Course in Monterey

bailey99

Heading to West Coast for the honeymoon in April. Have three days in Monterey and might chance a round of golf.

Pebble Beach although once in a lifetime opportunity, I find it hard to justify the $495 green fee, $95 rental clubs plus shoe and cart hire. Looking at $650 - $700 easily.

Any other recommendations for courses in the Monterey area that people have played? Thanks in advance!

bustercherry

bailey99 wrote: »

Heading to West Coast for the honeymoon in April. Have three days in Monterey and might chance a round of golf.

Pebble Beach although once in a lifetime opportunity, I find it hard to justify the $495 green fee, $95 rental clubs plus shoe and cart hire. Looking at $650 - $700 easily.

Any other recommendations for courses in the Monterey area that people have played? Thanks in advance!

If you want to check out the Pebble beach resort then try Spyglass's twilight rate (I think $180). You can book up to 1 month in advance and IMO a much better golf course and way tougher. Spanish Bay is worth playing too.

I think the green fees for pebble beach include cart hire but I don't think you can take the carts of the path. Much better experience walking, especially with a caddy who can fill you in on who owns which houses, history etc....

Jimmy Two Times

Even if you don't get to play at any of the Pebble Beach courses,make sure you go up for a look. The 17 Mile Drive is spectacular.

There's a course attached to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Monterey, it's called the Pebble Beach Del Monte course or something.

Obviously not a patch on any of the Pebble Beach resort courses but pleasant enough if you are potttering about on your own. Friendly Pro and decent hire clubs too.

ShivasIrons

Pay the money for Pebble Beach, you won't regret it.

Dr_Colossus

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Pay the money for Pebble Beach, you won't regret it.

Never played and probably never will at those prices but can't see how any course is worth that kind of money for a single game. That's more than a lot of people spend on their yearly membership. The pressure to play well and enjoy your round after spending that kind of money would be immense so could be hard not to let it affect your game. Could be regrettable if the weather is against you or you don't like your hired clubs but either way you certainly wouldn't forget the experience.

Regarding these high end courses, are buggies and hired caddies generally required or can you walk the course in your allotted 3 or 4 ball? Guess it could be difficult opting the walk the course if your random playing partners are all using buggies but having to use buggies would certainly detract from the enjoyment/experience in my book.

Running Balance

+1 on 17 mile drive.

I never played the courses while there but I think there is a longish par3 course there as well near pebble beach.

The days I was there were crazy windy and remember thinking thank f I didn't pay 700 dollars to play in that gale..

enjoy whatever you pick!!!

bustercherry

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Never played and probably never will at those prices but can't see how any course is worth that kind of money for a single game. That's more than a lot of people spend on their yearly membership. The pressure to play well and enjoy your round after spending that kind of money would be immense so could be hard not to let it affect your game. Could be regrettable if the weather is against you or you don't like your hired clubs but either way you certainly wouldn't forget the experience.

Regarding these high end courses, are buggies and hired caddies generally required or can you walk the course in your allotted 3 or 4 ball? Guess it could be difficult opting the walk the course if your random playing partners are all using buggies but having to use buggies would certainly detract from the enjoyment/experience in my book.

That's what our caddy said; especially as many people play off hardest tees they can too. Best thing to do is play of tees to suit, have a few beers, take in the course and forget about putting a score together. It's a once a lifetime experience and a lot of money to spend getting wound up over a crap card.

flugel

Played Pebble with one friend and two strangers. One of them was absoultely woeful, really poor player. The other guy was even worse and was incredibly ignorant on the course. Gotta say, if I was playing anywhere else I would have been pulling my hair out but I just kept looking around and taking it all in. Would love to go back and hit it up again in about 10 years.

(Did have my own clubs and got a lovely day bar some sea fog for the first 3 holes)

The_Architect

Clearly Cypress Point is the one to play but unless you have connections, no chance. The two private courses at Monterey Peninsula Country Club also.

Out of the ones you can get on, I'd actually suggest driving up to Santa Cruz to play Pasatiempo which is by far the best course per dollar in the area.

Pacific Grove not the same quality but cheap and great location with some excellent golf.

Pebble Beach expensive and slow. Great golf course though.

tax_tutor1

Visited the area a couple of years back and just could not justify the prices ( green fee + clubs+ caddy + tax!) depite being a very keen golfer. Had a very enjoyable lunch on the veranda in PB- you can see 18th green. I suggest you bring your beloved there and get some brownie points!

bailey99

tax_tutor1 wrote: »

Visited the area a couple of years back and just could not justify the prices ( green fee + clubs+ caddy + tax!) depite being a very keen golfer. Had a very enjoyable lunch on the veranda in PB- you can see 18th green. I suggest you bring your beloved there and get some brownie points!

Do you need a reservation? Expensive?

TrapperChamonix

The_Architect wrote: »

Pebble Beach expensive and slow. Great golf course though.

Thats the feedback a friend gave me. Everyone taking pictures of themselves on every hole. Took him over 6, yes 6 hours to play and he was shocked by the number of unrepaired pitch marks on each green. Its a terrible pity as I'd love to play this course (at a reasonable speed, with reasonable golfers and at reasonable cost) probably more than any other.

Thats the problem with playing trophy golf courses, they are either impossible to get to play (Augusta) or overpriced and overrun with poor / ignorant golfers (PB)


Bailey, an awful lot of US golf courses are a very enjoyable experience, without having the name recognition or anywhere near the cost. My advice would be to play a mid ranked course and save your shekels for something else. I seem to remember you said you'd played R Dornoch. Not sure how much that cost but at a guess you could get a week at Dornoch for the same price as a day PB.

Dublin Spur

is a 6-hour round on Pebble Beach really a negitive ?
I can't think of a better place to be "stuck" in

Alternatively, you could try and get in the 1st group out - no one in front

decko11

Beside pebble (about 3 miles inland) there are 2 fab courses called Bayonet and Blackhorse (same club)

resonable and great value - and they played the USPGA club Pro championship there in 2012

Pro is Pat Jones - nice guy