How can you play Pebble Beach? (And how much does it cost?)

The 7th hole at Pebble Beach is one of the most iconic in world golf

You’ve all gazed at the wonderful views on TV and dreamed of one day teeing up – but can you actually play Pebble Beach? And if so, how? Allow us…

It’s a golf course that needs little introduction. And as you’ve opened an article titled “How can you play Pebble Beach?”, we imagine you don’t need one.

Pebble Beach Golf Links, to use its full name, is a mainstay on many a golfer’s bucket list, largely thanks to not only its breathtaking views and iconic holes, but it’s place within golf’s illustrious history.

As well as the annual Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which has been held over the homonymous links as well as nearby Spyglass Hill since 1947, the Jack Neville and Douglas Grant layout has also hosted a PGA Championship, a Women’s US Open, and what is currently called the Pure Insurance Championship on the Champions Tour.

But it’s the six US Opens here which have delivered some of the most iconic moments in the sport’s record books. Who can forget Tom Watson’s chip-in in 1982? Or Tiger Woods winning by a record-blitzing, never-to-be-repeated 15 shots?

Not only that, the USGA has revealed that Pebble Beach will host four more US Opens between now and 2044.

So why wouldn’t you want to tee up at a course that has played such an important role in our beautiful game?

Let’s take a look at whether or not that pipe dream can be turned into a reality…

First of all, where is Pebble Beach Golf Links?

Pebble Beach is on the stunning Monterey Bay coastline in California – roughly a five-hour drive up the coast from Los Angeles, and about two hours south of San Francisco.

And can you play Pebble Beach?

We’ll start with the easy part. Yes, you can. In fact, Pebble Beach is generally ranked the United States’ No.1 public golf course.

It also ranked very well in our Top 100 Golf Courses in the World rundown.

Great! So how can you play Pebble Beach?

There are two ways of getting on Pebble Beach – one of which will guarantee you a tee time, and one that will not.

If you book to stay at Pebble Beach Resorts, that will include a tee time reservation which can be booked up to 18 months in advance if you’re staying at The Lodge at Pebble Beach or The Inn at Spanish Bay.

Alternatively, you can book a room in the resort’s Casa Palmero Hotel, but that only allows you to reserve a tee time 12 months in advance.

Both of these options, it’s worth noting, come with a minimum stay requirement of two nights – though this increases depending on how many rounds you want to play.

If staying in the resort is out of the question – or out of the budget – then you can still try your luck at getting a walk-up tee time. However, these can only be booked 24 hours in advance and your chances are incredibly slim – particularly in busier seasons or if there is more than one of you playing.

Sounds expensive! So how much does it cost to play Pebble Beach?

This is where it gets complicated.

The standard Pebble Beach green fee is currently $675 – a little north of £500 if you’re reading in the UK.

Accommodation at The Lodge at Pebble Beach starts at $1,283 per night, while The Inn at Spanish Bay is slightly cheaper at $1,027 per night, and the Casa Palmero will set you back a minimum of $1,375 per night.

Of course, there are options that will take you into tens of thousands of dollars, but based on a two-night minimum stay with a standard-priced green fee at Pebble Beach, you’re looking at a whopping $2,679 for the cheapest possible option.

Oh, and there’s a standard $55 cart fee per person, but no one wants to use a buggy at Pebble Beach of all places, so you will of course want a caddie.

Those will set you back $155 for a single-bag carrying caddie, $210 for a double-bag carrying caddie, or $52.50 for forecaddie for a minimum of three people. Then there’s the tip, which will set you back somewhere between $50 and $100.

And what do you mean you haven’t brought your own sticks? Don’t worry, there’s club hire too, for just $115 plus tax.

Don’t worry, we’ve crunched the numbers…

$2,679 for accommodation and green fee, plus $155 for a caddie then $100 for a tip because you’re not a cheapskate, and that’s a grand total of $2,984.

And that’s before you’ve even thought about eating, or drinking, or buying loads of lovely Pebble Beach merch to help you remember your days on the California coast.

Well, like they say, you can’t spend it when you’re dead.

I’m in! How do I book to stay and play at Pebble Beach?

Dust off your credit card and head over to the Pebble Beach Golf Links website.