Monterey Peninsula Country Club

Pebble Beach, California

Monterey Peninsula Country Club, like Cypress Point Club, is another high-profile, private country club in Pebble Beach where only members and invited guests can play. Set among 450 acres of scenic Monterey Peninsula coastline, Monterey Peninsula Country Club features two separate 18-Hole golf courses: The Shores and The Dunes.

The Shores Course plays in the open air and runs along the Pacific Ocean. The Dunes Course is more inland with several holes on the back-nine playing alongside the Pacific Ocean. Both courses historically suffered from the torrential rains at Pebble Beach, which would wreak havoc on the courses' drainage system. However, recent redesigns of both courses have drastically improved their fairway firmness and made them much more amenable to playing low shots into the strong coastal winds.

THE SHORES

Golf Digest ranks The Shores course as #77 in "America's 100 Greatest Courses" and Golfweek ranks it #44 "America's Top 100 Modern Courses." Even though it is much newer than The Dunes course, The Shores at Monterey Peninsula Country Club is considered by many as their favorite. The Shores was designed in 1962 by Bob Baldock and Jack Neville, and underwent a major redesign in 2004 with the vision of Michael Strantz. Strantz's redesign provides a compelling story, as it marked his most defining moment as a golf course architect and also his last. Strantz died of cancer in June 2005, but not before transforming a decent course with an incredible setting to an overall outstanding display.

The 1st Hole, a 486-yard par-5, provides an inspiring start to the day. A golfer gets a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean and feels the power of his tee shot as it flies along the downhill-sloping fairway.

The 5th Hole, a 370-yard par-4, tests a golfer's nerve and strategy. It's a classic risk-reward scenario: you can reach the green in two, but the consequences are severe if you miss into the bunkers and lateral water hazards surrounding the green. Even making it on the green doesn't get you out of trouble, as it contains some tricky, hidden breaks. The 5th is a fun yet challenging hole to play.

The 11th Hole, a 178-yard par-3, features a panoramic view of the Monterey Peninsula. The tee box is situated atop a large boulder and raised 32-feet above the fairway. The green slopes away from the golfer, making it difficult to land and stay on the green. Par for this hole, and the entire course, is considered a blessing.

THE DUNES

Golf Digest ranks The Dunes course as the 24th best golf course in California. Opened in 1926 by designer Seth Raynor (and partially redesigned two years later by Alister Mackenzie and Robert Hunter), The Dunes at Monterey Peninsula Country Club was the second Pebble Beach golf course to be built (after Pebble Beach Golf Links in 1919). The first three holes wind uphill and inland, with a wall of thick trees lining both sides of the fairway. The 10th through 15th holes play out in the open air along the coastline, before turning you back towards the clubhouse on the last 2 holes. Monterey's drainage issue was addressed in 1999 when Rees Jones rebuilt portions of the course and "roughed up" the flat fairways to improve drainage.

The 8th Hole, a 400-yard par-4, peers downhill towards the Santa Cruz mountains. Due to the downhill slope, your towering ball will sail through the air and land like a drop of rain in the wide fairways.

The 9th Hole, a 480-yard par-5, features a mixture of sand, cypress trees, and ice plants on your way to the hole. Plus, you get to the hear the Pacific Ocean for the first time. A sandy ridge protects the front of the green, but other than this impediment a big hitter could attempt to reach the green in two shots.

The 14th Hole, a 177-yard par-3, is pictured above and the most striking hole of all. In 1999 Jones moved the tee and the green as far out to sea as he could. The result: a memorable tee shot over the rolling, crashing waves of the Ocean while standing beside the rocks of Point Joe (a popular tourist stop along the 17-Mile Drive).

In case you're not a member or guest of the Monterey Peninsula Country Club, and you're having a devil-of-a-time getting into other Pebble Beach golfing establishments, check out the nearby Monterey Bay Aquarium. You're more than likely to get a glimpse of the Sharks and Walruses (no, golfers, I'm not referring to Greg Norman or Craig Stadler). Daily cruise ships are also available for seasonal whale-watching trips. And for wine tasters, Carmel Valley and Salinas Valley have over 16 wine tours. As if Pebble Beach golfing alone weren't enough, these other diversions can help make for a trip you (and perhaps your family/friends) will never forget.

This is Article #6 in a series on Pebble Beach Golf Courses.

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