PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — If heaven has a ground floor, this must be it, where the land and sea meet to make Pebble Beach golf’s most picturesque, breathtaking backdrop.
My playing partner was more reserved with his praise.
“Nice course. I’d play it again,” said the corporate finance guy who drove up from Orange County and crashed our recent foursome.
Look, some golf snobs have an ugly habit of downplaying Pebble. Some say nearby Spyglass is a better course, or that Cypress Point is the true bucket-list destination inside the Del Monte Forest.
Not me. Every shot at Pebble Beach can be iconic.
It will replay in a golfer’s mind anytime that hole is shown on television, as will happen when the U.S. Women’s Open is played here for the first time ever July 6-9.
“I’ve been to so many great places over the course of my golf career,” USGA CEO Mike Whan said, “but this is the one I take vacation to go do.”
The USGA typically invites the media to play and survey the grounds before major championships. That’s how I first teed off at Pebble Beach, ahead of the 2010 and ’19 men’s U.S. Opens. Tweaks to the layout or setup surely demand we stay up-to-date to review nature’s artwork.
Rules when playing Pebble: Don’t fret about the score, inhale the ocean air, visualize a successful shot, and stay positive to make this the happiest place on earth.
Here is what it’s like to play Pebble, for those who’ve never played it or may never get a chance:
Hole No. 1
Par-4, 344 yards
Stepping onto the tee box, just outside the pro shop and near the Rolex clock, is akin to an amateur actor stepping into the spotlight on a Broadway stage. The driver stays in the bag on shot No. 1, then pray for a quick read of the green’s speed.
How I played it: Poked a 4-hybrid out about 200 yards, mishit my approach, chipped onto the green for a 2-foot gimmie putt. Score: Par.
Scenic view: If you’d rather not ogle with the masses at the tee box, scoot up the right side of the fairway, near the No. 2 tee and in the shadows of Casa Palermo (a splendid hideaway for high-end suites and day-spa luxury).
Hole No. 2
Par-5, 507 yards
Bombs away. This is the first of Pebble’s four par-5 holes. Reaching the bunker-flanked green in two shots is possible, but coming up short could send you down the sand-trap moat.
How I played it: Boomed my drive, laced a 3-wood within 10 yards of the green, chunked my chip shot, and got humbled. Score: Bogey, +1 (cumulative)
Scenic view: Get away from the tee box, start your walk, and settle in behind the green to see how some find their shots onto the green.
Hole No. 3
Par-4, 381 yards
Welcome to this dogleg-left hole. If you’re a gambler, grip tighter with your right thumb, rip a hook shot toward the ocean, soar it over the trees on the left, hope for the best. A straight-away driver could be too much into traps or the hill.
How I played it: Hooked a beauty over the trees, found the ball in the fairway within about 75 yards from the green, then 3-putted. Score: Bogey, +2
Scenic view: Hanging on the hill just right of the green will offer bonus views of the famed 17th tee box, as well as the fourth.
Hole No. 4
Par-4, 307 yards
Sure, it’s the shortest par-4, but danger lurks, from the bunkers to Stillwater Cove on the right flank, to the tiny green.
How I played it: Safely hit a 200-yard 4-hybrid off the tee, wedged onto the green (sounds like lunch), and missed my birdie putt. Score: Par, +2
Scenic view: You can only watch up the left fairway, and that comes with a gorgeous view of the cove and boats.
Hole No. 5
Par-3, 186 yards
First chance at a hole-in-one. Another chance to veer right down the cliff into trouble.
How I played it: Pulled my 6-iron onto the left fringe, 2-putted. Score: Par, still +2
Scenic view: Camping out behind the green provides a bay-front window.
Hole No. 6
Par-5, 493 yards
“Did you get over the hill in two?” It is the customary, post-round question from jealous friends. A hefty drive down the middle (safely away from the bunkers on the left and the cliff on the right) can set up the go-for-the-gusto blind shot up (and over?) the hill.
How I played it: Successfully crested the hill in two and landed on the runway about 40 yards shy of the green. And then? Three-putts never had a better view. Score: Bogey, +3
Scenic view: Grab a spot behind the green, where you can also view the 7th hole and do some whale watching (probably not, but looking at the ocean 20 minutes a day is good for your soul).
Hole No. 7
Par-3, 107 yards
The signature picturesque peninsula may require only a wedge down the hill to paydirt. Then again, winds off the water will wreck that idealism. Mind games ensue as you club up and give a nod to the golf and ocean gods.
How I played it: A pitching wedge safely deposited my Titleist on the front-left side of the green. Alas, birdie-putt pressure sent me reeling to three-putt dejection. Score: Bogey, +4
Scenic view: See last hole’s tip.
Hole No. 8
Par-4, 394 yards
Here lies the “toughest second shot in golf,” for it requires about a 200-yard shot over a canyon and onto a recalibrated green.
How I played it: Executed a 200-yard drive, then perfected a 200-yard drop shot onto the green. Alas, another three-putt awaited. Score: Bogey, +5
Scenic view: The course offers a natural amphitheater up the left corner to watch those second shots soar (or sink). Also, this “triangle” area near holes 6-7-8 will offer a food-ruck village, a video board to watch the broadcast, and fan experiences including a USGA museum during the Open.
Hole No. 9
Par-4, 432 yards
Welcome to oceanfront living. This is the first of back-to-back holes that hover alongside Carmel Beach. Fairways slope down to the right but are wide enough to hit. Approach shots offer downhill help.
How I played it: This actually was where my group started our round, amid howling winds, familiar nerves and wide-eyed appreciation of the surroundings. Thus a bogey would have felt like a par. Score: Double bogey, +7
Scenic view: Load up at the snack shack near the tee box, then head up the left fairway to admire the grounds, the downstairs beach, the bay, oh, and the golfing.
Hole No. 10
Par-4, 428 yards
Avoid the traps on the left with a solid drive, hit a fine approach, drop in a simple two-putt, then bid adieu to the ocean until the grand finale.
How I played it: Avoided the traps by going too far left, nailing an approach that still came up 50 yards short of the green, made a bogey that felt like a par. Score: Bogey, +8
Scenic view: See hole No. 9 tips.
Hole No. 11
Par-4, 367 yards
It’s not wickedly far, but the uphill angle doesn’t come with a clear view of the green (or its bunkers).
How I played it: Safely struck a drive that left about 100 yards to the green, which I flew via a rude wedge. I landed on the 12th tee box, apologized to the group there, and chipped onto the green for a two-putt. Score: Bogey, +9
Scenic view: Rather than admire Gene Hackman’s former oceanfront mansion behind the 10th green (sold for $27 million five years ago), trudge up the left toward the 11th green and 12th tee. Also, this is near the back entrance to Pebble, which made for an easier access point to walk in from Carmel at past championships.
Hole No. 12
Par-3, 173 yards
Ah, peace and quiet in the course’s cozy corner. A right-to-left iron shot could help avoid the bunkers fronting the left side of the green. Trees to the green’s right – and bunkers behind it — could mean jail.
How I played it: My 7-iron shot my ball through the green and onto the back rough, for an awkward balancing act above a bunker. Miraculously, I did not roll into that bunker or any others all day. Score: Bogey, +10
Scenic view: Yes, post up near the green to see possible birdies (or aces), but tap into your other senses (sounds, smells).
Hole No. 13
Par-4, 389 yards
Teeing off through trees and into a great pasture is seductive. But this takes two solid pokes to get on the green, dodge bunkers and make par.
How I played it: Poorly. Lost my drive right into your hedge fund owner’s backyard, laid up on the make-up approach, shanked a shot over the green, eventually escaped. Score: Triple bogey, +13
Scenic view: Either settle in near the shaded tee box or head up by the green. The walking path left of the fairway provides ocean views once again.
Hole No. 14
Par-5, 545 yards
This is the No. 1 handicap (hardest hole) for both men and women, because it’s tough to scale the hill, after a dogleg-right drive, onto a sloping green that is fronted by a deep bunker.
How I played it: Crushed my drive onto the fairway, skulled a second shot up the right, wedged onto the green, gleefully two-putted. Score: Par, +13
Scenic view: Plenty of room to roam, scan the surrounding holes, grab a pricey cocktail and take into the vast spectacle.
Hole No. 15
Par-4, 374 yards
Pretty matter-of-fact straight shot down the road, as long as you cross the creek by the tee box and avoid the traps.
How I played it: Ho-hum par that went according to script: Drive the fairway, lob an approach within 15 feet of the hole, miss the birdie putt. Score: Par, +13
Scenic view: Unless you’re in a hospitality tent on the right flank, find a spot near the green where you can also watch the No. 16 tee.
Hole No. 16
Par-4, 376 yards
Similar distance to last hole but vastly different designs. A driver could plow through the fairway, unless you draw it enough to set up, say, a 125-yard approach onto this green encircled by trees and bunkers.
How I played it: Just as I prescribed above, but with a three-putt finish. Score: Bogey, +14
Scenic view: Commotion will come nearby from the Nos. 4 and 17 tee boxes, as well as the No. 3 green. Hiding under the green-side trees could make for nice cover if sunny.
Hole No. 17
Par-3, 175 yards
Iconic hole that juts toward the ocean. Play it safe by aiming for the right side of the green, or be a hero and sail the bunkers to reach the left side of the green?
How I played it: Played it too safe, veered wide right, chipped closer to the green, then chipped over the green to the left rough … then chipped into the hole, just a step from Tom Watson’s famous chip-in for birdie toward his 1982 U.S. Open win. Watson’s spot is commemorated with a plaque atop that hallowed ground; as for me, I didn’t even make a divot. Score: Bogey, +15
Scenic view: Rather than stand five-deep in the gallery near the tee box, find a seat near the green’s grandstand and enjoy the theater. Or go below for refreshments and merchandise.
Hole No. 18
Par-5, 527 yards
One of the most majestic closing holes in golf, starting with the tee box that stares at the oceanfront rocks. Slam a drive left of the tree in the middle of the fairway, then either lay up or go for broke, knowing that drifting right means danger behind a towering Cypress tree. Bunkers encircle the green, as do fans.
How I played it: Drove it well past the tree, hit the best 3-wood of my life to reach the green in two, though it rolled just onto the back fringe. Eagle putt chance? Yes. Three-putt in the end? Yes. Score: Par, +15 for a total of 87 strokes.
Scenic view: Nothing beats this majestic sight of looking from the green-side grandstand, gazing down the fairway, and daydreaming with the sound of waves.
Hole No. 19
Tap Room? The Lodge? Carmel?
When it comes to après-ski, there’s no better place to do your math and add up scores than, well, almost any watering hole after the round. Pebble offers plenty of options, from the tradition-rich Tap Room to the Lodge’s other hospitality spots with ocean views.
How I played it: Grabbed a diet soda to go, took a bite of sushi, and drove the 1 ½-hour cart path home.