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Pebble Beach, other Monterey-area courses affected by large wildfire

July 26, 2016

This hasn’t been the best day to play golf in the Monterey Peninsula area, though golf, it should noted, is the least of concerns there.

The Soberanes wildfire that has burned about 20,000 acres south of Carmel is casting a smoky pall over the area and has affected the air quality as far as the San Francisco Bay area to the north and to the Lake Tahoe/Reno area to the east.

“It’s relatively close,” John Pietro, director of golf at the Preserve Golf Club in Carmel, east of the fire, said. “The air quality is not good, probably an orangish red.” California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has issued an evacuation order for parts of the Santa Lucia Preserve on which the golf course is situated.

A short distance northeast of the fire is the Quail Lodge and Golf Club, site of the 50th California Women’s Amateur Championship that began Tuesday.

World Golf Hall of Fame member Patty Sheehan was on site and Tweeted this photo:

Former USGA starter Ron Read, who lives in the area, sent along this photo from Quail Lodge:

Quail-Lodge.jpg

Even Pebble Beach Golf Links has experienced the smoke, notwithstanding its seaside location and the prevailing ocean breeze. Note this video posted by Sara Higman: