Unexpected Visitor Lands on Riviera Country Club Golf Course in LA
An unexpected visitor landed on the historic Riviera Country Club’s golf course in Los Angeles on Friday. A small aircraft made an emergency landing, and video footage posted on social media showed the bumpy landing. Fortunately, the plane and its occupants appeared to be unharmed.
According to Golfweek, the plane was supposed to land at Santa Monica Airport, a few miles southeast from Riviera. Both the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Santa Monica Fire Department responded to the scene shortly after the incident.
It is not uncommon for planes to make emergency landings on golf courses in urban areas due to their open terrain and lack of people. One famous incident was when actor Harrison Ford made a rough landing at Penmar Golf Course near Santa Monica Airport.
Interestingly, Friday’s landing was not the only airplane mishap in the L.A. area that day. Another plane crashed into fencing after overshooting the runway at Fullerton Airport.
Riviera Country Club is known for hosting prestigious events such as the Tiger Woods Foundation’s Genesis Invitational and has held several majors in the past. The club is set to host the golf events for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, as well as the 2031 U.S. Open and 2026 U.S. Women’s Open. Let’s hope that planes won’t cause any issues for these upcoming events.