The Course at the Top of Your List
Ask most golfers what course they want to play before they hang up their cleats and the answer is likely to be Pebble Beach. And with good reason: it’s not only one of the world’s most famous courses—the site of numerous memorable US Opens—it’s also one of the most beautiful. In fact, people pay $10.50 just to motor along the 17-Mile Drive, a scenic route through the gated community of Pebble Beach. And with so much more to do in this part of the state, including play more golf, this truly is a trip of lifetime.
What We Love about Northern California
A round at the iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links is, of course, the crowning event of a trip here. We love taking photographs of the par-3 #7, then flying our approach shot over the cliffs of #8. But this trip provides so many highlights, including playing Pasatiempo and walking by Alistair Mackenzie’s house on #6.
The weather in the fall is sunny and warm, perfect for golf. And we’re spoiled with non-golf options, including checking out the charming town of Carmel, where Clint Eastwood was mayor in the 1980s, and visiting stunning Big Sur. On our way down from San Francisco, we love to play a round and stay at the fabulous CordeValle resort, a member of one of our favourite luxury hotel brands.
On our way home, we always spend a night in San Francisco, take in a Giants, 49ers, Sharks or Warriors game and enjoy one of America’s greatest cities.
Favourite Courses
• Pebble Beach Golf Links: Bring your camera and your A game
• Pasatiempo: U.S. Amateur Champion and entrepreneur Marion Hollins hired Alistair Mackenzie to design this excellent course, which opened in 1929; in the 1990s, Tom Doak’s team restored it using photos from the ‘30s
• CordeValle: This hilly course just south of San Jose has hosted PGA events and is a great halfway point between SFO and Monterey Bay
• Spyglass: Designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1966, this course is even more demanding than its more famous sibling at Pebble Beach
• The Links at Spanish Bay: Get your first taste of the sea with a great first round at the Pebble Beach resort before returning to the clubhouse for the bagpipes at sunset
• Wente Vineyards: Start your trip south from SFO with a fun round among the vineyards and then enjoy a great California Cab
• Of course, we also love Cypress Point and the courses of Monterey Peninsula, but these private clubs are hard to access unless you have some well-connected pals
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