In photos: Great golf around Pebble Beach and the Monterey Peninsula
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- A year-round golf climate. A picturesque rocky coastline along the Pacific. Migrating whales breaching offshore in winter. Annual PGA Tour and Champions Tour events. Coveted private clubs. Arguably the most famous public course in the world. There are so many reasons why golfers love California's Monterey Peninsula.
It all starts with Pebble Beach Resorts and Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Links at Spanish Bay. All three have memorable views and holes on the water. Pebble Beach, annual host of the PGA Tour's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Champions Tour's Nature Valley First Tee Open, is always in the spotlight. It will burn even brighter during the 2019 U.S. Open for its centennial celebration.
Beyond that, there's plenty of golf for all budgets. The short but intriguing Pacific Grove Golf Links and the tough duo of Bayonet/Black Horse, two former military courses in Seaside, are more affordable options that still deliver views of the water. Further inland, Carmel Valley Ranch Golf Club and Quail Lodge & Golf Club showcase the beautiful rolling hills of the Carmel Valley. Both the Quail Lodge and Poppy Hills Golf Course, owned by the Northern California Golf Association, have undergone dramatic renovations within the past three years to improve turf conditions and their routings, not to mention becoming more environmentally friendly.
Just off the Monterey Peninsula resides CordeValle, a former host of the Frys.com of the PGA Tour and upcoming U.S. Women's Open host that's a part of a five-star resort just south of San Jose. You'll run out of time or money before you'll run out of choices in this mesmerizing golf mecca.
Here's a tour of some of the top courses around the Monterey Peninsula for all budgets. Tell us your favorites in the comments below.