Los Angeles – Riviera's iconic course has hosted famous golfers Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Tom Watson, as well as celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart and Howard Hughes.
On Monday night, Riviera added the Clippers to that list, as the famous golf course played host to this year's annual Clippers charity golf classic.
Head coach Doc Rivers is plenty familiar with the course, having played on it Sunday for fun before Monday's good cause, which benefitted the LA Clippers Foundation and local children's charities.
“It's one of my favorites,” Rivers said of the course. “I love golf. I've played it a long time. I was, years ago, a lot better than I am now, which is not a good statement. But I still love it. I play it a lot. I think it's a great release.”
Joining Rivers on the course were assistant coaches Mike Woodson and Armond Hill, point guard Chris Paul and his family, former Clipper players Corey Maggette and Norm Nixon, and team broadcasters Mike Smith and Brian Sieman, among other Clippers personalities.
Golfing's become a routine part of Maggette's week since taking up the sport a couple of months ago and getting in nine holes a day at 7 a.m. But he rarely gets the chance to play somewhere like the Riviera, which he called a legendary course and the best he's been on before.
“I actually love this game,” Maggette said. “I'm picking it up. You see the results, but you see the devastation, too.”
Nixon's team ended up winning the event in an 18th hole playoff against Reggie Theus' group, but the event was about much more than the golf, as it went to a beneficial cause.
Throughout the event, Clippers signed memorabilia, as well as signed items from Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter, Steven Strasburg and other sports stars were available for bidding through a silent auction. In addition, raffle tickets were also available, giving those in attendance the chance to win weekend vacations, courtside packages, American Airlines miles and green room tickets to Jimmy Kimmel Live, among other prizes.
All of it raised money to help kids.
“It's always a great event,” said Rivers, who added that he uses golf as a method of meditation during the season.
After the event, the Riviera's Lifestyle Lounge hosted the entire Clippers team, and guests in attendance got to enjoy a live performance from Grammy Award winners Boys II Men.
