5 things you didn’t know about Pebble Beach: shipwrecks, replicas and more

The 7th hole at Pebble Beach
The iconic 7th at Pebble Beach

The PGA Tour continues its Californian road trip with the legendary Pebble Beach Golf Links hosting its annual PGA Tour event.

A return for Scottie Scheffler following his freak injury has added to the anticipation surrounding one of the coveted events on the golfing calendar.

The course has incredible popularity due to its stunning layout and views while its status as a public golf course means many make the trip to Pebble to tick off a box on their golfing bucket list.

While you may think you know all that the golf course has to offer, here are 5 things that you may not have realised about Pebble Beach…

A shipwreck inspired the iconic 7th hole

The iconic downhill par-3 7th hole at Pebble Beach is renowned for its beauty with a stunning backdrop of the rocky Californian coast.

In the 1920s, a vessel crashed and ran aground, littering the coastline with debris but highlighting the natural beauty of the location of the wreck.

Consequently, the designers looked at the location and its proximity to the shoreline and decided where the shipwreck had been would be a great place to build a golf hole – right by the ocean – and the rest is history.

It’s the most expensive public green fee in the USA

Since becoming a public golf course in 1947, Pebble Beach has become world-renowned with golfers travelling from far and wide to play it.

But the privilege comes at a cost. Green fees are priced at $625 and the addition of a $50 cart fee makes it the most expensive public course across the whole of the USA.

The high prices do not put golfers off, however, with the course often booked months in advance due to the chance to walk the same fairways as the great players and take in the spectacular views.

Pebble Beach has hosted more US Opens than any other public course

The iconic venue which hosts the annual AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has also been home to a record six US Opens, witnessing some of the most memorable moments in the history of Major championships.

Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tom Watson (1982) and Tiger Woods (2000) have all won US Opens there and the course’s glamour and challenging layout make Pebble Beach the perfect venue for Majors.

It will host the US Open again in 2027.

The famous 18th hole that almost wasn’t

The 18th hole at Pebble Beach

A long par 5 that stretches across the idyllic coastline of Carmel, this fan favourite is the scene of many last-hole shootouts that have played out dramatically.

In the original design of the golf course, the plan had been for the final hole to be a short par 4 but the developers, thankfully, saw an opportunity to make one of the great risk and reward holes on the PGA Tour and brought to life the dramatic final stretch.

A coastal par 3 playground

The par 3 course was once called the Peter Hay Golf Course, named after the former PGA professional, and was built in addition to the main Pebble Beach Golf Links.

In 2021, the course was redesigned by Tiger Woods and renamed ‘The Hay’. It offers a more relaxed experience for golfers of varying skill levels and contains a replica of the 7th so you can (kind of!) play the iconic hole at a much cheaper rate.

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