Golf on the Monterey Peninsula
The greatest concentration of coastal golf in America, where Pebble Beach, Cypress Point and Spyglass Hill share a few square miles of cliff, cypress and Pacific surf. A bucket list pilgrimage for any golfer, two hours south of San Francisco. The courses that matter, the regions, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: Pebble Beach Golf Links, via Google
Why golf on the Monterey Peninsula
No stretch of coast in golf is more concentrated or more revered than the Monterey Peninsula. Along the 17 Mile Drive through Pebble Beach, three of the world's most celebrated courses, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Cypress Point and Spyglass Hill, sit within a few minutes of one another, where the cypress trees lean into the wind and the fairways run to the edge of the Pacific. This is the home of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the site of multiple US Opens, and the round most American golfers dream of playing once.
What makes it singular is the public access to greatness. Cypress Point, Alister MacKenzie's masterpiece, remains one of the most private clubs on earth, but Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and the Links at Spanish Bay are all open to the paying visitor who stays at the resort, a rarity for courses of this stature. Around them, the towns of Carmel, Pacific Grove and Monterey give a trip its character, with wine country, sea otters and some of California's best restaurants a short drive from the first tee.
The regions
Pebble Beach and 17 Mile Drive
The gated heart of the peninsula, where Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, Spyglass Hill, Spanish Bay, Monterey Peninsula Country Club and Poppy Hills share the cliffs and the cypress forest along the famous drive.
Carmel and Carmel Valley
The storybook village of Carmel by the Sea and the warmer, sunnier Carmel Valley inland, where resort courses and wine tasting give a relaxed base just south of the marquee golf.
Monterey and Seaside
The working city of Monterey and neighbouring Seaside, home to the aquarium, Cannery Row and the well regarded Bayonet and Black Horse courses on the old Fort Ord, a more affordable counterpoint.
The courses that matter
Pebble Beach Golf Links
The most famous public course in the world and host of multiple US Opens, with a closing run along the cliffs, the tiny par 3 seventh and the cape hole eighth among the most photographed in golf. A tee time effectively requires a stay at the resort.
Cypress Point Club
MacKenzie's masterpiece and rated by many critics as the finest course ever built, a routing through dunes, forest and headland that climaxes at the legendary par 3 sixteenth across the ocean. One of the most exclusive clubs on earth, accessible only as a member's guest.
Spyglass Hill Golf Course
A brute of a course that opens through dunes by the sea like Pine Valley, then turns inland into the cypress forest. Long, beautiful and notoriously difficult, it is part of the AT&T Pro-Am rota and the connoisseur's pick on the peninsula.
The Links at Spanish Bay
A Scottish style links along the dunes at the north end of 17 Mile Drive, with a piper playing in the evening and the wind off the bay as the main defence. The most affordable of the resort's marquee rounds and a genuine links experience.
Monterey Peninsula Country Club
A private club with two highly rated coastal courses, the Dunes redesigned by Mike Strantz and the Shore by Rees Jones, both running along the same celebrated coastline. A sought after round for the connected visitor and a fixture of the AT&T Pro-Am rota.
Poppy Hills
The home course of the Northern California Golf Association, a forested layout restored in 2014 to firmer, more natural conditioning. More inland in feel than its neighbours, it is excellent value and the easiest marquee tee time to secure on the peninsula.
Bayonet and Black Horse
Two strong, mature public courses on the old army base above Monterey Bay, the Bayonet long and demanding, the Black Horse more scenic. Genuine championship golf at a fraction of the resort prices, the value pick of any trip.
Pacific Grove Golf Links
Known affectionately as the poor man's Pebble Beach, a friendly municipal course whose back nine runs out to a lighthouse and the dunes by the sea. Inexpensive, walkable and charming, the perfect relaxed round to balance the marquee days.
Designers, openings and access verified June 2026. Cypress Point and Monterey Peninsula Country Club are private. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| April to June and September to October | Settled, mild and clear, the best light | Prime season, the ideal windows, book the marquee rounds well ahead |
| July to August | Cool maritime summer, foggy mornings that burn off by midday | Busy and pleasant, plan afternoon tee times when the fog lifts |
| November to March | Cooler and wetter, Pacific storms possible around the Pro-Am | Quieter and cheaper, atmospheric but a gamble on the weather |
The peninsula plays year round in a cool maritime climate, so pack layers in any season. Spring and autumn give the most settled weather and the clearest views down the coast, the prime time to travel.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pebble Beach green fee | Around 675 US dollars | A tee time effectively requires a stay at the resort |
| Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay | Around 525 and 365 US dollars | Both public, both part of the Pebble Beach Resorts |
| A few nights, all in | From around 4,000 US dollars per person | Resort lodging and the marquee rounds, 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
The Monterey Peninsula sits about two hours south of San Francisco and a similar drive from San Jose, both of which have major international airports, while the small Monterey Regional Airport offers domestic connections closer still. A hire car is essential, since the courses, the towns and the wine country all sit within a short drive of one another along Highway 1 and the 17 Mile Drive. Pebble Beach tee times are tied to resort stays and the most coveted rounds book months ahead, so plan the golf first and build the trip around it.
Where to stay
To play Pebble Beach you stay at the Pebble Beach Resorts, either the Lodge by the eighteenth, the Inn at Spanish Bay or Casa Palmero, which unlocks the resort tee times and the full experience. For more character and value, the village of Carmel by the Sea offers boutique inns minutes away, while Monterey itself puts you near the aquarium and Cannery Row. Book the lodging and the tee times together, and let one planner secure the marquee rounds before they are gone.
Plan your Monterey Peninsula golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Monterey Peninsula golf questions
When is the best time to play golf on the Monterey Peninsula?
The Monterey Peninsula plays year round in a cool maritime climate, but spring and autumn are the sweet spots, with the most settled weather and the clearest light. Summer mornings often start under coastal fog that burns off by midday, and the famous AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February can bring dramatic winter storms off the Pacific. Pack layers in any season, because the wind off the ocean is part of the test.
What is the best golf course on the Monterey Peninsula?
Pebble Beach Golf Links is the most famous and the one most visitors come for, a public host of multiple US Opens with the greatest closing stretch in golf along the cliffs. Cypress Point, Alister MacKenzie's 1928 masterpiece, is rated by many critics as the finest course in the world but is intensely private. Spyglass Hill, a Robert Trent Jones design, and the Links at Spanish Bay complete a peerless run of public coastal golf.
How much does a golf trip to the Monterey Peninsula cost in 2026?
This is premium golf. Indicative 2026 green fees are around 675 US dollars at Pebble Beach, 525 dollars at Spyglass Hill and 365 dollars at the Links at Spanish Bay, with a Pebble Beach tee time effectively requiring a stay at the resort. A few nights with resort lodging and the marquee rounds can run well past 4,000 dollars per head, excluding flights. Always confirm directly before booking.
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