The Monterey peninsula is most famous for its legendary golf course at Pebble Beach, but there is so much more to the area for golfers who take the time to look around.
Many visitors who come to Monterey do so via San Francisco. The drive down is no more than about two hours, although those with a little time on their hands should definitely take the coast road from SFO via Half Moon Bay and make sure to play one or both of two terrific courses, neither of which is connected to the Ritz Carlton resort of the same name. Both are very accessible. The Ocean course has spectacular scenery, mostly barren of trees save for a copse of Monterey Cypress and is a delight to play although not nearly as challenging as the Palmer course, which is now encircled by many homes, occupied by both permanent and temporary residents. Some visitors find this detracts from their experience, but just enjoy some of the largest cypress trees to be found outside Royal Melbourne, a continent away.
Your next stop should be the legendary Pasatiempo golf course, Alister Mckenzies final masterpiece, located just outside Santa Cruz. You can read my detailed review here. At this point you should think about staying at the Peachwood Inn, located just outside the front gates and a wonderful throwback to an era of road hotels which are based on economy and thrift. The understated Peachwood restaurant grills much of its meat and fish on Peachwood charcoal and is excellent.
Heading around Monterey Bay, you should stop and play the two courses at Bayonet. Notoriously difficult, my sense is that their reputation is based largely on ever present ocean winds, and tricky greens, but catch them on a calm day and they are thoroughly playable and very enjoyable.
You have several choices for reasonable accommodation at this point. Whilst those without a budget will no doubt head to the Pebble Beach resort, this $600/ night venue is not within the budget of most, and you can stay down the road at the very comfortable Hyatt, located on Del Monte golf course, or perhaps over at Carmel Valley ranch, which also has a fine golf course on property.
Playing Del Monte golf course, the oldest course in America west of the Mississippi (1895) will give you a wonderful taste of the origins of golf in this part of the world. Don’t get your expectations up for spectacular scenery or sweeping vistas – this was a course built without moving much dirt – all the effort has gone into the greens and surrounding bunkers, which are small, extremely undulating and just a joy to experience. And all this for less than $100 if you look for a good deal. We played first thing in the morning, at 7:30 as a twosome, and were finished before 10:30am. Surely one of the best kept secrets is that the second course built by the Del Monte family was originally known as Del Monte #2, and only later became Pebble Beach.
Many aficionados of golf on the peninsula will tell you that the two best courses are Spyglass and the Links at Spanish Bay. Keep an eye out for reasonable green fees for these two gems. They are not nearly as busy as they used to be and discounts abound. The Links, to me, is one of the toughest challenges of the group: narrow fairways and difficult greens, joined by a regular breeze. Make sure you tee it forward – it will be a better experience.
Opened in 1966, Spyglass features two distinctly different kinds of terrain through which Robert Trent Jones Sr. crafted a masterpiece. The first five holes roll through sandy seaside dunes challenging you to carefully pick the safest path. The following 13 holes are cut through majestic pines with elevated greens and strategically placed bunkers and lakes to grab the errant shot. The course is rated as one of the toughest courses in the world from the Championship tees, with a course rating of 75.5 and a slope rating of 147. During the 1999 United States Amateur, the stroke average of the field during medal play was in excess of 79. So guess what, for maximum enjoyment, don’t even think about playing from the back tees!
Although the Preserve Golf Club is strictly private, it is a remarkable and spectacular golf course and one which you just have to find some way to play. You won’t see any signs to the golf course, and it is in a truly remote location, some 30 minutes drive up to the high velt that makes up the Santa Lucia Preserve. This surrounds the course and the few homes that dot the terrain.
The Preserve’s 20,000 acres are home to a community of about 300 families and a golf course in a glorious setting. Tom Fazio had 350 acres through which to craft the course. Apparently, when he saw the land, he said “this is as good as it gets; you really don’t need me; the course is already here”. Fazio’s routing plan used the land’s existing contours to create natural challenges. He meticulously planned each hole to be distinctive, and indeed with so few players at times it can seem utterly deserted. Each hole is almosty completely separate from the others. You play golf through undisturbed tranquil rolling hills and valleys: a serene natural world free of noise or distractions, save the occasional cry of a red-tailed hawk, or huge wild turkeys that seem to find the pristine tees a suitable preening ground. Keep an eye out for coyotes and mountain lion. You will have a forecaddie to advise you on how to handle the many varieties of wildlife to be found, but above all, remember that you walk in a place which is largely unchanged for millions of years, where the first people to settle in California no doubt felt they had found Shangri-la.
Carmel village is a must stop for the spectacular array of art galleries featuring questionable art at huge prices, legions of offices belonging to wealthy plastic surgeons and quaint shops that sell bricabrac to wandering visitors. It is also home to a a truly superb Italian restaurant, Cantinetta Luca, which although not inexpensive is an absolute must stop, just for the aroma from the wood fire oven. It also has it’s own salumeria and the cured dried and smoked meats are indescribably delicious.