Pebble Beach

The Experience of a LifeTime…

By Mike Miller
Photos Courtesy of Pebble Beach Company

As an avid golf junkie, playing some of the best golf courses in the world is a mission of mine. Regardless of how you define a “top golf course,” Pebble Beach Golf Links has to be on that list.

Pebble Beach is a golf destination that is rich with history. I not only love to play golf, but I am also drawn to watching the best players in the world compete at the highest levels the sport has to offer. I grew up watching Tiger Woods dominate the competition at Pebble Beach. I watched in amazement as Jordan Spieth hit his famous cliff shot on number eight, risking life and limb to save his par back in 2022. The memories of great golf moments at Pebble Beach go on and on.

So, when a friend recently called me to ask if I would be interested in a weekend of golf at Pebble Beach, it took me exactly three seconds to respond! After weeks of planning, we hit the road for a quick guy’s weekend from Santa Barbara to the beautiful Monterey Peninsula. We drove the 17-mile loop and took in the breathtaking views, but for me, my mind was fixated on our final destination. Would it be all that I imagined?

The answer is a resounding yes. If you have never golfed on the Monterey Peninsula, put it on your bucket list as soon as possible. After checking into our suite, which overlooked the first fairway, I took a stroll around the property and ended up standing along the 18th green. Along with about 100 other guests, I watched foursomes finish their rounds, and the crowd would applaud good approach shots and finishing putts. It added a little pressure to the experience, and you could tell that having spectators made the experience just a little better for the players as they finished their round. I was very much looking forward to my turn.

I decided to stay on the property for dinner and enjoyed an amazing steak dinner at The Tap Room, which you can just tell has seen its share of legendary tales over the years.

In the morning, I woke up early and made my way over to the Pebble Beach Golf Academy, where I warmed up for my round and tried to get a feeling for the greens. Thankfully, I also got in a little bunker work, because it would turn out that I would need it later. The Pebble Beach Golf Academy is a full-on experience in itself. The facility offers everything a golfer would ever need to improve their game.

As I checked in for my tee time, I’ll admit that I was quite nervous. After all, I was about to step foot on one of golf’s greatest and most storied courses. Despite wobbly legs, I got to the first tee and drilled my drive right down the middle of the fairway. My second shot was equally good, and right out of the gate, I had a green in regulation. The one thing that stood out to me early on was how small the greens appeared compared to what I was used to seeing on television.

Despite hitting my first green in regulation and the greens not feeling overly intimidating, I also carded my first three-putt of the day — and it wouldn’t be my last. Regardless of not playing great golf over my first four holes, I was still scoring OK. Starting on No. 5, which is a fun par three, I finally woke up and stopped looking around at everything besides my golf ball. I suspect it’s common for even the best golfers to get distracted when they play Pebble Beach for the first time. I spent far too much time thinking about all the epic golf battles that I’d watched take place at Pebble Beach over the years, and trying to remember what golfers did on each of the holes I was playing.

I ran into my first major issue of the day on the storied sixth hole. The hole has been a stage for legendary shots and major championship drama. For example, in the 2019 U.S. Open, Tiger Woods famously hit a midiron to the green in two shots from vintage U.S. Open rough, which was one of the finest shots in golf history. But, for this amateur, I overshot the green and struggled to recover. Pebble Beach served me up a triple bogey, and told me to like it!

I didn’t have time to lick my wounds, because the world-famous hole seven was waiting for me. This was an experience I had been waiting for. The downhill par three offers one of the best views in golf, and I was determined to recover from the previous hole. I stepped up and put a good swing on the ball and hit the center of the green while one of my playing partners took a video of my shot. I have since watched that video at least 100 times as I marveled at the beauty of the scenery. I managed a two putt and recorded my par, but couldn’t resist taking a moment to pause on the green.

I was actually playing Pebble Beach!

I was humming along on the back nine until I came to the 14th, which is a long par five with a difficult approach to the green. Not knowing the course definitely bit me in the backside on this hole. More short game woes forced yet another triple on a par five — inexcusable, but then, I was playing Pebble Beach! So I forced myself to keep things in perspective.

As the final holes were approaching, I felt like a kid who was just about to hear the whistle at recess, knowing that the fun was just about to end. As I stood on the 18th tee box, my mind began to wander yet again. How many tournament-winning holes started on that spot? How do I avoid going left and hitting it on to the beach?

The Inn at Spanish Bay firepits

Despite my roaming mind and reluctance for the round to end, I still managed to hit a drive up the right-hand side of the fairway, but a wayward second shot brought the famous tree into play. Sure enough, I clipped a branch on my approach shot and heard the jeers from the crowd gathering around the green, as I did the day prior. My day finished with a bogey, but it was an unforgettable experience.

After my round, I once again enjoyed all of the conveniences the property had to offer, including the fireplace in my suite, where I sat drinking a few beverages as my group recapped a truly special day.

The next day I took the opportunity to play The Hay, the short course that was recently redesigned by Tiger Woods. The Hay is a great stop for kids and other guests, regardless of their level of golf experience. When asked how I would describe the overall experience, the first thing that came to mind was, “Disneyland for golfers.”

The Lodge

Pebble Beach etched itself into my soul. It was love at first sight. I had just played one of the best courses on the planet, and enjoyed myself. Until my final days, I will always remember the experience. I aim to return, and when I do, I fully expect it to be just as special.

Pebble Beach will host the Men’s U.S. Open Championship in 2027, so make sure you start planning your future trip soon. For more details on Pebble Beach and golf on the Monterey Peninsula, visit pebblebeach.com.

The Experience of a LifeTime…