congratulating him after he agreed to play golf for the Cardinals at Ball State University!

Mark Wahlberg

The boy band singer-turned-actor is regularly spotted at big golf tournaments. More recently, he took part in the pro am for the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii and the Match Superstars later that year.

His love of the game even extends to his Beverly Hills backyard, which has its own course.

Wahlberg discussed his first round at Riviera Country Club as a member in a 2016 interview with Executive Golfer Magazine. He explained: “I hit an errant shot and almost killed Peter Falk [aka, Columbo]!”

In the same interview, he revealed his handicap had once even been as low as five.

Given its proximity to the stars, there are many more famous faces who have held memberships at the club, including Falk, Charlie Chaplin and Walt Disney. Modern-era actors Luke Wilson and Hugh Grant reportedly also hold memberships there.

Famous people have even called it home, with the likes of TV host Conan O’Brien and movie star Michelle Pfeiffer having properties at the course.

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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