America

Ranked America’s number one public golf course by Golf Digest… and you can play it!

Today, Pebble Beach is a fabled venue that everybody with even a passing interest in the game knows as one of the great major championship golf courses.
It opened for play in the aftermath of the first World War, and became the first course in the western United States to host a USGA Championship, when the US Amateur was played there in 1929.

More than four decades later, it finally got its professional major bow, when it hosted the US Open in 1972. Fast forward another 40 years or so and Pebble Beach is now arguably the de facto home of the American major championships.

When they played the 100th edition of the US Open there in 2000, it merely confirmed the esteem in which Pebble Beach Resorts and the course was now held. It’s easy to see why the USGA keeps coming back.

It’s not merely because it is off the scale in terms of its abundant natural charms but also because it’s one of those golf courses that has a habit of conjuring up golf’s greatest moments. From Jack Nicklaus stiffing a 1-iron at the 17th hole in 1972 and Tom Watson holing an amazing chip at the same green on his way to victory 10 years later to Tiger Woods decimating the field in his record 15-shot victory in 2000, it has proved to be the perfect setting for some of the game’s most celebrated moments.

It’s memorable episodes like these that have helped make Pebble Beach one of the most sought-after golf experiences on the planet, especially when combined with play at its sister courses at Pebble Beach Resorts – Spyglass Hill Golf Course and The Links at Spanish Bay.

While there may be seven public and private golf courses in the Pebble Beach area – four ranked among the Top 100 in America – Pebble Beach Golf Links is the one that shares the area’s name, and remains the one that everybody, without exception, swoons over.

Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, 120 miles south of San Francisco, Pebble Beach Golf Links is simply exquisite, offering golfers everything from a challenging test of skill and strategy to the most stunning scenery found in the game. As you wind your way from the dense Del Monte Forest down to the unforgettable ocean-side fairways and greens, you simply won’t a find a stretch of holes that can compare.

Hugging the Pacific Ocean, it is a glorious and gorgeous run that has to be seen – and played – to be truly appreciated.

At the heart of this sequence, of course, is the famous par-3 7th, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hole that’s barely more than 100 yards long but remains one of the greatest challenges in the game.

As the waves crash off the rocks behind the green, the hole calls for little more than a flick of a wedge for most professionals, but when the wind whips in off the ocean, club selection and strategy suddenly become a major decision. Famously, Sam Snead once took a putter off the tee here, playing his ball down the cart path to the edge of the green, before chipping on and making par. It’s easy to see, then, why this is a hole that requires a little, well, imagination.

That said, there are knock-out holes whenever and wherever you tee it up. The 6th, the second of the par 5s on the front nine, starts with a tee shot through a copse of trees before ending on the cliffs overlooking Stillwater Cove. The heralded 17th, scene of more miracles than the New Testament, will have you re-enacting Watson’s chip from the rough, only with less success.

The closing hole, meanwhile, is classic risk and reward. A par-5 monster measuring 543 yards off the tips, it can be reached in two, but only if you decide to cut the corner and drive over the water. The more you cut off the shorter your second shot or, indeed, the more likely you are to reload.

Every golfer should play Pebble Beach Golf Links at least once in their life. The trick is to think of it not merely as another course to tick off your list, but as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, or even a pilgrimage. Enjoy the views and ignore the scorecard.

And as dusk falls, and the lone bagpiper at nearby Spanish Bay signals the end of another day’s play, count yourself lucky that you’re one of the happy golfers that have had the chance to play at Pebble Beach.

GUIDE

Getting there: Fly to San Francisco or San Jose from our major airports.
Time difference: GMT -8
When to go: California is blessed with a lovely year-round climate.
Contact: Call 0808 163 3789 to book your dream trip.
Website: www.yourgolftravel.com/pebble-beach-golf-links

PERFECT PACKAGES

Package one:
• Five nights, room-only accommodation (The Inn at Spanish Bay)
• Three rounds of golf (Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Links at Spanish Bay & Del Monte Golf Course)
• Return flights
• Price: From £2,475pp, valid April 8-June 23 & Aug 18-Sept 29, 2013

Package two:
• Five nights, room-only (The Lodge at Pebble Beach)
• Three rounds of golf (Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Links at Spanish Bay & Del Monte Golf Course)
• Return flights
• Price: From £2,639pp, valid April 8-June 23 & Aug 18-Sept 29, 2013
Deals based on two sharing a double or twin, for groups of 8 or more.