Pebble Beach Golf Links
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| Pebble Beach Golf Links | |
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| Location: | Pebble Beach, United States  |
| Established: | 1919 |
| Type: | private/public |
| Owned by: | Pebble Beach Co. |
| Operated by: | Pebble Beach Co. |
| Total holes: | 18 |
| Tournaments hosted: | AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, 1947-current Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, 2004-current |
| Website: | Pebble Beach Resorts |
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Pebble Beach Golf Links
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| Designed by: | Jack Neville and Douglas Grant |
| Par: | 72 |
| Length: | 6828 yards |
| Course Rating: | 74.3 |
Pebble Beach Golf Links is one of several well known courses in Pebble Beach, California and probably the most famous golf course in the Western United States. Four of the courses in the coastal community of Pebble Beach, including Pebble Beach Golf Links,[1] belong to the Pebble Beach Company, which also operates three hotels and a spa at the resort. The other courses are The Links at Spanish Bay, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, and Del Monte Golf Course.
Pebble Beach is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of the ocean. In 2001 it became the first public course (i.e. open to the general public for play) to be selected as the No.1 Golf Course in America by Golf Digest. Greens fees are among the highest in the world, at $495 (plus $35 cart fee for non-resort guests) per round in 2008.
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[edit] History
The course was designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant and opened on February 22, 1919. It was Neville's only design. His objective was, of course, to place as many of the holes as possible along the rocky and beautiful Monterey coast line. This was accomplished using a "figure 8" layout.
[edit] Tournaments
The first professional tournament at Pebble Beach was the Monterey Peninsula Open in 1926, which had a $5,000 purse. Harry "Lighthorse" Cooper of Texas won with a 72-hole score of 293 (+5). In 1929, Pebble hosted its first major - the U.S. Amateur. Then a match-play event, it was won by Harrison R. Johnston of Minnesota.
Beginning in 1947, Pebble Beach began to be one of the host courses for the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am tournament, sometimes known as the "Clam Bake", and now known as the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. The tournament is annually played every winter, and is an unusual 4-round tournament. The Sunday round is played at Pebble Beach; the first 3 rounds of pro-am play are contested in round-robin format at Spyglass Hill Golf Course, Poppy Hills Golf Course, and Pebble Beach. In September, the course also hosts the Champions Tour Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach with the Del Monte Golf Course.
Pebble Beach Golf Links has hosted the U.S. Open four times and has an exceptionally distinguished set of Open Champions including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tom Kite, and Tiger Woods. It is scheduled to host the U.S. Open again in 2010, and was also the venue of the 1977 PGA Championship, which was won by Lanny Wadkins.
Many other high profile championships have been staged on the course including several U.S. Amateur Championships.
[edit] Layout and Signature Holes
In laying out the course, Jack Neville attempted to bring as many holes to the rocky coastline as possible. The first two holes are inland, the third runs toward the ocean, and the fourth and fifth holes run along the coast. This arrangement allowed Neville to make use of a peninsula which juts straight out into the Pacific Ocean, allowing the construction of what, today, are two of the most breathtaking and strategically interesting holes in golf, the par 3 7th and the par 4 8th (see below).
The lower "loop" of the figure 8 layout is formed by holes 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, which brings much of the inward nine inland. Unlike virtually all modern courses, Pebble's 9th and 10th holes do not therefore return to the clubhouse. Holes 14 and 15 are among the most inland on the course, but the 16th hole runs alongside the 3rd hole to complete the figure 8 and bring the dramatic closing holes along the Pacific Coast. These include the long par 3 17th, whose place in golf history was assured when Jack Nicklaus (1972) and Tom Watson (1982) made key shots there to win U.S. Opens.
It is impossible to name a "signature hole" at Pebble Beach Golf Links, but the most obvious candidate would be 8. Notable holes include the short par 3 7th, which plays to just over 100 yards even during major championships, is one of the most photographed holes in the world. From an elevated tee, players hit straight out toward the Pacific Ocean, with nothing in the background but the often violent Pacific Ocean surf crashing against rocky outcroppings. The disorienting background, elevated tee, small landing area, and often brisk ocean winds make the tee shot a mental and physical challenge.
The long par 4 8th runs alongside the 6th hole leaving the peninsula and heading back toward the coastline. A dogleg right, the ocean is a constant companion along the entire right side of the hole. The landing area is extremely generous in width, but a long straight drive could leave the fairway and enter an inlet of the sea. Because the landing area is elevated on a cliff above the green, players have a good view of the small landing target a mid to long iron away. Jack Nicklaus has called this his favorite approach shot in all of golf.
The long par 3 17th is situated on a smaller peninsula to the west of the one that holds the 6-8th holes. Although there is an ocean view and the sea runs along the left side, the primary challenge of the 17th is its length (playing 180-210 yards during championships) and its unusual shaped green. The green is long and thin, tilted about 45 degrees from the angle of the golfer on the tee. Depending upon pin position and wind, a golfer may use a great variety of clubs for the tee shot and, although the green is large in area, the landing area for any approach is relatively small. A large sand trap guards the front and left.
The 18th hole is a medium length par 5 (over 550 yards) with Pacific Ocean all along the left. Ironically, what may be the greatest closing hole in golf was originally an unremarkable par 4. In 1922, William Herbert Fowler added almost 200 yards to the hole. This unique hole also features a tree in the middle of the fairway and a long 100+ yard bunker running along the ocean from the green, guarding the left side.
In addition to the lengthening of the 18th, the other most significant change in the course's layout came in 1998. Early in the course's history, a parcel of land along the ocean was sold off, forcing the 5th to run inland to where the tee of 6 now stands. As early as a year after that parcel was sold, the course tried to buy back the land but was unsuccessful until 1995. Jack Nicklaus designed a new, breathtaking par 3 on that land. Although it forces a long walk from the 5th green to the 6th tee, the course finally uses as much ocean real estate as possible, which was Neville's original vision.
[edit] Scorecard
| Hole 1 | Par 4 | 376 Yards | 344 Meters | Hole 10 | Par 4 | 430 Yards | 393 Meters |
| Hole 2 | Par 5 | 502 Yards | 459 Meters | Hole 11 | Par 4 | 373 Yards | 341 Meters |
| Hole 3 | Par 4 | 374 Yards | 342 Meters | Hole 12 | Par 3 | 201 Yards | 183 Meters |
| Hole 4 | Par 4 | 327 Yards | 299 Meters | Hole 13 | Par 4 | 393 Yards | 359 Meters |
| Hole 5 | Par 3 | 187 Yards | 170 Meters | Hole 14 | Par 5 | 572 Yards | 523 Meters |
| Hole 6 | Par 5 | 500 Yards | 457 Meters | Hole 15 | Par 4 | 396 Yards | 362 Meters |
| Hole 7 | Par 3 | 106 Yards | 97 Meters | Hole 16 | Par 4 | 401 Yards | 366 Meters |
| Hole 8 | Par 4 | 416 Yards | 380 Meters | Hole 17 | Par 3 | 178 Yards | 162 Meters |
| Hole 9 | Par 4 | 462 Yards | 422 Meters | Hole 18 | Par 5 | 543 Yards | 496 Meters |
[edit] U.S. Open Championships at Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach has hosted the U.S. Open four times. It last hosted the U.S. Open in 2000 and is scheduled to do so again in 2010.
[edit] 1972
The first U.S. Open was held there in 1972 and was won by Jack Nicklaus, who captured his 13th major title (of an eventual 18). It was a historically important win, as Nicklaus tied Bobby Jones with 13 major titles (if Jones' major titles are viewed as his U.S. Open, Open, U.S. Amateur, and British Amateur titles).
Nicklaus secured the victory with one of the most famous golf shots of all time. Nicklaus came to Pebble's treacherous 17th hole facing deteriorating weather and a brisk wind. He struck a dead perfect 1-iron that struck the flagstick and dropped next to the cup for a tap in birdie.
Nicklaus had previously won The Masters Tournament that year, making him the first golfer since Arnold Palmer in 1960 to win golf's first two major titles of the season. Nicklaus would finish 2nd at the Open Championship, ending his Grand Slam run.
[edit] 1982
Nicklaus was also a key player in the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Like in 1972, the tournament's 71st hole would also see one of the most memorable golf shots of all time. Nicklaus would shoot five straight birdies on the back nine and charge into the clubhouse with a share of the lead. Future Hall Of Fame golfer Tom Watson hit his tee shot on 17 into the rough which had been grown very thick as per USGA Open playing conditions. Watson's chip was made all the more difficult because he was above the hole. He would have to strike the chip vigorously to get the clubhead through the rough, but such as aggressive attack would almost surely leave a long comeback putt for par. Indeed, in a live interview, Nicklaus appeared to be confident that when Watson left 17, he would be in the lead.
Watson was apparently equally confident that he would maintain the lead. When he and his caddy were discussing the chip, Watson said, "Close, hell, I'm going to make it." The chip bounded down the green, struck the pin, and landed in the cup. Watson bounded after it jubilantly. He would go on to birdie the tricky 18th hole for a two shot win.
[edit] 1992
The 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach was one of the most difficult tournaments ever played at Pebble Beach. Only two players would finish the tournament under par: champion Tom Kite at -3, and runner up Jeff Sluman at -1. Kite was consistently one of the best golfers in the 1980s and had had 19 top tens in majors prior to 1992. Perhaps the best player not to win a major in his era, he finally won his lone major in 1992 at Pebble Beach.
[edit] 2000
Perhaps looking for a special place to host the 2000 U.S. Open, the USGA bumped Pebble Beach up a couple of years in the rotation to host the final U.S. Open of the millennium. In some respects the Open was even tougher than the 1992 contest with only one player finishing under par - champion Tiger Woods. Woods scored 65-69-71-67 to tie a U.S. Open record with 272, and set a U.S. Open record by finishing 12 under par. His -12 was a full 15 shots better than the runners-up, the largest margin of victory ever recorded in a major championship.
Just the 3rd major of Woods' career, it was the start of his "Tiger Slam" - he would win the following three majors for 4 in a row.
[edit] Summary
- 2000 Tiger Woods - United States
- 1992 Tom Kite - United States
- 1982 Tom Watson - United States
- 1972 Jack Nicklaus - United States
[edit] Controversy over further golf course development
There has been continuing controversy between golfing interests and environmental protection, related to a proposed new golf course development by the Pebble Beach Company.[2] The new golf course proposal has existed in some form since the early 1990s, while the environmental protection issues center on the potential damage to rare and endangered species in this locale. On June 14, 2007, the plan was submitted again. Commissioner Sara Wan called it "wholesale destruction of the environment," and Measure A was denied in an 8 to 4 vote. Opposition to the plan was spearheaded by Mark Massara, a surfer and attorney who heads the Sierra Club's coastal program.
[edit] See also
[edit] Line notes
[edit] External links
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