Pebble Beach

ballplayer002003 · July 8, 2022

So I just got back from my Pebble Beach trip and I have to say it was nothing short of fantastic. We played Del Monte, Pebble Beach x2, Spanish Bay, Spyglass and The Hay x2. We stayed at the Lodge at Pebble as well, and I will say we really didn't lift a finger. The people were so accommodating and friendly (they should be for the price), and the golf was top notch.

Here are my takeaways from each course:

Del Monte: The course itself was nothing to write home about and it was average at best. The greens were rolling fast, and were in great shape. The rest of the course was pretty dry and crispy due to lack of rain. It was a decent start to the week, however I think if I were to go again, I would skip playing here and play Bayonet or another course close by.

Pebble: What can you say about Pebble that has not been said before?! What a course, and the views are unreal. We played one round in the morning and one round in the afternoon. I would recommend playing in the afternoon. The morning round we kept dealing with the marine layer (fog), that would roll in and out like the tide. As a science teacher I found it cool how quick it would roll in and 15 minutes later it would clear up, then another 30 minutes it would come back. The course was in great shape and we had caddies for each round. I would highly recommend getting one. I was one of the higher handicap golfers on the trip (I am a 7 hcp) while most of the guys are scratch and we ALL had a really hard time reading the greens. What looks like uphill putts will be downhill. It was like we were in opposite world on the greens. I have to say my favorite hole is probably 6. You really don't realize how high up your second shot has to be. When watching Pebble on TV, the second shot looks like it is a small uphill second shot...WRONG. That hill is probable 50-70 feet up. Much bigger than I thought. Hole 7 was playing 91 yards and hole 8 is INCREDIBLE as well. These three holes are the best on the course. Hole 18 was one of the most nerve racking tee shots I've hit in a long time. How much of the water do you cut off? I have to say, I played a cut here and nailed the fairway. All in all, I didn't find Pebble to be overly difficult of a course. Not a lot of trouble to get yourself into. However, this was NOT MY FAVORITE COURSE.

Spanish Bay: If you like links golf, you will LOVE Spanish Bay. It is right on the water, seals are barking and the wind is blowing. The course was in great shape and again, the greens were rolling fast. The views were great with dunes everywhere. Long hitters will not like Spanish Bay. We did not have a caddie here and we probably should have. We hit a lot of shots at this course that we "thought" were good, only to find out that we were in crap of had a bad line to the pin. Spanish Bay had the best clubhouse and restaurants of any of the three big courses we played. Very nice. This was my SECOND FAVORITE.

Spyglass: PLAY THIS COURSE! This was by far my favorite course!!! It ranks #2 for my of all time only behind Bethpage Black. The front 9 is on the coast and the back 9 is in the trees. The views here are to die for the course was pristine everywhere you looked. The proshop was super underwhelming and small with only a snack shack for food. The fairways were generous and the greens were fast and true. If I ever go back, I am not so sure I would play Pebble again, however I would play Spyglass everyday if I could. Don't get me wrong, Spyglass is a tough course. Much tougher than Pebble. If you want a challenge with all the views and then some, this is the course for you. Treat yourself to this course, you won't regret it.

The Hay: This is Tiger Wood's par 3 designed, nine hole course. It was a fun little course, with the longest hole being 106 yards. I will say I saw more workers and mowers on this course than I see on my home 18 hole course. Not too many straight putts here and my buddy actually hit a hole in one while we were there. Does this count as an official hole in one or no?

Now if you are planning on going to Pebble...bring your wallet. This is one VERY EXPENSIVE trip, but cross it off your bucket list because it's not ever going to get cheaper.