My husband's cousin (from Indiana) plans to visit CA next month and drive down the coast. She said one thing she wants to see is the Pebble Beach golf course -- something to do with memories of her father, who played there once.

My questions are:

1) Is the 17 Mile Drive the only way to see the Pebble Beach golf course?

2) If you do pay the entry fee for the 17 Mile Drive, can you actually see much of Pebble Beach? Can you stop and visit the golf course (not to play) without paying an additional fee?

We drove the 17 miles once about 30 years ago and thought it was a total ripoff, that there was a lot of better coastal scenery for free. But we weren't interested in the golf course, and have no memories about it.

We're trying to help her with plans for the coastal drive, but the golf course is something we don't know about.

- Roz

This should help. I was never all that interested in golf, so I never paid any attention, but according to this map, you can see "the first tee and views of the sweeping 18th fairway and green" from the Lodge at Pebble Beach.

I don't know what the admission cost is these days, but I always enjoyed the spectacular coastal scenery, along with the Del Monte Forest, a peek at the fabulous homes ,and lunch at the Lodge. I guess it just depends on what you're looking for.

Thanks, Chris -- that is helpful. It does appear that the Drive is the only access to see the golf course. But at least she shouldn't have to pay more than the road toll (I believe it's now $9.25) to get a view of the course at the Lodge.

- Roz

It's possible that if you are going to stop for lunch or drinks at the Lodge, you don't have to pay the drive fee. It's been several years, but once when at a wedding in Pacific Grove we went to the Lodge at sunset for drinks and the piper (do check into that, it was lovely), and we did not have to pay the fee.

Hi Roz,

I think I might be able to help you here…
I believe the entry fee for the Drive is now at $9.25 and if you eat at one of the restaurants and show the receipt you get the nine and a quarter taken off the bill. Sometimes when you come through the gate and say you are going to the Lodge or the Inn to eat they won’t charge you. I will PM you about this later – or in the morning.

Here are a couple of the sites for the PBC that might help. I see there is a web cam and I think it might actually be up and running. Of course the US Open is coming our way so the courses are getting into shape. You can see all of the courses w/out extra charge and/or you can sit and have a lovely meal looking out on a couple of the holes of a couple of the courses– Stick’s at the Inn at Spanish Bay, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Great views of the Monterey/Santa Cruz coast and the T-off for one of the first holes. Club XIX at the Lodge looks out on to the 18th hole of the Pebble course – very pricey, and there is Stillwater which has an even better view of the 18th hole and Carmel Beach. And you can just sit and have a drink on the balcony, and if the weather is not cooperating you can sit inside and look out the picture windows.

http://www.pebblebeach.com/pag...Name=Golf_Course_Cam

http://www.pebblebeach.com/pag...geName=_17_Mile_Home

To your second question, once you are in the forest you can stay in until you get lost. And I mean that in the nicest way. There are some absolutely wonderful views on the Drive and off, but it is easy to get lost in here

There are 8 courses in here, so if you are into golf they say this is Heaven. And you can see all of them. Many are along the “17 Mile Drive”.

Anything else?

PS- Yes it is expensive, but boy of boy it is gorgeous. Of course you are correct, there are lots of free drives along our coast but no golf courses.

quote:

If you do pay the entry fee for the 17 Mile Drive, can you actually see much of Pebble Beach?

You see part of it.

quote:

Can you stop and visit the golf course (not to play) without paying an additional fee?

Yes and even get souvenirs from the shop. That may give you a better view.

quote:

We drove the 17 miles once about 30 years ago and thought it was a total ripoff, that there was a lot of better coastal scenery for free.

I also agree. The 17-mile drive is part of a beautiful coastline and is not more beautiful than the rest. But this sounds like a sentimental journey for your friend, so that's different.
My mum insisted on seeing the Danube when we were in Viena, even thouh I had warned her the whole area was quite industrialized.
When she finally saw the river, she said: "the Blue Danube that I danced to in college back in China is this ? Grey Danube?"

I too love the 17-Mile Drive and all of the golf course scenery.

We are coming to the US Open in June of this year. I love walking the golf course, and that is probably the only way to do it without actually playing it. We attended the 2000 US Open and were mesmerized by the ocean views on the course.

Wendy had lots of good information - she is a "local" and knows the scoop!

Nancy

1st- Nancy, we must arrange something while you are here, whether an actual GTG or just a casual something.

The Piper is at Spanish Bay at sunset, very lovely. You sit outside, looking out over the Pacific, with fire-pits going and you hear the sounds of a piper from a distance and then all of a sudden the sound gets louder and you see the piper coming along the golf course/dunes - sometimes coming out of the fog - and then he places himself on top of one of the hillocks and plays. See attached photo

http://www.slowphotos.com/phot...?photo=4197&cat=3149

This is great information -- thanks, everyone. I will pass it along to the cousin.

- Roz

Aw, now I want to take that drive again and also see the piper at sunset as it is such a nice memory. We are planning to spend the 4th of July weekend in the Santa Cruz area since we had a truly enjoyable time doing that last year, and if I can talk David into making it a week's vacation, perhaps we can do both. And see Wendy & Rob , or plan a wine tasting day.

Oh that is great Marcia, maybe i should do what I've been whispering about for the past couple of years ... and put a GTG together here ... ?

Roz, glad to have helped.

Wendy, John and I have often talked about exactly that, that the Pebble Beach/Carmel area would be ideal for a GTG.

Nancy

Okay, maybe I should get off my you-know-what and see what we can do.

Oh Wendy

My sister lived in the area for years. Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel. Then she went insane and moved to Reno! I saw her much more frequently when she lived in your corner of heaven!

quote:

Originally posted by Wendy & Rob:
1st- Nancy, we must arrange something while you are here, whether an actual GTG or just a casual something.

The Piper is at Spanish Bay at sunset, very lovely. You sit outside, looking out over the Pacific, with fire-pits going and you hear the sounds of a piper from a distance and then all of a sudden the sound gets louder and you see the piper coming along the golf course/dunes - sometimes coming out of the fog - and then he places himself on top of one of the hillocks and plays.

Wendy,

That sounds like a great idea! We will be staying in Carmel for four nights and then over to Santa Cruz for a couple of nights. The Piper sounds like a lovely place . . .

Nancy

Susie,

Nancy, maybe we can catch up for a pipe and a drink

quote:

Originally posted by Wendy & Rob:
The Piper is at Spanish Bay at sunset, very lovely. You sit outside, looking out over the Pacific, with fire-pits going and you hear the sounds of a piper from a distance and then all of a sudden the sound gets louder and you see the piper coming along the golf course/dunes - sometimes coming out of the fog - and then he places himself on top of one of the hillocks and plays.
http://www.slowphotos.com/phot...?photo=4197&cat=3149

Wendy,
Lovely description - and wonderful photo! You've persuaded me that I need to see him in person.

Please do, Colleen and maybe we can even share that drink. And thank you for the compliment.

Okay, I was just rereading this thread and see that there is a great possibility of putting something together.

Can any of you who think it would be great to gtg here private message me? Then we can see where to go from there. Obviously the day and time would be important for Nancy and husband since they are here for the USOpen.

Cheers

Hi Wendy,
Instead of PM I'm posting here to suggest you start a thread in the GTG forum.
Something like "Monterey Peninsula GTG June?" would work, I think.

Thanks Colleen, will do. I PM'ed Nancy to get her dates and am waiting for a response. Will do after that.

Sidenote-Rob and I will be away from May 12-31st, so need to have everything in place before the 12th, unless Nancy and Bill are here toward mid/end of June. I can't remember when Open is. Could go look )

Well - I googled, and they will be held June 14-20, 2010.

Too bad for us - we will be struggling to find something interesting to do in England during that period. Sigh.

Judy

Well s#!t, that is dissappointing, but I guess it means that maybe we need to do two GTG's.
Once I get going I could see putting two gtg's together. Maybe an end-of-summer event, but that would interfere with the "Picnic in the Woods" .

We can talk, but I will now go make a posting about an Open GTG.

Posted / + http://www.slowphotos.com/phot...?photo=4197&cat=3149