California
Monterey Peninsula in 4 Days
Estimate: Per golfer, 3 nights shared at a Pebble Beach Resorts hotel plus 5 rounds, excluding flights and caddies. Pebble Beach is $695 (April 2026–March 2027) plus $60 cart, Spyglass Hill about $550, The Hay $65, and Pacific Grove well under $100. On-property rooms start around $800 a night.
This is the trip for someone who has to play Pebble Beach once and wants the rest of the stay to be good golf, not filler. The two-night resort minimum is what secures a Pebble tee time in advance, so the plan builds around that stay and adds the best value rounds on the peninsula.
Pacific Grove, the city course five miles up the road, costs a small fraction of Pebble and has a dunes back nine people come back for. Spanish Bay is closed for a Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner redesign until April 17, 2027, so in 2026 the plan uses Poppy Hills instead.
Day by day
- 1
Arrive, play Pacific Grove
Pacific Grove Golf LinksFly into Monterey and play Pacific Grove in the afternoon. It's a relaxed way to get used to the coastal air and the firm sandy turf. Check in at the resort that evening.
- 2
Spyglass Hill and The Hay
Spyglass Hill Golf CourseThe HayMorning round at Spyglass, then a loop on The Hay in the late afternoon. Save energy for tomorrow.
- 3
Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach Golf LinksTake a caddie and soak it in. Leave the rest of the day open for 17-Mile Drive or Carmel, which is a short drive from the Lodge.
- 4
Poppy Hills, then fly out
Poppy Hills Golf CourseAn early round at Poppy Hills before heading to the airport. From April 17, 2027, swap in the redesigned Spanish Bay.
The courses
Jack Neville and Douglas Grant · 1919 · Public; advance tee times require a resort stay
The reason for the trip. The run from 4 through 10 along the cliffs and the 18th along the bay justify the price once.
Robert Trent Jones Sr. · 1966 · Public; non-guests can book about three months out
Starts with five holes in the dunes and then moves into the forest. Harder than Pebble and many players like it more.
The Hay
Tiger Woods · 2021 · Public
Nine short holes (roughly 50 to 100 yards) next to the Lodge. Bring a wedge, a putter and a drink.
Pacific Grove Golf Links
H. Chandler Egan (front nine) and Jack Neville (back nine) · 1932 · Public (city-owned)
Tree-lined front nine, then a back nine through the dunes along the shoreline. The best value on the peninsula.
Poppy Hills Golf Course
Robert Trent Jones Jr. · 1986 · Public
Owned by the Northern California Golf Association and set in the Del Monte Forest; reopened in 2014 after a 13-month renovation. A solid, cheaper round between the two big ones.
Booking it
To book a Pebble Beach tee time more than a day or two out, you need at least two nights at The Lodge, Casa Palmero or The Inn at Spanish Bay (three nights for Thursday–Sunday play from September to November). Without a stay you're limited to whatever opens inside that short window. Spyglass Hill can be booked about three months ahead without a stay; Pacific Grove and Poppy Hills book directly.
Worth knowing
- Pebble's cart fee is about $60 and a caddie costs more. A caddie is the better spend on greens this subtle.
- Bring a wind layer for every round. Even in fall, the afternoon wind off the bay is cold.
- Spanish Bay reopens April 17, 2027 at a higher rate ($550, up from $365). Don't plan 2026 trips around it.
- Pacific Grove fills up with locals, so book a weekday time as soon as your dates are set.