- Joined
- Sep 11, 2013
- Messages
- 74,859
- Reaction score
- 88,461
- Location
- Ponte Vedra, Florida
- Handicap
- 11.9
Pebble Beach is a course we all have become aware of over the years, however when you have the opportunity to play it those memories come flooding back. Words such as HISTORY, BEAUTY, and CHALLENGE come to mind.
Situated along the shores of the Monterey Bay is where Pebble Beach was born. The original course architect, Samuel F.B. Morse envisioned a course that would provide, "a one-of-a-kind golf course with unsurpassed scenic beauty and an element of difficulty that would always be challenging and never conquered." And that is exactly what he did.
When you embark on your journey to Pebble Beach you will take the famous 17 Mile Highway. As you twist and turn your way through the mountains a sense of excitement begins to build of what will come. As you come out of that last turn you catch a glimpse of the long Par 5 #15th and Par 4 #16th holes and realize this place is real.
Clubhouse:
The main clubhouse at Pebble Beach is actually considered The Lodge which sits roughly 200 yards from the first tee and overlooks the 18th green. In it's grandeur it resembles a resort. Many greats have walked through those arches, which provide countless hours of history. The restaurant and bar area were bustling at 6:30am with golfer's and their families eating breakfast and sipping on coffee. The locker room was not available while I was there.
The main pro shop is located direct next to the 1st tee box and holds numerous souvenirs that can be purchased. If you selected to have a caddie for the day, this is where they will meet you. I am sure most have heard of the famous bench before where you have your shoes polished after your round and still can be seen.
Overall the staff and options available surpassed my expectations.
Grade: A+
Practice Area:
After settling your green fees you are whisked off in a shuttle bus to the practice facility that is a mere 3 mins away. Once again you are greeted by attendants who set you up at the practice area. As you can imagine the practice area is grand and immaculate offering various areas to hone in one's game. The driving range consisted of several targets with distances to each one of those targets. It's rare that you go to a driving range were you hit range balls that could be taken directly to the course, but that is just the case. Props to Callaway. The putting greens were designed to be exactly what one would see on the course for speed. (More to come).
Overall: The practice facility by far was top notch. Areas to practice putting, green side bunker game, as well as an area for fairway bunker game.
Grade: A+
Course Conditions:
Immaculate is a word that comes to mind prior to teeing off. We were met on the first tee box by the starter where a few rules were addressed. This is where I learned that the greens were punched the night before. What?!?! Are you kidding me?!?! Trying not to let that affect my judgement I blocked it out until after the first hole.
The tee boxes where in amazing conditions with all divots being filled. No broken tees or divots to be seen. Surprisingly there was not divot refiller on each tee box. So the grounds crew must complete this each night.
The fairways proved to be just as pristine as the tee boxes. Yardage plates could be found every 10-40 yards and spaced across the fairway providing distances to the front, middle, and back of the green. A great sight to see was yardage posts were placed off the fairway on both sides.
As for the bunkers, and they are numerous, had sand that would make you feel as you just stepped onto a beach. Some were very deep and could be a test for some to escape from.
As for the greens I was impressed as micro aeration was used. The greens were sanded and rolled each morning by the grounds crew that were seen when I arrived at the course. Needless to say ball marks on the green were nowhere to be found. The only downside of the greens being sanded was break was not what you perceived from your read. If you are familiar with Pebble Beach greens you know the break and speed can be difficult to master.
Grade: B
Layout:
Pebble Beach offers in my opinion an amazing layout. There are four sets of tees varying from 6800 yards to 5200 yards. Note that each set will play longer depending on the wind and elevation changes. I played the gold tees which presented some challenging tee shots where the landing area could not be seen.
The outward nine offer some of the most spectacular views I have had the opportunity to see on a golf course. Holes 6-9 require a camera as the Monterey Bay will be on your right. I thought based on this the wind would make this nine more difficult, however for me that was not the case. Standing on #7 a exhilarating rush takes over you holding a 54* wedge and looking down on that green, with the waves crashing in the background.
The inward nine offers a different challenge where it seems everything is uphill, which calls for an extra club into the green. The par 5 #14 is definitely a three shot hole. The wind seemed to be blowing hard from left to right off the bay.
Grade: A
Pace of Play:
The promoted pace of play that is strived for is 4:30. With tee times going off every 10 minutes it can be difficult to achieve that. With that being said you are looking at roughly 15 minutes per hole. My group fell off that pace on the first hole. (Played with a few guys that didn't feel like ready golf was important.). As you can expect there are Marshall's driving the course monitoring play. We picked it up by hole 4 and were back on pace. I noticed that back ups were occurring as we hit the back 9. We ended up finishing just off the suggested pace of play. 4:45. Early morning is recommended as we did not wait for one shot.
Grade: A
Amenities:
The amenities that Pebble Beach provides is above the norm. Several restaurants and bars to visit before and after your round. Downside here is don't expect to see any cart girls driving the course with water, beer, or snacks. However they do have water on every other hole and a snack shop at the turn, which really isn't a turn so to speak. on the flip side when you finish your round there is a Marshall to take your picture just off the 18th green, who then shuttles those who walk back to the clubhouse. Once you arrive at the clubhouse you are greeted by individuals who will clean your clubs and cart them to the bag drop.
Grade: A
Price:
You can play Pebble Beach for $495 + cart fees. Cart Fees $35
Excessive I know, but it's a once in a lifetime experience.
Grade: ??? Can't really put a grade on this.
Overall:
Outside of the aerated greens, this was a memorable experience that if you have the opportunity I would recommend. Some may seem the price point to be high, but it's Pebble Beach, would you expect anything less??? The landscape that the course is set upon offers some of the most amazing views you will ever experience on the golf course. The course setup was challenging, but allowed for scoring in certain places. Just an amazing experience.
Grade: A
Situated along the shores of the Monterey Bay is where Pebble Beach was born. The original course architect, Samuel F.B. Morse envisioned a course that would provide, "a one-of-a-kind golf course with unsurpassed scenic beauty and an element of difficulty that would always be challenging and never conquered." And that is exactly what he did.
When you embark on your journey to Pebble Beach you will take the famous 17 Mile Highway. As you twist and turn your way through the mountains a sense of excitement begins to build of what will come. As you come out of that last turn you catch a glimpse of the long Par 5 #15th and Par 4 #16th holes and realize this place is real.
Clubhouse:
The main clubhouse at Pebble Beach is actually considered The Lodge which sits roughly 200 yards from the first tee and overlooks the 18th green. In it's grandeur it resembles a resort. Many greats have walked through those arches, which provide countless hours of history. The restaurant and bar area were bustling at 6:30am with golfer's and their families eating breakfast and sipping on coffee. The locker room was not available while I was there.
The main pro shop is located direct next to the 1st tee box and holds numerous souvenirs that can be purchased. If you selected to have a caddie for the day, this is where they will meet you. I am sure most have heard of the famous bench before where you have your shoes polished after your round and still can be seen.
Overall the staff and options available surpassed my expectations.
Grade: A+
Practice Area:
After settling your green fees you are whisked off in a shuttle bus to the practice facility that is a mere 3 mins away. Once again you are greeted by attendants who set you up at the practice area. As you can imagine the practice area is grand and immaculate offering various areas to hone in one's game. The driving range consisted of several targets with distances to each one of those targets. It's rare that you go to a driving range were you hit range balls that could be taken directly to the course, but that is just the case. Props to Callaway. The putting greens were designed to be exactly what one would see on the course for speed. (More to come).
Overall: The practice facility by far was top notch. Areas to practice putting, green side bunker game, as well as an area for fairway bunker game.
Grade: A+
Course Conditions:
Immaculate is a word that comes to mind prior to teeing off. We were met on the first tee box by the starter where a few rules were addressed. This is where I learned that the greens were punched the night before. What?!?! Are you kidding me?!?! Trying not to let that affect my judgement I blocked it out until after the first hole.
The tee boxes where in amazing conditions with all divots being filled. No broken tees or divots to be seen. Surprisingly there was not divot refiller on each tee box. So the grounds crew must complete this each night.
The fairways proved to be just as pristine as the tee boxes. Yardage plates could be found every 10-40 yards and spaced across the fairway providing distances to the front, middle, and back of the green. A great sight to see was yardage posts were placed off the fairway on both sides.
As for the bunkers, and they are numerous, had sand that would make you feel as you just stepped onto a beach. Some were very deep and could be a test for some to escape from.
As for the greens I was impressed as micro aeration was used. The greens were sanded and rolled each morning by the grounds crew that were seen when I arrived at the course. Needless to say ball marks on the green were nowhere to be found. The only downside of the greens being sanded was break was not what you perceived from your read. If you are familiar with Pebble Beach greens you know the break and speed can be difficult to master.
Grade: B
Layout:
Pebble Beach offers in my opinion an amazing layout. There are four sets of tees varying from 6800 yards to 5200 yards. Note that each set will play longer depending on the wind and elevation changes. I played the gold tees which presented some challenging tee shots where the landing area could not be seen.
The outward nine offer some of the most spectacular views I have had the opportunity to see on a golf course. Holes 6-9 require a camera as the Monterey Bay will be on your right. I thought based on this the wind would make this nine more difficult, however for me that was not the case. Standing on #7 a exhilarating rush takes over you holding a 54* wedge and looking down on that green, with the waves crashing in the background.
The inward nine offers a different challenge where it seems everything is uphill, which calls for an extra club into the green. The par 5 #14 is definitely a three shot hole. The wind seemed to be blowing hard from left to right off the bay.
Grade: A
Pace of Play:
The promoted pace of play that is strived for is 4:30. With tee times going off every 10 minutes it can be difficult to achieve that. With that being said you are looking at roughly 15 minutes per hole. My group fell off that pace on the first hole. (Played with a few guys that didn't feel like ready golf was important.). As you can expect there are Marshall's driving the course monitoring play. We picked it up by hole 4 and were back on pace. I noticed that back ups were occurring as we hit the back 9. We ended up finishing just off the suggested pace of play. 4:45. Early morning is recommended as we did not wait for one shot.
Grade: A
Amenities:
The amenities that Pebble Beach provides is above the norm. Several restaurants and bars to visit before and after your round. Downside here is don't expect to see any cart girls driving the course with water, beer, or snacks. However they do have water on every other hole and a snack shop at the turn, which really isn't a turn so to speak. on the flip side when you finish your round there is a Marshall to take your picture just off the 18th green, who then shuttles those who walk back to the clubhouse. Once you arrive at the clubhouse you are greeted by individuals who will clean your clubs and cart them to the bag drop.
Grade: A
Price:
You can play Pebble Beach for $495 + cart fees. Cart Fees $35
Excessive I know, but it's a once in a lifetime experience.
Grade: ??? Can't really put a grade on this.
Overall:
Outside of the aerated greens, this was a memorable experience that if you have the opportunity I would recommend. Some may seem the price point to be high, but it's Pebble Beach, would you expect anything less??? The landscape that the course is set upon offers some of the most amazing views you will ever experience on the golf course. The course setup was challenging, but allowed for scoring in certain places. Just an amazing experience.
Grade: A
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