Pebble Beach Golf Links needs no hype from me. It’s played six U.S. Opens, hosted Tom Watson’s chip-in at 17, and made Jack Nicklaus cry in 1972. When you drive through the gates off Hwy 1 and catch your first glimpse of the Pacific from the 4th fairway, you’ll understand why golfers save up for years just to play it once.

But here’s what most Pebble Beach reviews miss: this place is a resort, not just a single course. There are four courses, three hotels, a handful of excellent restaurants, and an entire coastline to explore. Getting the most out of a Pebble Beach trip means understanding all of it — the good, the expensive, and the logistically tricky. I’ve done the homework so you don’t have to show up underprepared and overspend.

Let’s get into it.

The Pebble Beach Legacy (And Why It Actually Matters)

Since opening in 1919, Pebble Beach Golf Links has been one of those rare places where golf history stacks up every decade. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am runs here every February and has since 1937. The U.S. Open has visited six times — 1972, 1982, 1992, 2000, 2010, and 2019. Tiger Woods absolutely demolished the field in 2000 by 15 strokes. That’s the kind of place this is.

What separates Pebble from every other “famous” course is that it’s public. Augusta National? Members only. Cypress Point down the road? Extremely private. Shinnecock? Good luck. Pebble Beach takes your reservation — and your credit card — and lets you play the same holes the pros do. That accessibility is genuinely rare at this level, and it’s part of why the pilgrimage here feels so meaningful.

The course was designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, two amateur golfers — not architects — who had the good sense to build the routing along the cliffs above Stillwater Cove. They finished in 1919, and the bones haven’t changed much since. Jack Nicklaus made some refinements in 1998 ahead of the 2000 U.S. Open, mainly around the greens, but the essential drama of the place is original.

The Four Courses — Ranked Honestly

The Pebble Beach resort controls four courses total. Here’s where I’d rank them for a visiting golfer, with my honest take on each:

1. Pebble Beach Golf Links

Obviously. If you’re making this trip, you’re playing Pebble Beach Golf Links. The course stretches to around 7,075 yards from the tips, but you almost certainly shouldn’t play from there — the greens are small, the rough can be thick, and the wind off the Pacific will add at least two clubs to most shots. Play the tees that match your game and you’ll have a far better time.

The front nine starts relatively tame, threading through trees before opening up at the 4th hole. Holes 4 through 10 run along the cliffs, and this stretch is as good as golf gets anywhere on earth. The 7th hole — a short par 3 that’s all carry over a rocky inlet — is just 100 yards or so but feels like the most nerve-wracking shot you’ll ever hit. The 8th is a stunning cliff-top par 4 where the approach has to carry a ravine. Both will live in your memory for years.

The back nine turns inland briefly before the famous finish. Holes 17 and 18 run back along the water. The 17th is a long par 3 along Stillwater Cove — this is where Watson chipped in from thick rough to beat Nicklaus in 1982, one of the most replayed moments in golf history. And 18 is a 543-yard par 5 that hugs the ocean on the left the entire way home. It’s an unfair finishing hole in the best possible sense.

One honest caveat: the greens at Pebble Beach are not the most complex you’ll ever read. The course’s greatness comes from its routing and setting, not from tricky undulation. If you’re used to courses that challenge you with intricate green reading, you might be surprised. That said, knowing how to read greens still matters here — the wind and slope toward the ocean affect nearly every putt on the seaside holes.

Green Fee: $625–$775 depending on season

Par: 72 | Yardage (tips): 7,075 yards | Course Rating: 75.5 | Slope: 145

2. Spyglass Hill Golf Course

This is the course serious golfers should be most excited about — and it’s often underrated because it sits in Pebble’s shadow. Spyglass Hill was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and opened in 1966. It’s routinely rated among the top 50 courses in the United States, and it plays considerably harder than Pebble Beach under most conditions.

The opening five holes are drop-dead gorgeous — they play through dunes and ice plant along the coast, offering views that rival anything on the Links. Then the course turns into Del Monte Forest for holes 6 through 18, where towering Monterey pines line tight fairways. These holes demand precision off the tee. Missing fairways at Spyglass means hacking out sideways, not just punching a wedge from mild rough.

My favorite thing about Spyglass: it rewards golf rather than spectacle. You can’t just show up and be wowed into a good mood by ocean views. You actually have to play. The greens are larger than Pebble’s and often more complexly contoured — solid putting fundamentals will save you several strokes here. The approach shots are more demanding, and the finishing holes through the pines are genuinely stressful.

If you’re playing two courses at Pebble Beach, this is your second one. No debate.

Green Fee: $425–$475 depending on season

Par: 72 | Yardage (tips): 6,960 yards | Course Rating: 75.3 | Slope: 147

3. The Links at Spanish Bay

Spanish Bay is the only genuine links-style course in the Pebble Beach family, designed by Tom Watson, Robert Trent Jones Jr., and Frank “Sandy” Tatum and opened in 1987. If you’ve played links golf in Scotland or Ireland, you’ll recognize the DNA immediately — pot bunkers, firm turf, fescue rough, unpredictable bounces, and wind that changes everything.

The course sits at the northern end of 17-Mile Drive and runs along the ocean before turning back through the dunes. Walking is strongly encouraged here (and the conditions reward ground game), so bring your A-game with low stingers and bump-and-runs. Aerial target golf doesn’t work particularly well at Spanish Bay.

There’s a bagpiper who plays at sunset near the 18th green every evening — this sounds gimmicky but is genuinely moving, especially after a long day of golf with the Pacific stretched out in front of you. It’s become one of those Pebble Beach rituals.

Spanish Bay is the most affordable of the three “big” courses, and it’s the best option if you want a complete golf experience that’s different from a parkland or cliffside layout. I’d rank it below Spyglass simply because Spyglass is harder and more architecturally interesting, but Spanish Bay has its own distinct charm.

Green Fee: $315–$355 depending on season

Par: 72 | Yardage (tips): 6,821 yards | Course Rating: 74.0 | Slope: 141

4. Del Monte Golf Course

The oldest course in continuous operation west of the Mississippi, Del Monte opened in 1897. It’s a short, tree-lined parkland course — nothing like its siblings — and it’s clearly positioned as the budget option. Rates are dramatically lower, and you can often get on with less advance notice.

Del Monte is a fine course for what it is. It’s the right choice if you have a non-golfer in your group who wants to try the sport without breaking the bank, or if you need a relaxed warm-up round before your Pebble tee time. But don’t plan your whole trip around it. Treat it as a bonus if time and budget allow.

Green Fee: $125–$175 depending on season

Quick Course Comparison

Course	Character	Difficulty	Green Fee Range	Best For
Pebble Beach GL	Cliffside links	Challenging	$625–$775	Bucket list round
Spyglass Hill	Dunes + forest	Very tough	$425–$475	Serious golfers
Links at Spanish Bay	Scottish links	Moderate-hard	$315–$355	Links enthusiasts
Del Monte	Classic parkland	Moderate	$125–$175	Casual rounds/beginners

The Caddie Program — Don’t Skip This

I’ll say this plainly: take a caddie at Pebble Beach Golf Links if your budget has any flexibility at all. Caddies here are experienced professionals, not teenagers earning summer money. Most have looped Pebble hundreds of times and can read the wind, warn you about the hidden slope on the 17th green, and talk you through the history of every hole while you’re walking it.

Here’s what a Pebble caddie actually does that’s worth the money:

• Wind and yardage: The ocean wind at Pebble can swing two to three clubs in either direction. Your caddie will know when to trust the wind and when it’s a swirl you should ignore.
• Green reading: Those small greens break toward the ocean in ways that aren’t always obvious. Having a caddie who’s read the 8th green a thousand times is a genuine advantage.
• Photography: Caddies will stop at the right moments and take photos on your phone. Trust me, you want someone else handling that so you’re not fumbling with your camera on the tee box at 18.
• History and storytelling: Standing on the 17th tee while your caddie describes what Watson’s chip looked like in person — priceless.

Cost: Expect to pay around $100 per bag, plus a tip of $50–$100 depending on the quality of service. Budget around $180–$220 total per player for a caddied round. It’s a lot on top of an already-expensive green fee, but for many golfers it’s the highlight of the trip.

Forecaddies (one caddie for two bags) are also available at a lower rate if you want the experience on a tighter budget. You’ll still get the course knowledge and the stories.

Getting a Tee Time — The Most Important Logistics

This is where people get tripped up. Tee times at Pebble Beach Golf Links are genuinely hard to get, and the system favors resort guests heavily.

Resort guests book first: If you’re staying at The Lodge at Pebble Beach, The Inn at Spanish Bay, or Casa Palmero, you can book tee times at Pebble Beach Golf Links up to 18 months in advance. This is the most reliable way to guarantee your round.

The ballot system: Non-resort guests can enter a daily ballot for tee times. You submit your request online, and the resort draws from the pool to fill remaining spots. Availability is inconsistent — some travelers get lucky, others miss out entirely. Don’t rely on this for your bucket list trip.

Stand-by play: You can show up at the pro shop and ask about stand-by availability. This sometimes works in winter or on weekdays, but it’s genuinely unreliable. I wouldn’t plan a trip around it.

Golf packages through tour operators: Companies like Golfpac, PerryGolf, and Golf Around the World bundle accommodations and tee times together. This costs more but removes the anxiety of booking separately. Worth considering if the logistics feel overwhelming.

Bottom line: if playing Pebble Beach Golf Links is non-negotiable, book lodge accommodations 12–18 months out. Everything else is less certain.

Accommodations — What to Know About Each Option

The Lodge at Pebble Beach

This is the flagship, and it earns that title. The Lodge sits steps from the 18th green — you can watch the final approach shots from your balcony if you get the right room. Service is impeccable, the rooms are large and beautifully appointed, and the property has a particular old-money California elegance that feels right for the setting.

The main practical reason to stay here: you get first access to Pebble Beach Golf Links tee times. For serious golfers, that alone justifies the rate. You also get easy access to the Stillwater Bar & Grill, the putting green, and The Bench restaurant.

Rate: $1,000–$1,500+ per night, higher in summer

The Inn at Spanish Bay

The Inn sits at the other end of 17-Mile Drive, adjacent to the Links at Spanish Bay. It’s a modern property — more contemporary design than the classic Lodge — and it’s slightly quieter because it’s farther from the main golf hub. Rooms here are excellent: large, well-furnished, with fireplaces and good Pacific views if you book right.

The vibe here is a bit more relaxed. Roy’s restaurant (Hawaiian fusion) and Peppoli (Italian) are both at the Inn and are excellent. You still get resort tee-time booking privileges for Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Rate: $700–$1,200 per night

Casa Palmero

Casa Palmero is an intimate boutique property — only 24 rooms — that sits between the Lodge and the first tee. It’s the most exclusive option in terms of service-to-guest ratio, with a private pool and an atmosphere that feels more like a private villa than a hotel. If you’re proposing to someone, this is probably the right call. For a guys’ golf trip, you’ll appreciate the Lodge more.

Rate: $1,200–$1,800+ per night

Off-Resort Accommodations

Staying off-resort doesn’t mean you can’t play Pebble — it just means you’ll use the ballot system or book through an operator. The savings can be significant. Options worth considering:

• Carmel-by-the-Sea: About 5 miles from the resort. Charming small-town atmosphere, excellent restaurants, B&Bs and boutique hotels at much more reasonable rates. The L’Auberge Carmel and Carmel Valley Ranch are standouts.
• Pacific Grove: A quiet residential community adjacent to the resort, often called “Butterfly Town” for its monarch migration. Inns here can be quite affordable by Monterey Peninsula standards.
• Monterey: A bit farther away but with more standard hotel inventory. Cannery Row has a handful of solid mid-range properties. Good base if you’re splitting time between golf and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Dining — The Best Meals on the Peninsula

Pebble Beach does food well. The on-resort options are consistently good, and the surrounding area has excellent dining that resort guests often miss.

Stillwater Bar & Grill

The post-round spot at the Lodge. Overlooks the 18th green. Good California cuisine, full bar, and an atmosphere that feels appropriate to the moment — you just played Pebble Beach, after all. Order something celebratory. Service is efficient and the seafood is reliably excellent.

The Bench

The Lodge’s fine-dining restaurant with Pacific views. California-coastal cuisine done well — think local produce, fresh fish, and a wine list heavy with Central Coast bottles. Make a reservation well in advance and dress smart-casual at minimum. Dinner here is worth doing at least once on a multi-night stay.

Sticks

The casual bar option at The Lodge. Relaxed atmosphere, pub-style food, big screen for sports. If you want to catch a game after your round without the formality of a full dinner service, this is your spot. Cheaper than the other Lodge restaurants and perfectly decent for what it is.

Roy’s at Pebble Beach

Hawaiian fusion at The Inn at Spanish Bay. Roy Yamaguchi’s concept works well in the California coastal context — the fish preparations are excellent, the cocktails are interesting, and sunset views from the dining room are genuinely spectacular. This is an underrated dinner option that resort guests staying at the Lodge sometimes skip unnecessarily.

Beyond the Resort

Don’t miss the broader Carmel and Monterey dining scene. Some highlights:

• Aubergine (Carmel): One of the best restaurants on the Central Coast, period. Tasting menu format, exceptional wine program. Book well in advance.
• Brophy Brothers (Monterey): Casual seafood on the water. Great clam chowder. Reliable and unpretentious.
• Casanova (Carmel): Romantic Italian in a cottage setting. Excellent pasta and a legendary wine cellar.

17-Mile Drive — Do It Right

The 17-Mile Drive is a private toll road ($11.25 per vehicle as of writing) that winds through the Pebble Beach property along the coast. If you’re staying at the resort, you pass through it constantly. If you’re staying off-resort, budget an afternoon for a proper exploration.

The highlights you shouldn’t miss:

• The Lone Cypress: Probably the most photographed tree in California. It sits on a granite outcrop above the ocean and has been there for over 250 years. You can’t get close to it anymore — the path is fenced off for preservation — but the views from the roadside pullout are still stunning.
• Bird Rock: Exactly what it sounds like. A rock covered in sea birds — cormorants, brown pelicans, and harbor seals often sunbathing below. Bring binoculars if you have them.
• Ghost Trees: A cluster of old Monterey cypresses at Stillwater Cove that look exactly like their name. This is also a famous big wave surf break when winter swells arrive.
• Fanshell Beach Overlook: Harbor seals haul out here. In spring it’s a breeding area (the overlook is closed for a few months), but the rest of the year you can watch seals from the cliff.
• Pescadero Point: The rocky headland between the 18th hole and the 17-Mile Drive. Walk down to the water here if conditions allow — it gives you a different angle on the final hole.

Drive slowly. The road has speed limits and frequent pedestrians, but more importantly you’ll just miss things if you rush. Set aside at least 90 minutes, or more if you want to stop at every viewpoint.

Planning Your Trip — Practical Details That Actually Matter

Best Time to Visit

The Monterey Peninsula has mild weather year-round, but “mild” doesn’t mean sunny or warm. Fog is a constant variable — it can roll in at any time of year, even in summer. June through August are often foggy mornings that burn off by noon. September and October tend to have the clearest, warmest days and are widely considered the best months to visit. May can also be excellent.

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am runs in February — the resort is packed and rates spike, but it’s a fun event to attend if you can get tickets and don’t mind the crowds. The U.S. Open setup (when it happens) adds grandstands and infrastructure that change the on-course experience somewhat.

For value, consider November through March — rates drop noticeably and weekday tee times are easier to get. Weather is less reliable but often perfectly playable. Locals say some of their best golf days happen in December.

Sample Itineraries

Three-Day Golf Trip:

• Day 1: Arrive, settle in, drive the 17-Mile Drive, dinner at Stillwater
• Day 2: Spyglass Hill (morning), explore Carmel in the afternoon
• Day 3: Pebble Beach Golf Links (book the earliest tee time available)

Four-Day Trip (for the serious golfer):

• Day 1: Arrive, dinner at Roy’s
• Day 2: Links at Spanish Bay (walk, take your time)
• Day 3: Spyglass Hill
• Day 4: Pebble Beach Golf Links with a caddie, celebratory dinner at The Bench

Add a Fifth Day? Del Monte in the morning, then drive Highway 1 south toward Big Sur before departing. The coastal drive between Carmel and Big Sur is worth a few hours regardless.

What to Pack

The coastal conditions demand more preparation than most resort golf destinations:

• Waterproof rain jacket: Non-negotiable. Even on clear days, bring it. A lightweight waterproof shell fits in any bag pocket.
• Layers: You might start a round at 55°F and finish at 68°F, or vice versa. Base layer, mid-layer, shell is the right approach.
• Extra golf balls: The cliffs are unforgiving. Don’t use your best ball on the 7th tee.
• Travel bag: If you’re flying in, a proper golf travel bag is worth the investment — Pebble Beach isn’t the kind of trip where you want to risk your clubs getting damaged in transit.
• Smart casual clothes: The resort restaurants require it in the evenings. Not formal, but no athletic wear after your round.

Is It Worth the Price?

Let me be direct about this, because the Pebble Beach price tag is significant and you deserve an honest answer.

A single round at Pebble Beach Golf Links will cost you $625–$775 for the green fee. Add a caddie and tip ($180–$220), and you’re approaching $900–$1,000 for one round of golf. If you’re staying at The Lodge, add $1,000+ per night. A three-night, three-course trip staying on-resort will run $5,000–$8,000 per person, depending on timing.

That is a lot of money. So let’s talk about what you’re actually buying.

The golf itself at Pebble Beach is genuinely exceptional — but if you removed the ocean views and the history and asked me to rank it purely as a strategic golf course, it would probably land in the top 25 in the U.S. rather than the top 5. The greens aren’t as complex as Augusta’s. The shot values aren’t as demanding as Shinnecock Hills in a U.S. Open setup. The routing isn’t as intellectually sophisticated as some newer courses.

What Pebble Beach has that nothing else has is that combination of setting, history, and access. You’re playing the same finishing holes Watson and Nicklaus played. You’re on the cliffs where Tom Kite won the 1992 U.S. Open in a gale. The Pacific is right there. You can hear the waves on the 7th tee. That experience is worth something that’s hard to put a dollar figure on.

My honest answer: if you’re a golfer who cares about golf history and you can do it once, it’s worth every penny. If you’re a casual golfer who mainly wants to say you did it, it might feel expensive for what you get. If you’re going to do it, do it right — play with a caddie, stay at least one night on-resort, and book your best tee time.

Don’t go twice in five years when you could go once and do it properly, then take that second trip somewhere else on the bucket list.

Who Should Go to Pebble Beach?

Not everyone. Let me help you decide.

Go if you:

• Are a genuine golf fan who has watched U.S. Opens here and felt something about it
• Have a specific milestone to celebrate — a big birthday, a retirement, a bucket list item long deferred
• Play regularly (at least 15+ rounds a year) and will appreciate the nuances of the course
• Travel well and enjoy fine food, coastal scenery, and a slower-paced luxury experience
• Have the budget to do it right rather than cramming it into the cheapest possible version

Think twice if you:

• Rarely play golf and mainly want the Instagram photos — there are more interesting ways to spend this money
• Would feel guilty the whole trip about the cost, which will ruin the experience
• Don’t care about golf history and just want a nice resort — Pebble is a great resort but not dramatically better than other luxury properties at half the price
• Are a high-handicapper who will lose a dozen balls on the cliffside holes and feel frustrated rather than exhilarated

The golfers I’ve heard rave about Pebble Beach are the ones who showed up prepared — they’d watched the U.S. Open broadcasts, they knew the holes, they played from the right tees, they took a caddie, and they allowed themselves to be present for the experience. The ones who were disappointed usually went with wrong expectations or the wrong companions.

Final Verdict

Pebble Beach is the greatest public golf resort in America. It’s not the most affordable, not the easiest to get into, and not the best value-per-dollar if you’re doing a spreadsheet analysis. But it’s the place every golfer should experience at least once — where you can stand on the 18th tee with the Pacific on your left and the history of the sport behind you and feel like the game means something.

Spyglass Hill is the secret weapon of the resort and earns its ranking among the best courses in the country. The Links at Spanish Bay scratches a different itch and pairs perfectly with a sunset walk. The whole property, from the Lodge to 17-Mile Drive to the dining, is executed at a consistently high level.

Plan carefully, book early, take a caddie, and go.

Category	Rating	Notes
Pebble Beach Golf Links	★★★★★	Iconic. Do it once, do it right.
Spyglass Hill	★★★★★	The hardest and most underrated of the three.
Links at Spanish Bay	★★★★☆	Excellent links experience; bagpiper at sunset is a genuine highlight.
Accommodations	★★★★★	The Lodge is exceptional; Inn at Spanish Bay is excellent value by comparison.
Dining	★★★★☆	Solid on-resort options; broader Carmel scene is even better.
Value	★★★☆☆	Genuinely expensive. Worth it once. Not twice in five years.
Booking Ease	★★☆☆☆	Plan 12–18 months out for resort stay; ballot system is unreliable.
Overall Experience	★★★★★	One of the great golf pilgrimages. No serious golfer should skip it.