News
The 18 best holes on the Monterey Peninsula
J.D. Cuban
A common debate inside golf architecture circles and among 19th-hole golf revelers is which golf-rich part of the world contains the best concentration of courses. California's Monterey/Carmel area is always in the conversation—and for good reason. Views of the Pacific Ocean provided the ideal canvas for some of the world's best layouts, and many of golf’s earliest and most accomplished designers carved legendary courses on this tough-to-top topography.
Imagine being tasked with clearing land along the magical Monterey Peninsula to create one of the golf havens on this list? We’ve combed the top courses—both classic and new—to create a par-72 layout of the best 18 holes within the confines of this seaside oasis. We’ve kept true to the order of the holes on their original course, picking the best first hole, second hole, etc.) And we’ve also tried to be creative: Of course, Cypress Point (No. 3 on Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest) and Pebble Beach (No. 7, which hosted the U.S. Open for a sixth time in 2019) could’ve comprised most of this list. But there’s more great golf at low-key confines (Poppy Hills, Pacific Grove) to be celebrated on this little strand of golf paradise. —SH
LIST OF COURSES INCLUDED BELOW:
Bayonet & Black Horse (Black Horse), Seaside, Gene Bates
Carmel Valley Ranch, Carmel, Pete Dye & Gene Bates
The Club at Pasadera, Monterey, Jack Nicklaus
Cypress Point Club, Pebble Beach, Alister MacKenzie & Robert Hunter
Del Monte G.C., Monterey, Herbert Fowler
The Links at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Tom Watson & Sandy Tatum
Monterey Peninsula C.C. (Dunes), Pebble Beach, Robert Hunter & Alister MacKenzie/Tom Fazio & Tim Jackson
Monterey Peninsula C.C. (Shore), Pebble Beach, Mike Strantz
Pacific Grove Municipal G. Cse., Pacific Grove, Jack Neville
Pebble Beach G. Links, Pebble Beach, Jack Neville & Douglas Grant
The Preserve G.C., Carmel, Tom Fazio, J. Michael Poellot & Sandy Tatum
Poppy Hills G. Cse., Pebble Beach, Robert Trent Jones & Bruce Charlton
Spyglass Hill G. Cse., Pebble Beach, Robert Trent Jones
No. 1: The Preserve G.C., 442 yards, par 4
Runner-up: Spyglass Hill G. Cse., 595 yards, par 5
No. 2: The Links at Spanish Bay, 307 yards, par 4
Runner-up: Spyglass Hill G. Cse., 349 yards, par 4
Courtesy of Pebble Beach Company
No. 3: Spyglass Hill G. Cse., 172 yards, par 3
Runner-up: Del Monte G.C., 367 yards, par 4
Courtesy of Pebble Beach Company
No. 4: Spyglass Hill G. Cse., 370 yards. par 4
Runner-up: Monterey Peninsula C.C. (Dunes), 232 yards, par 3
No. 5: The Links at Spanish Bay, 451 yards, par 4
Runner-up: Poppy Hills G. Cse., 352 yards, par 4 (Old 14th)
No. 6: Monterey Peninsula C.C. (Shore), 546 yards, par 5
Runner-up: The Links at Spanish Bay, 400 yards, par 4
David Cannon/Getty Images
No. 7: Pebble Beach G. Links, 106 yards, par 3
Runner-up: Cypress Point Club, 168 yards, par 3
David Cannon
No. 8: Pebble Beach G. Links, 427 yards, par 4
Runner-up: Bayonet & Black Horse (Black Horse), 550 yards, par 5
No. 9: Monterey Peninsula CC (Dunes), 543 yards, par 5
Runner-up: Cypress Point Club, 292 yards, par 4
Out: 3,364 yards, par 36
Inward nine:
No. 10: Del Monte G. Cse., 287 yards, par 4
Runner-up: Monterey Peninsula C.C. (Dunes), 171 yards, par 3
No. 11: Carmel Valley Ranch, Carmel, 426 yards, par 4
Runner-up: Monterey Peninsula C.C. (Shore), 186 yards, par 3
No. 12: Pacific Grove Municipal G. Cse, 500 yards, par 5
Runner-up: Spyglass Hill G. Cse., 178 yards, par 3
No. 13: The Club at Pasadera, 366 yards, par 4
Runner-up: The Links at Spanish Bay, 142 yards, par 3
No. 14: Monterey Peninsula C.C. (Dunes), 167 yards, par 3
Runner-up: The Links at Spanish Bay, 576 yards, par 5
No. 15: Monterey Peninsula C.C. (Shore), 413 yards, par 4
Runner-up: Cypress Point Club, 143 yards, par 3
No. 16: Cypress Point Club, 219 yards, par 3
Runner-up: Pacific Grove Municipal G. Cse., 353 yards, par 4
Stephen Szurlej
No. 17: Cypress Point Club, 393 yards. par 4
Runner-up: Pebble Beach G. Links, 177 yards, par 3
Stephen Szurlej
No. 18: Pebble Beach G. Links, 543 yards, par 5
Runner-up: Poppy Hills G. Cse., 535 yards, par 5
IN: 3,314 yards, par 36
TOTAL: 6,678 yards, par 72