Pebble Beach Golf Links

Pebble Beach Golf Links opened on February 22, 1919, on the stunning Monterey Peninsula coastline. The course was commissioned by Samuel F.B. Morse, who hired two accomplished amateur golfers, Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, to design the layout. Neither had any prior course-design experience, yet they routed eight holes directly along the rocky Pacific cliffs, creating one of golf's most breathtaking stretches. Neville later said the course was already there and all he had to do was find the holes.

Over the decades, several legendary architects refined the design. H. Chandler Egan made significant changes in 1928 before the U.S. Amateur, and Jack Nicklaus redesigned the par-3 5th hole in 1998. Pebble Beach has hosted six U.S. Opens (1972, 1982, 1992, 2000, 2010, 2019), five U.S. Amateurs, a PGA Championship, and is an annual stop on the PGA Tour as host of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Tiger Woods' record 15-stroke victory at the 2000 U.S. Open remains one of the most dominant performances in major championship history.

The course was designated a National Historic Landmark and continues to be the most famous public-access course in the world, welcoming resort guests who pay a premium green fee for the privilege of walking the same fairways as the game's greatest champions.

Pebble Beach plays along dramatic seaside cliffs on the Monterey Peninsula with panoramic views of Carmel Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The front nine moves inland through Monterey pines before the iconic clifftop stretch begins at the 4th hole. Coastal winds are a constant factor, especially in the afternoon, and marine fog can roll in quickly. The course plays shorter than many championship venues at approximately 6,828 yards, but ocean breezes, small greens, and dramatic elevation changes more than compensate.

Walking is encouraged with a caddie, and the terrain is manageable for most golfers. Expect a five-hour round given the resort pace of play. The views from holes 6 through 10 are among the most spectacular in all of golf.

Wind management is the key to scoring at Pebble Beach. The ocean breeze typically picks up after noon, so morning tee times offer calmer conditions. Club selection on the clifftop holes requires constant adjustment. On the par-3 7th, trust your caddie since the tiny green demands precision rather than power.

The greens are generally small and firm, rewarding approach shots that land below the hole. Avoid being long on most holes, as the areas behind the greens often fall away sharply. On the finishing stretch, the ocean running down the left side of 18 punishes any draw, so favor the right side off the tee.