Pebble Beach Golf Links
In 1919, Jack Neville and Douglas Grant set about creating a golf course that vindicated its position perched on the cliff tops overlooking the Pacific Ocean. While this pioneering duo laid the foundations of Pebble Beach®, it was one Henry Chandler Egan who sculpted the course largely into its current shape.
The golf course has enjoyed many improvements and alterations over the years with the likes of Herbert Fowler, Alister MacKenzie, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus both contributing the amazing golf course we see today.
The course opens in a subdued and understated fashion, easing you into the round and preparing you for the adrenaline rush to come, with a sub-current of tension and drama palpable for every visiting golfer.
From the 6th, where the golf course begins to meander along the dramatic cliff-side, Pebble Beach® comes into its own and it’s easy to see why it enjoys such an iconic reputation.
The views from the course are simply incredible – you might even catch a glimpse of humpback whales depending on the season – and the golfer is asked plenty of questions, particularly on the seaside holes. The greens in general are very small and well protected so the key to scoring well can often lie in the accuracy of your approach shots; that and being able to ignore the beauty of the Monterey Peninsula and concentrate on the task in hand!
There’s a grand sense of history here too and on your way around the course, you can’t help but think of the greats of the game whose footsteps you’re following in. Channelling your inner Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson or Tiger Woods makes the experience all the more magical.
Pebble Beach® Golf Links is ranked as one of the best courses in America it is the ultimate once-in-a-lifetime golf course, so if you happen to get a chance, be sure to grasp it.
Signature Hole – No18: Par 5, 543 yards (Blue Tees)
Picturesque yet perilous, the closing hole at Pebble Beach® is one of the world’s most famous par 5s. The hole hugs the Pacific coastline, gently sweeping round to the left, and yet from the tee at least, it seems the hole is quite a dramatic dogleg. Golfers playing from the back sticks must tee off over the rocks and the crashing waves, and from the fairway, long hitters will be able to have a crack at the green in two. With the ocean to the left and bunkers in play around the green though; laying up is often the best strategy. If you’re unsure about your putt, just remember they tend to break towards the water!
Whilst many will look towards The US Open and annual AT&T National Proam for tournament memories at Pebble Beach, it is the 1929 US Amateur Championship which had a dramatic influence on the world of professional golf. Bobby Jones, the most decorated amateur golfer in history, arrived on the Monterey Peninsula as the winner of the 1927 and 1928 US Amateur and was duly knocked out of the 1st round of the matchplay. This visit to Pebble Beach resulted in another meeting between Jones and famed golf course architect, Alister MacKenzie. MacKenzie went onto creating Augusta National Golf Club, home of The Masters Tournament, with Jones.
Course Information
| Par |
72 |
| Designed by |
Jack Neville & Douglas Grant |
| Opened for play |
1919 |
| Previously hosted |
US Amateur, US Women’s Amateur, US Open (x6) & AT&A Pro-Am |
Tees
| Black |
7,080 yards |
SSS 75.5 |
| Blue |
6,828 yards |
SSS 74.7 |
| Gold |
6,445 yards |
SSS 72.6 |
| White |
6,116 yards |
SSS 71.3 |
| Red |
5,249 yards |
SSS 71.8 |
Practice Facilities
The Pebble Beach® Golf Academy & Practice Facility is one of the finest in the USA. Improve your game at the 3,000 sq foot learning centre where coaching staff can make use of three instruction studios that feature all the latest technology including 3D Motion Capture Analysis, HD Video and a Golf Simulator.
Practice facilities include a 350-yard, double-ended driving range with natural grass hitting area, a 4,500-square-foot practice putting green and a comprehensive short-game practice complex with bunkers and chipping areas.
Other Information
While the weather in California is commonly ideally suited for golf, Pebble Beach’s® coastal location means it can change in a heartbeat. You probably won’t need them, but pack waterproofs if you have the space.
With arguably the finest stretch of holes anywhere in the world between the 6th tee and the 10th green, packing a camera is also advised.
Golf Buggies are available but with the infinite beauty of the course and its surroundings in mind, we’d advise taking your time and walking the course if you can manage it. There is a caddie service too, so you don’t even have to carry your clubs if you don’t want to!
What the pros say
❝This is one of the most special golf courses in the planet.❞
Graeme McDowell
❝A fantastic golf course and venue. It's one of those places that you always look forward to going back to...no matter how many times you have been there before.❞
Lee Westwood
❝I don't think you can get a better venue any place in the world.❞
Ernie Els
❝If St. Andrews is the home of golf, I think Pebble Beach® feels like the home of American golf, like the home of championship golf. It has a real sense of history here.❞
Stewart Cink
❝If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach®. I've loved this course from the first time I saw it. It's possibly the best in the world.❞
Jack Nicklaus
Short Course
The new short course at Pebble Beach sits on the site of the Peter Hay Golf Course which provided a memorable test as part of your Pebble Beach golf experience. The re-design has been done by 2000 US Open Champion and golf legend, Tiger Woods along with his TGR Design company. The aim of the design is to create a memorable golf experience that matches the level of play and conditioning already enjoyed as part of the group of golf courses which include Spyglass Hill Golf Course, Del Monte Golf Course and The Links at Spanish Bay.
With numerous other golf courses available to play in the vicinity including Poppy Hills Golf Course, Cypress Point and Monterey Peninsula Country Club, golfers are spoilt for choice when building a truly once-in-a-lifetime championship golf holiday in California.
