Pebble Beach - California - USA

Pebble Beach – I had arrived at the home of the 2010 US Open and the chance to walk in the footsteps of all he legends of golf who have played here in this courses great history. The first thing you notice on arrival at the Pro Shop is the number of tourists just wandering around to take photographs and buy merchandise at all the shops around the practice putting green. The Pro Shop staff was very welcoming although I suppose they should be at $495 for a round. The practice ground is a short distance away and the course provides a shuttle bus to take you there and back (about a 5 minute drive). Practice balls are plentiful and the chipping green is one of the best I have ever seen.

The starter welcomes you to the first tee and spends a short time explaining the layout of the course for the day and that carts are not allowed on the course (65000 rounds a year), a caddy will cost $100 + tip. He introduces you to your fellow players and you decide which tee to play off there is a sign which suggests the best tee for your handicap. Now the tingling really starts you are teeing up on the first a 400 yard dog leg to a tiny green but then all the greens are tiny which along with the thick rough which just grabs your club are what makes the course so tough.

The fairways are surprisingly wide so if you keep it straight a good score is quite within your grasp (unlike Spyglass Hill)! The 5th and 7th are just as amazing as they look on the TV spectacular views and a helpful marshal on the 7th to tell you just how long it is playing that day (80 yards) and what a tricky 80 yards it is. Finally 5 hours later, do not expect a quick round, you come to the 18th just as good as it looks on the TV, the drive over the ocean aiming at the twin Cypress trees on the fairway then either a careful layup or a big 2nd to the green for the low handicapper. Hit into the green and then put out in front of all those people just there to watch and take a photo of those who a lucky enough to play this wonderful course. My highlights were the stunning views and the blind uphill second aiming at that lone Cypress tree at the back of the 5th a truly intimidating shot but so rewarding.

Recently played as part of a RTWorld Trip. Stayed at lodge overlooking 18th only made this more of an enjoyable experience. Can't wait to see how the big guns cope come June and the US Open. For most golfers playing here would i think eclipse Cypress Point because you are walkng in he footsteps of your heroes.

I was very fortunate to get the half price rate of $250 this past summer at Pebble Beach. and I have to say the course is absolutely amazing. I had goose bumps the entire with all the history and scenic views. The hospitality is second to none all the way from the pro shop, caddies and transportation to and from the driving range. If you love golf this is a must play,

Pebble Beach! I was going to golf the famous Pebble Beach! What history and drama both in the spectacular view and the great golfers involved. To walk the same ground as Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson really heightened the excitement to play. I was nervous, and I started planning my first tee shot long before arriving. If I could hit just one good shot, I was hoping it would be that one. What a feeling to see that ball soar through the air straight down the fairway, and the confident pose that would follow. How should I approach the round? Should I not care about the score and just enjoy the moment, or try really hard to play well so I can boast to my friends, or just learn from the experience and history of the course? I decided to do all of the above, but maintain a smile on my face for the entire day.

This year Pebble Beach is hosting another US Open Championship – the fifth in its history. Previous winners were Nicklaus in 1972, Tom Watson in 1982, Tom Kite in 1992 and Tiger Woods’s 15 stroke victory in 2000. The course went through significant changes since its last championship. It had four greens and sixteen bunkers rebuilt, altered or installed; eleven tees have benefited from enhancements, and six holes have seen the addition or adjustment of trees. The total length of the course has also been lengthened to 7,040 yards, but it’s still playing to a par 71.

The fairways have also been cut to force players to hit toward more trouble spots on a number of holes that border the Pacific Ocean’s cliffs. The increased precision required and higher difficulty is showcased on hole #8, a 428-yard hole that requires a lay-up to about 195 yards out. The tee shot will force the player to challenge the right side of the fairway as the rough has been grown along the entire left side of what used to be fairway. Then the player is faced with an extremely challenging long iron shot over a gorge to a small and undulating green. Drop a ball at the two hundred yard marker, and I would guess that the average golfer has about a one in twenty chance of hitting the green. One more thing: the prevailing winds are usually in your face making an extremely tough shot even tougher. That approach shot was one of my favourites of all time.

Other features of Pebble Beach that one can't appreciate on TV are the size and undulation of the greens. There are some shots where one sees very little of the putting surface with bunkers and mounds hiding them. The greens at Pebble Beach are the smallest on tour putting a premium on hitting the right club to the right spot. This is another difference that the amateur playing the course will experience. You really have to trust your club selection and be confident over your shot. You can really get stuck on where not to go instead of where you want to be. The most forgiving part of the course, especially when the rough is down, are the tee shots. There is an opportunity to spray the ball on a few holes and still have decent approach shots. However, with the rough grown out, tees moved back, slick postage stamp greens and the unpredictable Monterey weather, Pebble Beach is sure to test the pros at this year’s US Open Championship.

Pebble Beach was amazing in all its facets. The golf was one aspect, but there was much more. The shopping, restaurants, spa and equestrian center and the history and glamour of the place are as advertised. The resort is also a great destination for water sports, surfing, walking, food and wine and is even host to a huge car show every August. There were a number of non-golfing tourists enjoying the area and taking pictures of the many unbelievable views. When at Pebble Beach, you feel like you are somewhere significant, and you are constantly reminded of its rich history and glamour. One more thing: I recommend getting a caddy, especially if you never had one. I met a gentleman named Steve, an eleven-year veteran with over 3600 rounds caddied at Pebble Beach. He was extremely helpful, and provided a guided tour of the course and its rich history. I relied heavily on his ability to read greens and recommendations on aiming spots and yardage. He played a role in my mental approach as he always stayed positive and encouraged me to trust my swing. Steve's dream is to eventually get a bag for the US Open, and I believe he would do a tremendous job with any golfers that would utilize his tremendous knowledge of the course.

Overall, Pebble Beach was something I will always remember and not just for the golfing. The Monterey Peninsula is spectacular, and it offers a wide variety of experiences for all. I would strongly encourage any golf enthusiast to enjoy the walk on #18 at Pebble Beach. What a way to finish a round at a historical place in golf history! The three and a half footer I made for par will always stand in my mind as one of my happiest moments in golf.

Can’t believe anyone would give this less than top marks purely from a golf perspective. There’s a magic about this place and a history that to me places it above any of the ‘Members only’ institutions rated above it. I fear that some wallets have had more than quite a bit of influence on the more negative reviews. Having said that it is outrageously expensive but that does NOT and should not detract from it’s appeal. It is the only course in the US top 10 generally open to the public so it’s not surprising they can charge a premium and get away with it. If the other top courses opened their doors, Pebble would perhaps have to price itself more competitively although I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Contrast the U.S. top 10 with the U.K. top 10. In the UK, all of the top 10 are open to the public so even the very top courses are priced significantly more competitively.

Anyway, to the course... I was lucky enough to experience it on a benign and sunny day in December. I had been playing and scoring well before travelling to the States and I played well for the rest of the vacation too after I left Pebble. Even at Pebble I was striking the ball well but somehow I never even got close to my handicap. The course ever so subtely beat me to pieces and I’m still working out what happened (shot 91 off 9). It seemed like the slightest mistake resulted in double bogey. Managed to birdie 7 after stiffing it close off the tee which pleased me greatly although par at the 8th after pulling my approach back left and leaving the downhill chip from hell was probably the better achievement. I then proceeded to double the 9th out of nowhere. As others have said the stretch from 6 thru 10 (I would say 4 thru 10) is awesome. I’m trying to think of a 7 hole stretch anywhere to match it... possibly the seaside stretch at Turnberry of 4 thru 10. The 17th/18th are also awesome golf holes. Like St Andrews the 18th quite often has an impromptu gallery as busloads of Japanese & Korean tourists pass through.

To be honest if I was asked to name the weak holes, I’d struggle... 1,11,12,13 possibly, even so I’d be happy playing those holes every day. The pick of the inland holes from a difficulty point of view would have to be 14, after 570 dogleg yards a green to make even the best look completely foolish. The pro’s however might say 2 as they play it as a Par 4 rather than a 5 As I write it’s 3 weeks since I played it and I can still recall for each hole whether I hit the fairway and whether I hit the green in regulation. I can replay the vast majority of the round in my head. I don’t get that everywhere I play so that to me is my signal that I’d played a very memorable course. Alas, I cant remember every drink I had in the Tap Room afterwards. All in all I think it’s an awesome place that every golfer should experience at least once.

I feel that I should write an up to date review for this golf course. I have just returned from a trip state side and can honestly say that Pebble Beach has gone straight to my No1 spot of golf courses played.I can only presume that the feedback posted below is from golfers that have been chewed up and spat out by this truly magnificent golf course. Whilst it's not a true links course, it certainly plays like one, especially on the front nine, OK, it's not fast running and as you turn for home on 11 you play into some trees but every single hole on the golf course has a clever feature that tricks the eye and every tee shot demands full commitment if you are to avoid the punishing rough/sand/sea. The greens are tiny, surrounded by ankle high club grabbing rough and quick. The par 3's are particularly difficult, I played from the blue tees which were well back and apart from the flick into the 7th every short hole required a long shot.The course is designed to test the best in the world but open for us all to enjoy, yes it's expensive but so are all the best things in life.

The 6th to 10th hole stretch is remarkable. This and the finish to the course are sufficient to counter a few average holes. A universal golf icon.

Played Pebble in April this year. This course is far too expensive for what it delivers. Some good holes, but lots of average holes. All in all, if you're in the area, better have two rounds at Spyglass/poppy hills than at pebble. A huge disappointment!

Imagine if Pebble was the ultra private club and Cypress was the resort track. With this added "BS mystique" Pebble would be ranked the best course in the world into perpetuity. Holes 6,7 and 8 is one of the best stretches on the planet. They should place the clubhouse out where the 10th green is now. Holes 4 to 10 would become holes 12 to 18 and represent the best finishing sequence in the history of golf - just a thought

Played Pebble Beach for the first time a couple of days ago - middle of June. We were not staying at the resort so had expected to have to phone up everyday to see if there were lots for the 2 of us. On the offchance we called reservations on Sunday and were offered a tee time for Wednesday afternoon. A good start. We decided to take caddies to make the most of the experience. One slightly annoying feature was that as there were two of us we had to share a caddy between us for the same price as getting one each. They seemed a bit surprised when we asked if we could have one each and the answer came back no. Fortunately we were both hitting to similar areas and no wild slices and hooks - could have been an even longer round if that had been the case.

The practice putting green was running fast and true so expectations were high on the first tee. The caddy tried to point me (18 handicapper) to the gold tees and my friend (4) to the blues but we decided to both play the back tees. The first hole was a massive disappointment. The fairway was massively sanded - and the first green was a temporary! Bear in mind we had paid $450 each for this. No-one had told us about the condition of the course when booking or before - ludicrous. I would suggest anyone considering playing asks beforehand!

The first few holes are nondescript and really do feel like any American Country Club course. Cart paths, roads and houses making up the most notable features. From there though the holes on the water are clearly special. the par 5 6th is intimidating on the tee but actually quite playable. By the time we got to the signature par 3 7th the wind was up and yardages were not really much use. A punchy knock down was the order of the day which my partner managed. I put a gap wedge in the air and paid the price as the wind brought it back into the sand. 8 is a fantastic hole - the approach shot over a canyon truly spectacular and the par I got there will stay with me for a long time. 9 and 10 both are great holes, mainly because of the setting, before going back inland. This stretch is probably better than the first few inland holes Although the green on the par 5 14th is a bit ridiculous - after coming 572 yards is is pretty small and very angled. 17 and 18 are simply a great finishing 2 holes. The wind was up and 17 was playing a rescue for me. My partner parred it well. 18 is just a great walk up. Spolit for me by a 4 putt to shoot 92. Still, 2 over handicap from the back tees at Pebble was satisfactory!

Overall we didn't have problems with the staff that others have indicated. Everyone was friendly and the caddy pretty good. The day was slightly spolit by the sanded fairways and very inconsistent greens. Some were slow, some were fast and it was a question of having a guess when you got there. Overall though glad we did it, enjoyed the views and the history but there may not be a next time.