Greens In Focus: Pebble Beach Golf Links

"If I only had one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach."- Jack Nicklaus

There are golf courses… and then there’s Pebble Beach.

Perched on the edge of the California coastline, it's where the game meets the Pacific, and every hole looks like a postcard.

Pebble isn’t just beautiful, it's iconic. Since opening in 1919, it has hosted legends, heartbreaks, and history. Jack Nicklaus called the 7th hole his favorite in all of golf. Tiger Woods turned the 2000 U.S. Open into a personal highlight reel, winning by an unprecedented 15 strokes, and kicking off what would become the legendary Tiger Slam. Tom Watson chipped in on 17 to edge out Nicklaus in 1982. And every time the U.S. Open returns, the course becomes a character of its own- dramatic, unpredictable, and unforgettable.

It's also home to the annual AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a tournament where golf meets Hollywood, and the fairways are just as likely to feature tour pros as they are comedians, athletes, and musicians.

But more than the championships, Pebble Beach is about something else. It’s quintessential California. The scent of cypress trees, the sound of waves crashing just beyond the fairways, the marine layer rolling in without warning. It's serenity mixed with challenge, a kind of calm chaos. Venture a little further and you'll find the quiet charm of Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea, the perfect pair of coastal towns where you can soak in the magic of California's Central Coast.

In 2023, Pebble Beach added another chapter to its legacy. For the first time ever, the LPGA teed it up on these historic fairways, hosting the U.S. Women’s Open. It wasn’t just a tournament; it was a moment. A long-overdue one. Seeing the best women in the world take on this course and watching them leave their own stamp on golf history was electric. It was a statement that the women’s game belongs on every course, in every spotlight, and in every historic record book. It elevated the legacy of Pebble even more and reminded all of us that the game is better when it's inclusive, visible, and evolving.

Playing Pebble, or even just standing on its greens, as I had the chance to experience for the first time last year, makes you feel like anything’s possible. Like your next shot could be the one that changes everything. It asks you to stay present, to soak in the views, to swing with intention. Whether you’re chasing par or just taking it all in, Pebble reminds you that the journey matters more than the scorecard.

 (Photos: www.PebbleBeach.com)