Golf on the Monterey Peninsula
The most famous stretch of public golf on earth, where Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Cypress Point share a few miles of California coast above the Pacific. The courses that matter, how to get on the great ones, and how to plan the trip.
Photograph: Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Gaurav Vaz, via Google
Why the Monterey Peninsula
No square mile of coast has given golf more. On a knuckle of pine and cypress jutting into the Pacific south of San Francisco, the game found its most photographed setting. Jack Neville and Douglas Grant routed Pebble Beach Golf Links along the cliffs of Carmel Bay in 1919, and it has since hosted six US Opens with a seventh on the way. Alister MacKenzie laid out Cypress Point alongside in 1928, a course so beautiful and so private it is spoken of in hushed tones. Robert Trent Jones senior added Spyglass Hill in 1966. Together they form a concentration of greatness no resort destination can match.
The miracle for the travelling golfer is that the best of it is public. A stay at the Pebble Beach Resorts opens the door to Pebble itself, Spyglass Hill and the Links at Spanish Bay, and the wider peninsula adds Poppy Hills, the cliffside municipal at Pacific Grove and the historic Del Monte, the oldest course in continuous play in the American West. Wrap the golf in Carmel by the Sea, the Monterey waterfront and the drive down Big Sur, and you have one of the great golf weeks anywhere, priced like the pilgrimage it is.
The regions
Pebble Beach and Del Monte Forest
The heart of it, reached along the 17 Mile Drive: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, the Links at Spanish Bay, Cypress Point and the Monterey Peninsula Country Club, all within the gated forest above the sea.
Carmel and Pacific Grove
The charming towns that bookend the peninsula. Carmel by the Sea for the galleries and dining, Pacific Grove for its wonderful clifftop municipal course, the value round of the whole trip with the ocean on the back nine.
Monterey and inland
The waterfront city and the courses just beyond it: Poppy Hills in the forest, the historic Del Monte by the bay, and the Bayonet and Black Horse layouts on the bluffs of old Fort Ord, all public and a notch easier on the wallet.
The courses that matter
Pebble Beach Golf Links
The most famous public course in America, running along the cliffs of Carmel Bay. The little par 3 seventh, the cliffhanging eighth and the long seaside eighteenth are worth the airfare alone. A pilgrimage priced like one, and the round that anchors every trip.
Cypress Point Club
For many the most beautiful course in the world, MacKenzie's routing through dunes, forest and cliff with the storied par 3 sixteenth carrying the open Pacific. Strictly private, named here because no honest Monterey list can omit it.
Spyglass Hill Golf Course
A brawny, beautiful test that opens with five holes in the dunes by the sea before climbing into the Del Monte forest. Long regarded as the hardest of the Pebble Beach Resorts courses and a co host of the AT&T Pro Am.
The Links at Spanish Bay
A Scottish style links along the dunes with a bagpiper at dusk. It closes in March 2026 for a Gil Hanse renovation and is due to reopen in 2027 as a modern coastal links, so check its status when planning a 2026 trip.
Pacific Grove Golf Links
The poor man's Pebble Beach and proud of it, a friendly municipal whose back nine plays right along the ocean by the Point Pinos lighthouse. The best value clifftop golf on the peninsula and a joy to walk.
Poppy Hills
The Northern California Golf Association's home course in the forest, stripped back and firmed up in a 2014 redesign that widened the corridors and exposed the sandy soil. A pure, walkable inland round between the coastal days.
Del Monte Golf Course
The oldest course in continuous operation west of the Mississippi, a charming, mature parkland near the Monterey waterfront and part of the Pebble Beach Resorts. A gentle, historic warm up or wind down round.
Bayonet and Black Horse
Two muscular public courses on the bluffs above Monterey Bay at the former army base, with ocean views, tall trees and real length. A tougher, better value pairing away from the resort prices.
Designers, opening years and host history verified June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. The Links at Spanish Bay is closed for renovation in 2026; Cypress Point and Monterey Peninsula Country Club are private. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| April to June | Sunny, settled, the least fog and the wildflowers out | The prime spring window, book months ahead |
| September to October | Warm, clear and calm, the best light on the coast | The other peak, arguably the finest golf weather |
| July and August | Mild but foggy mornings that often burn off by noon | Good golf, just play later or wait for the sun |
| November to February | Cooler and wetter, the AT&T Pro Am crowds in February | Quieter and cheaper, dress for the rain |
The peninsula plays year round in a famously mild climate. Spring and early autumn give the clearest skies and the best chance of calm, fog free mornings on the cliffs.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pebble Beach green fee | Around $695 | Resort guest rate, with a minimum stay |
| Spyglass Hill green fee | Around $525 | Resort guest rate |
| A week, all in | Around £5,000 to £8,000 per person | Resort lodging, the marquee rounds, a car, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Most golfers fly into San Francisco or San Jose and drive down the coast, a journey of roughly two to two and a half hours that is a pleasure in itself, or take a short hop into the small Monterey Regional airport. A hire car is essential, both for the run between the towns and courses and for the famous coastal drives, the 17 Mile Drive through Del Monte Forest and the cliff road south into Big Sur. The peninsula itself is compact, so once you are based near Pebble Beach or Carmel the daily drives to the first tee are short.
Where to stay
Staying inside the Pebble Beach Resorts, at The Lodge, The Inn at Spanish Bay or Casa Palmero, is the way to secure the marquee tee times and is the trip of a lifetime for those who can. For a lighter budget, base in Carmel by the Sea or Monterey, both full of character and a short drive from the courses, and book your Pebble round well in advance. Either way the secret is time: the great tee times go many months ahead, so plan early and let one planner line up the rooms and the rounds together.
Plan your Monterey golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge secures the tee times and the resort stay, costs the whole trip to the head, and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Monterey golf questions
How do you play Pebble Beach Golf Links?
Pebble Beach is public, but the surest way on is to stay at one of the Pebble Beach Resorts hotels, The Lodge, The Inn at Spanish Bay or Casa Palmero, which earns guests priority tee times booked well in advance. Non guests can book a limited number of times closer to the day. The indicative resort guest green fee is around $695 for the 2026 season with a minimum stay; always confirm directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf on the Monterey Peninsula?
April to June and September to October are the prime windows, with the most settled, sunny weather and the least coastal fog. The peninsula plays year round in a mild climate, but summer mornings can be foggy and winter brings the rain and the AT&T Pro Am crowds in February. Book the marquee tee times many months ahead in any season.
Can you play Cypress Point?
No. Cypress Point Club, Alister MacKenzie's 1928 masterpiece, is one of the most private clubs in the world and is open to members and their guests only. Build a visiting trip around the public Pebble Beach Resorts courses, Spyglass Hill, Poppy Hills and Pacific Grove, which together make a glorious week.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Pebble Beach tee time windows, resort openings and the best of California's coastal golf. Every other week.