Famed Pebble Beach accessible to few

By David Mullen

Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus once said: “If I only had one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach. It’s possibly the best in the world.”

Since 2003, Golf Digest has ranked Pebble Beach as the greatest public golf course in America. Officially opened in 1919, it has hosted six U.S. Open championships and will accommodate its first U.S. Women’s Open in July. For decades, Pebble Beach has been the showcase for the ultimate tournament where professional and amateur golfers mingle among the masses.

Now through Sunday, Feb. 5, PGA tour players and select amateurs will gather on the famed Monterey Peninsula in Northern California to play in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The first three rounds are  played across three courses — Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore Course, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Pebble Beach Golf Links — until finishing the final round at Pebble Beach.

Few golf courses in the world are as well-known by avid and casual golf fans as Pebble Beach. Only St. Andrews and Augusta National Golf Club can compete with Pebble Beach if you asked golfers to describe a course in detail that they may have never played. 

Thousands of fans will watch the tournament from behind the fairway ropes and around the small greens. Millions more will watch coverage on the ESPN+ app, Peacock streaming service, Golf Channel and CBS. The aerial shots (and options to view them) are breathtaking.

On multiple occasions, I have attended the pro-am event, played the golf course or witnessed the finest players compete in the U.S. Open. Before it became a fashionable, high-end resort with spa amenities and expanded facilities, Pebble Beach was known for golf and a weekend party in February. 

While every hole has its own personality, some holes like 7, 8, 9, 17 and 18 are dissociative. On the par 3, 107-yard 7th hole, which juts into Monterey Bay, Nicklaus said he has hit every golf club in the bag, “from lob wedge to two-iron.” Only desperate times call for a two-iron on a hole barely a football field in length. 

The golf course, carved into the cliffs overlooking Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean, is as beautiful as it is demanding. Because of the currents fueled by the Pacific, there is no commonality in playing Pebble. Sometimes, the winds can be as calm as a cub or roar like a lion.

Back in 1947, the golf tournament had no TV coverage or corporate sponsorship. Radio and film star Bing Crosby became the tournament host. For decades, the vibe was, “Bing is throwing a party at Pebble Beach, and everyone is invited.” It was a gathering of a few of Crosby’s celebrity friends drinking highballs and a group of professional golfers playing golf for fun. Bing’s cronies called the event the “Crosby Clambake.” 

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, a group of us would pile into our friend’s family trailer, a faded camper top secured to the bed of an old Chevy pickup truck. We would drive from the Bay Area to Monterey to “crash the Clambake,” even though it was open to the public. The camper could fit five people, none comfortably. Three more passengers squeezed into the front cab. 

We would head out early Saturday morning and storm Pebble Beach and the surrounding areas. If there was an admission fee to get into the tournament, I never remember paying it. Unlike Crosby’s friends, we were never formally invited to the party but we were welcome to attend.   

Everywhere you turned at the Clambake was a sight. Crosby invited his family and close friends like Bob Hope and Phil Harris. You might see President Gerald Ford talking to Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays chatting with Jack Lemmon or Clint Eastwood conversing with Glen Campbell. 

With the incredible views and celebrity hawking, there were also plenty of golfing greats. Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Mark O’Meara and Johnny Miller were among the Crosby tournament winners.

As we grew older and out of the crowded camper, the chance to play Pebble Beach became realistic. It was open to the public with few restrictions. 

In the 1980’s, getting a tee-time at Pebble Beach was like eating at a fine dining restaurant. It was a tough reservation, but possible. It was expensive, but not exorbitant. 

I once took my brother to play his first round at Pebble Beach on a notable birthday. I made him walk up the 18th fairway and remember the experience. Living nearby, we never took Pebble Beach for granted because we knew we could play it anytime if we had the cash. It was there for special occasions. It was worth the price. It was Pebble Beach.

While the course hasn’t changed, the tournament and access to the course has. Bill Murray and Aaron Rodgers have replaced Crosby and DiMaggio. When ESPN SportsCenter veteran anchor and avid golfer Stan Verrett announced that Rodgers was playing at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Verrett said under his breath, “lucky dog.” That’s the type of reverence that is still afforded Pebble Beach. If one can afford to play Pebble Beach.

While the golf course has not lost its beauty, it’s been priced out of consideration for most. Winter rates to play Pebble Beach start at $595 per golfer plus cart ($50) and increase on Saturday, April 1. Staying at The Lodge at Pebble Beach, the preferred way to secure a tee-time, begins at $1,100 per night. A one-night stay in a four-bedroom suite is $8,500. 

If you do stay and play at Pebble Beach, here is a money-saving tip. Never tell someone you are about to play Pebble Beach. Tell them after you’ve played Pebble Beach. It will keep you from having to bring back logo-identified golf towels, caps and visors for everyone you told about your upcoming trip.

With tournament purses so large and a division between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Tour, most players are following the money. Golfers that once had tournament loyalty are now driven by paychecks and FedEx points.

The days of Crosby Clambake and getting an affordable tee-time at Pebble Beach are long gone. Pebble Beach Golf Links may still be open to the public, but only accessible by computer, streaming services, cable and broadcast TV. Enjoy the views. Like Nicklaus said, “It’s possibly the best in the world.”

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