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By John Maginnes
PGATOUR.com Correspondent

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- No poet has the words. No artist has the oils to truly capture the beauty of Pebble Beach.

Although many have tried, it is beyond the scope of our abilities to completely capture something that awes. With more beauty and history combined than any other course in America, Pebble Beach is in a class by itself.

No. 7 at Pebble Beach is one of the most scenic views in all of golf. (Fontaine/WireImage)

If you know nothing about the shot that Tom Watson hit on the 71st hole in the 1982 U.S. Open you will still enjoy the walk. If you can't remember Jack Nicklaus congratulating Colin Montgomerie a decade later only to have Tom Kite heroically wrestle victory from the Scot's grasp, you will marvel at the spectacular scenery.

But if you are a golf fan with an appreciation for history then you, like me, are home at Pebble Beach. From the first time that I walked through the doors of the Lodge I knew that part of my soul resided here even though I had never visited before. The wooden door squeaked from the hinges a little as I pushed it open -- reminding me of summers at my grandmother's old house thousands of miles away. Once inside I was struck by the mixture of aromas that can only occur in an old wooden building by the seaside and I was a goner.

When you play the course you can hear the echoes from the footfalls of those who came before us. The lingering cheers of days gone by are whispered on the sea breeze as it rustles the pines and reminds us that we are where greatness has been and will be again.

They have all made the journey to these shores on the Monterey Peninsula. From Hogan and Snead to Arnie and Jack they have all trod just above the cliffs. Tiger, too, has hoisted trophies on the most famous 18th green in golf. The dissection of Pebble Beach by the game's best in the 2000 Open was one for the ages.

The first time I played the 18th hole in a practice round in 1996 I hit every ball in my bag off the tee. I had been waiting for that moment my whole life and wanted to savor it.

Some suggest that if the holes at Pebble Beach were placed inland the golf course would be unremarkable. Perhaps my imagination doesn't reach that far. No other hole in golf has been photographed more than the par-3 seventh. It is the shortest par 3 the PGA TOUR players will face all year -- never playing more than 100 yards. However, to stand on the seventh tee at Pebble Beach facing the downhill wedge shot to the postage stamp green below brings joy to the heart of even the most hardened skeptic.

If the fates let me know that my time is nearly up then I will play Pebble Beach one last time. I will drink in the air and soak up the sounds of waves crashing on rocks. I will raise a glass in the Tap Room where they have all gathered. I will toast the ghosts that linger in the shadows and know that if only for a moment, I was one of them.

There are few weeks now that I truly miss being a PGA TOUR player. But this is definitely one of them.