Nine things to know about the AT&T's newest course

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Courtesy of Monterey Peninsula CC

Most of the holes on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula have views of the Pacific ocean.

PEBBLE BEACH, Fla. -- By all reports, the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club is a hidden gem that should dazzle during its coming-out party this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Originally opened in 1961, the Shore Course was included in the rotation for Bing Crosby's clambake in 1965, '66 and '77. But the course we'll see this week bears little resemblance after being redesigned by Mike Strantz and reopened in 2004.

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"My dream is that she will appear as if she has been dancing among the cypress on this coastline forever," Strantz wrote to the members as he embarked on the project.

One thing we know -- the Shore Course offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. But there's more to just the scenery. Here are nine things you should know about the course as you watch the telecast on GOLF CHANNEL and CBS this week.

1. Strantz was an artist as much as an architect and he could often be seen on the property sketching at dawn or dusk. He painted all 18 holes when he submitted his bid for the job, and the watercolors now hang in the Monterey Peninsula clubhouse.

2. Strantz was diagnosed with an aggressive form of tongue cancer in January, 2002 -- the same month he was hired to redesign the Short Course. Over the next 16 months while he was redoing the course, Stranz was also undergoing rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. He died in June 2005, a year after the course reopened.

3. All but four of the 18 holes on the Shore Course present an ocean view, not unlike the granddaddy of them all, Pebble Beach Golf Links. Before the redesign, the holes basically ran north or south along the coast, but Strantz used doglegs as he re-routed the Shore and created 14 dramatic shots played toward the Pacific. Twelve holes are completely new while the other six were re-worked. The course will play to 6,838 yards and a par 70 this week, with the first and 16th holes converted from par 5s to par 4s.

4. The greens on the Shore Course are in stark contrast to the tiny putting surfaces at Pebble Beach, though. They average 7,000 square feet and will play to a 10.5 reading on the Stimpmeter.

5. While the Shore Course will test the PGA TOUR's best this week, it can be enjoyed year-round by players of all skill levels. There are six sets of men's tees -- ranging from 5,407 yards and playing to a par of 66 to 6,940 and a par of 73. For the women, there are three sets stretching from 4,934 yards and a par of 69 to 5,805 and par 74.

6. Former TOUR pro Forrest Fezler was Strantz's business partner. Fezler, who won the 1974 Southern Open, oversaw the construction of the projects while Strantz was the designer.

While the two were working on the Shore Course, they rented a house on the 16th hole, near the ocean, and they often went down to the water to watch the sunset. Fezler remembers asking Strantz, who reportedly lost 80 pounds during his battle with cancer, how he found the strength to continue with the redesign. He said, "Forrest, this is keeping me alive right now."

Incidentally, Fezler's best finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am came in 1975 when he was solo fifth

7. Strantz had 45 acres of ice plant, a succulent often used as ground cover but which kills other plants, removed from the property. He also installed 42 miles of underground piping for a state-of-the-art drainage system that helps assure the Shore Course plays firm as a links-style course should.

8. The Shore Course has an unusual configuration of five par 3s. The 11th hole, which plays to 176 yards this week, was the final one Strantz created.

9. Monterey Peninsula Country Club is one of the most exclusive in the area. When it was founded in 1926, Del Monte Properties was the owner and the Dunes course was the only golf course that was open, although the Shore was laid out. Members had to be landowners and admitted to membership but there was no admission fee. Del Monte underwrote any operating losses and the dues were just $5 a month.

Some 33 years later, the dues had only increased to $7.50. In June, though, the members bought the clubhouse and 422 acres for $20, with the agreement that the Shore Course would be built within seven years. Two years and $150,000 later, the Shore opened.