Well-rounded golfers must master a variety of skills, including driving, reverse putting, and suppressing the part of the brain that associates high scores with victory. Chip away at preconceived notions with today’s deal to the Northern Trust Open at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. For $45, you get two weekender grounds passes good for admission on Saturday, February 18, and Sunday, February 19 (a $90 value).

Carrying on a history stretching back to 1926, the Northern Trust Open pits top PGA tour players against one another in a six-day contest. The $6.5 million purse includes a $1,188,000 winning share, spurring players to victory with the possibility of refilling their favorite course’s sand traps with dollar bills. Four-time major championship winner Phil Mickelson and last year’s winner, Aaron Baddeley, pose proudly at the top of the 2012 roster. The Riviera’s venerable course pits golfers against such famous trials as the par 5 17th hole, which forces golfers to battle against 578 uphill yards to get to the green. A natural amphitheater surrounds the final hole, where athletes work to sink the final shot under the pressure of spectators’ scrutiny and the wailing of the area’s native tragedians.