Pacific Grove Golf Links

Pacific Grove Golf Links is a municipal course in the center of some controversy. It has unique features that makes this a near demigod among giants (and gods of golf) on the Monterey Peninsula— at literally a small fraction of the price. So that drives the debate, when doing a bucket list golf trip to Pebble Beach, should Pacific Grove Golf Links (or the Poor Man’s Pebble) be in the mix?

If this course feels a little bit like a chimera of two completely different golf courses there is a reason why. The front 9, opened in May of 1932, is designed by Chandler Egan. If his name sounds familiar it’s because he was involved in the 1929 redesign of Pebble Beach Golf Links with mentor Alastair Makenzie. The front 9 was built on land that was sold to the city of Pacific Grove for a $10 gold coin with the understanding that golf would be played on that spot for at least 5 years. The back 9, however, was not added until 1960. This is when Jack Neville proposed a seaside 9, inspired by the links style golf of Scotland, be added to the course. If the back 9 feels like the Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore Course, there is a reason. Neville was the designer of both. Maybe it should be called Poor Man’s MPCC instead?

At this point in time, the first 9 holes of this golf course are a slender, down and back parkland public Muni. It is set among a residential neighborhood that sometimes has a trailerpark-esque mystique to it. The course is a well groomed, yet angry old man. Not quite GET OFF MY LAWN status, but in the neighborhood. The course features a very unusual start– back to back par 3’s. Rest assured that was never the intent of the designer Egan, as hole number 6 was originally hole number 1 and the clubhouse was literally on the opposite side of the skinny front 9. When they built the second 9 they relocated the clubhouse and the starting hole. As you walk to the number one tee box wondering in its quirky par 3, par 3 starting holes- be sure to listen for the roar of the surf in the distance providing foreshadowing for the splendor to come. 

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The front part of the course wanders down and back through a grove with cypress trees that (if you are not careful) can eat your golf balls.If you play in the rain watch out for falling golf balls snatched from golfers during previous dry weather rounds. They really hurt when they fall through the spanish moss festooned limbs and hit you. This adds to the “angry old man” mystique. The defense of this part of the golf course is in the exceptionally small greens, some no bigger than an above ground backyard swimming pool. 

The real fun begins on hole 11, a tantalizingly short par 4 headed straight to the dunes. You have just completed a 100 yard par three hole 10 and have turned right to head out onto the portion of the course that is guarded by the sentinel Point Pinos Lighthouse, adjacent to the Pacific ocean. These final 8 holes present some golf that would rival many top shelf golf courses on the Monterey Peninsula. Standing on the 12th tee box, you will literally have to pinch yourself. Are you playing the first 5 holes at Spyglass Hill, or Maybe MPCC? You take in the ocean breeze and wildlife from deer to pelicans, to the occasional whale spout. You will be forced to wonder– “Did we play the front 9 a week ago Wednesday”?

That said, the final 8 holes are not without their challenges. Starting at hole 13 you may wonder if you have been transported back in time to the beaches at Normandy during WW2, as inbound golf balls will come from seemingly everywhere landing like artillery. This cluster of holes basically share one giant fairway and there are a number blind shots. So step lively. 

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That brings us to the central debate. Does it belong in a Bucket List Golf Trip rotation? Peak rack rate at Pacific Grove will cost you $76, so it seems like a shoe in. $76 dollars for 8 holes in the dunes along the Pacific Ocean- why not? Especially as a warm up round. You can save your ducats to go toward splurging at Pebble or Spyglass, or spend the extra dough on a nice martini at Roys, or the Bench. 

I think the answer to this debate at the end of the day is: how many days are you going to be playing? Plus how many rounds a day do you want to play? If you are doing a standard three day trip to Pebble, playing one round a day, my advice is to skip this golf course in favor of Poppy Hills (another bargain) or Black Horse. Go Poppy Hills, Pebble, Spyglass.  If you are doing two-a-days (and don’t want the trip to bankrupt you) then this is a prime candidate to move into the mix. Or if you are doing a Thursday to Sunday, then you definitely need to consider making Poor Man’s Pebble part of the rotation. WeI would definitely play Pacific Grove Golf Links before playing Spanish Bay. Just keep your expectations realistic, and this course will delight and surprise you. If you live in the Bay Area, We recommend a jaunt down to play at Pacific Grove followed by a nice glass of wine on the patio of The Bench over at Pebble Beach. An affordable getaway that will make you feel like golf royalty.

• Bucket list rank (from 1 to 5 buckets): 2 Buckets (if we are just rating holes 11 through 17 it’s 4 buckets)
• Caddies: NA
• Location: 8
• Spectacle/ visual: 8
• History: 8
• New/ancient: Modern, but not young
• Playability : 5 
• Memorability : 6
• Service/etc: 5
• Value: 11
• Shopping: 6 (I’m not sure you need a Pacific Grove Shirt though)
• Warm up facilities/Range: 3 – it’s a hike out to the range which is walled off on the course. You are hitting from matts with severely distance limited balls. 
• Food & Drink: 7- decent bar and grill at the main clubhouse