This tournament is known best for its stunning host course -- Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Feb. 9, 2011
The TOUR heads north to Pebble Beach, Calif., this week for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, where the pros, celebrities and amateurs will tee it up on three different courses.
PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS
| Fast facts |
| Course Superintendent |
Chris Dalhamer |
| Original architect |
Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, 1919 |
| Redesign |
Ed Conner and Jack Nicklaus, 1991; New fifth hole by Jack Nicklaus, 1998 |
| Par value |
72 |
| Number of TOUR events as host venue |
65 (including 2011) |
| Course ranking |
Ranked 31 (out of 52) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2010 |
| Yardage history |
6,815 yards (1947-1994) |
| |
6,799 (1995-1999) |
| |
6,816 (2000-2004, 2006-present) |
| |
6,737 (2005) |
| Grass |
Perennial ryegrass (tees, fairways, rough); Poa annua (rough) |
| Tournament Stimpmeter |
10 ft |
| Sand bunkers |
111 |
| Water hazards |
Ocean on nine holes |
| Course tour |
Click here |
|
| Course record |
|
Player
Tom Kite
David Duval |
Year
1983
1997 |
Round
3rd
3rd |
Finish
1st
T2 |
|
| Holes-in-one |
| Bill Glasson |
5 |
2005 |
| Mike Heinen |
7 |
2003 |
| David Morland IV |
5 |
2000 |
| Gil Morgan |
12 |
1996 |
| David Graham |
7 |
1995 |
| Vijay Singh |
7 |
1994 |
| Olin Browne |
12 |
1994 |
| Greg Hickman |
12 |
1992 |
| Billy Mayfair |
17 |
1989 |
| Brett Upper |
5 |
1988 |
| Nick Price |
17 |
1988 |
| Rex Caldwell |
7 |
1986 |
| Hubert Green |
7 |
1985 |
| Lou Graham |
7 |
1984 |
|
| 2010 Rankings |
| Most Difficult Hole |
 |
The par-4 466-yard 9th This is the toughest hole on the golf course. Because the fairway slopes severely toward the ocean, the approach must be hit from a hanging lie. What usually happens is that the player leaks it to the right a little or overcompensates and ends up in the left rough or the greenside bunker. The approach to No. 8 may be the most critical on the course, but the approach to the ninth is just as difficult and if you've missed the eighth, the ninth is not place to pick up lost strokes.
2010: 0 eagles, 18 birdies, 141 pars, 57 bogeys, 9 double bogeys, 1 other. |
| Easiest hole |
 |
The par-5 502-yard 2nd The green is quite narrow, which means you want to leave as short an approach as possible. That means that, even though the fairway is only 30 yards wide, players will be hitting driver as hard as possible.
2010: 9 eagles, 112 birdies, 86 pars, 14 bogeys, 3 double bogeys and 0 others. |
|
|
| Pebble Beach Golf Links |
2010 rankings | Last 26 years |
| 1 |
4 |
381 |
4.08 |
6 |
4.108 |
7 |
| 2 |
5 |
502 |
4.524 |
18 |
4.593 |
18 |
| 3 |
4 |
390 |
3.987 |
9 |
4.012 |
12 |
| 4 |
4 |
331 |
3.862 |
15 |
3.939 |
16 |
| 5 |
3 |
188 |
3.044 |
7 |
3.142 |
6 |
| 6 |
5 |
513 |
4.56 |
17 |
4.715 |
17 |
| 7 |
3 |
106 |
2.84 |
16 |
3.008 |
13 |
| 8 |
4 |
418 |
4.244 |
2 |
4.276 |
2 |
| 9 |
4 |
466 |
4.253 |
1 |
4.344 |
1 |
| 10 |
4 |
446 |
4.164 |
4 |
4.273 |
3 |
| 11 |
4 |
380 |
3.969 |
10 |
4.025 |
11 |
| 12 |
3 |
202 |
3.107 |
5 |
3.173 |
4 |
| 13 |
4 |
399 |
3.929 |
13 |
4.041 |
9 |
| 14 |
5 |
573 |
5.187 |
3 |
5.144 |
5 |
| 15 |
4 |
397 |
3.902 |
14 |
4.003 |
14 |
| 16 |
4 |
403 |
4.036 |
8 |
4.072 |
8 |
| 17 |
3 |
178 |
2.938 |
11 |
3.037 |
10 |
| 18 |
5 |
543 |
4.938 |
11 |
4.990 |
15 |
|
| Course origins |
| The par-three 5th hole at Pebble Beach was rebuit and reopened in 1998. The redesign was performed by Jack Nicklaus and is located along the pacific coastline on a 50-foot cliff. At a cost of $3 million, No. 5 is possibly the most expensive new hole in championship golf. |
| Pebble Beach was the site of the 100th U.S. Open Championship in 2000, which produced a record-setting 15-shot victory for Tiger Woods at 12 under par. Graeme McDowell won when the U.S. Open returned to Pebble Beach again last summer. |
|
MONTEREY PENINSULA COUNTRY CLUB -- SHORE COURSE
| Fast facts |
| Original architect |
Bob E. Baldock and Jack Neville, 1959 |
| Par value |
70 |
| Number of TOUR events as host venue |
4 |
| Yardage |
6,838 |
| Grass |
Poa annua (greens); Bent (tees, fairways) |
|
| Holes in one |
| Monterey Peninsula Country Club |
| Adam Scott |
7 |
2010 |
| Derek Lamely |
14 |
2010 |
|
| Course origins |
| Monterey Peninsula Country Club originally opened in July 1926, with the Dunes Course, a vision of Pebble Beach founder, Samuel F.B. Morse. The club properties account for roughly 400 acres of land in the central region of the Monterey Peninsula. The Shores Course was designed by Bob E. Baldock and Jack Neville in 1959 after the members purchased the club from Del Monte Properties. |
| In 2003, more than 40 years later, the members decided to hire Mike Strantz to redesign a layout on par with the stunning land it was first sowed. "I wanted to shape the course to sweep with the natural terrainthe rocks, the trees and grasses, the ocean," Strantz said. "I dreamed that the course would appear to dance among the cypress trees on this coastline forever." Strantz designed 12 new holes and remodeled the other six to add more than 500 yards to the par-72 layout. |
| This wonderful layout is located along 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach. Views of the rugged coastline are spectacular. The proximity to the open ocean means wind is a major factor at times. Since the course is private and gets very little traffic, it is in pristine condition. |
| The Shores Course was part of the Crosby golf tournament hosted by Bing Crosby, currently the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, from 1965, 1966 and 1977. 2010 was a rebirth for the Shores Course as the Monterey Peninsula Foundation announced it would be replacing Poppy Hills Golf Course in the rotation last year. -- www.montereypeninsulagolf.com |
|
|
| Monterey Beach |
2010 rankings |
| 1 |
4 |
454 |
4.045 |
4 |
| 2 |
4 |
391 |
3.877 |
13 |
| 3 |
3 |
155 |
2.852 |
15 |
| 4 |
4 |
401 |
4.116 |
2 |
| 5 |
4 |
349 |
3.858 |
14 |
| 6 |
5 |
548 |
4.761 |
17 |
| 7 |
3 |
226 |
3.032 |
5 |
| 8 |
4 |
454 |
4.077 |
3 |
| 9 |
3 |
224 |
2.994 |
7 |
| 10 |
5 |
544 |
4.613 |
18 |
| 11 |
3 |
176 |
2.974 |
9 |
| 12 |
5 |
599 |
4.768 |
16 |
| 13 |
4 |
401 |
4 |
6 |
| 14 |
3 |
190 |
2.955 |
11 |
| 15 |
4 |
415 |
3.974 |
9 |
| 16 |
4 |
500 |
4.148 |
1 |
| 17 |
4 |
430 |
3.994 |
7 |
| 18 |
4 |
381 |
3.91 |
12 |
|
SPYGLASS HILL GOLF COURSE
| Fast facts |
| Course Superintendent |
Robert C. Yeo |
| Original architect |
Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1966 |
| Par value |
72 |
| Number of TOUR events as host venue |
42 (including 2011) |
| Course ranking |
Ranked 30 (out of 52) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2010 |
| Yardage history |
6,810 yards (1967-1976, 1978-1979, 1981-1995) |
| |
6,859 yards (1997-1999) |
| |
6,817 yards (2000-2001) |
| |
6,862 yards (2002-2006) |
| |
6,953 yards (2007-2009) |
| |
6,833 (2010) |
| Grass |
Perennial ryegrass (tees, fairways, rough); Poa annua (tees, fairways, greens, rough) |
| Tournament Stimpmeter |
10 ft |
| Sand bunkers |
62 |
| Water hazards |
4 |
| Course tour |
Click here |
|
| Course record |
|
Player
Phil Mickelson
Luke Donald |
Year
2005
2006 |
Round
1st
1st |
Finish
1st
T7 |
|
| Holes in one |
| There have been nine aces recorded at Spyglass Hill GC |
| James Oh |
15 |
2009 |
| Derek Fathauer |
15 |
2009 |
| Brad Fabel |
15 |
2000 |
| Sam Randolph |
5 |
1998 |
| John Joseph |
12 |
1991 |
| Carl Cooper |
5 |
1990 |
| Gil Morgan |
3 |
1989 |
| Tom Watson |
15 |
1989 |
| Hal Sutton |
3 |
1985 |
|
| 2010 Rankings |
| Most Difficult Hole |
 |
The par-4 476-yard 16th A drive too long may run through this fairway. A tree, which cannot be seen from the tee, blocks the right side. However, when past this tree, the green opens up, so it may be worth the gamble.
2010: 0 eagles, 12 birdies, 96 pars, 43 bogeys, 5 double bogeys, 0 other. |
| Easiest hole |
 |
The par-5 528-yard 11th A dogleg-right par-5 is characterized by a necklace of bunkers protecting the right side of the green. While beautiful to look at from a distance, these bunkers are very costly to play from.
2010: 6 eagles, 77 birdies, 61 pars, 9 bogeys, 3 double bogeys and 0 others. |
|
|
| Spyglass Hill Golf Course |
2010 rankings | Last 26 years |
| 1 |
5 |
595 |
4.756 |
16 |
4.996 |
13 |
| 2 |
4 |
349 |
4.026 |
9 |
4.079 |
9 |
| 3 |
3 |
165 |
2.994 |
11 |
3.043 |
12 |
| 4 |
4 |
370 |
3.859 |
13 |
4.066 |
10 |
| 5 |
3 |
197 |
3.135 |
6 |
3.215 |
4 |
| 6 |
4 |
446 |
4.173 |
5 |
4.268 |
3 |
| 7 |
5 |
529 |
4.609 |
17 |
4.774 |
17 |
| 8 |
4 |
399 |
4.199 |
2 |
4.312 |
2 |
| 9 |
4 |
431 |
4.071 |
8 |
4.201 |
7 |
| 10 |
4 |
407 |
4 |
10 |
4.146 |
8 |
| 11 |
5 |
528 |
4.526 |
18 |
4.705 |
18 |
| 12 |
3 |
178 |
3.096 |
7 |
3.058 |
11 |
| 13 |
4 |
460 |
4.186 |
3 |
4.204 |
6 |
| 14 |
5 |
560 |
4.821 |
15 |
4.925 |
16 |
| 15 |
3 |
130 |
2.865 |
12 |
2.960 |
14 |
| 16* |
4 |
476 |
4.263 |
1 |
4.332 |
1 |
| 17 |
4 |
325 |
3.84 |
14 |
3.953 |
15 |
| 18 |
4 |
408 |
4.186 |
3 |
4.207 |
5 |
|
| Course origins |
| Spyglass Hill Golf Course takes its name from Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, Treasure Island, published in 1863. Local legend maintains that Stevenson once wandered the Spyglass area gathering ideas for his novels. A unique aspect of this course is that the holes are named after characters in Treasure Island. Hole names such as, "Black Dog" and "Billy Bones" are hints for the unwary. |
| As players attempt to master this difficult course, they may hear the laughter of pirates in the distance. Spyglass Hill was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., as part of the master plan for the Pebble Beach ocean front. S.F.B. Morse, founder of Pebble Beach Company, and Chairman of the Board of Del Monte Properties, envisioned a string of golf courses around Del Monte Forest's shoreline. Morse commissioned Jones to design a course between Cypress Point and Pebble Beach. After six years of planning, Spyglass Hill opened March 11, 1966. |
| The design features two dinstinctly different kinds of terrain that influence the way the holes look and play. The first five holes roll through sandy seaside dunes, challenging the golfer to carefully pick the safest path. The following 13 holes are cut through majestic pines with elevated greens and strategically placed bunkers and lakes to grab the errant shot. Spyglass Hill is rated one of the toughest courses in the world from the Championship Tees, boasting a course rating of 75.5 and a slope rating of 147. The PGA TOUR consistently lists Spyglass Hill's holes 6, 8, and 16 among the toughest on the TOUR, and during the 1999 United States Amateur, the stroke average of the field during medal play was in excess of 79. |
|
| Tournament course history |
| Rancho Santa Fe CC |
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. |
1937-1942 |
| Pebble Beach GL |
Pebble Beach, Calif. |
1947-present |
| Cypress Point CC |
Pebble Beach, Calif. |
1947-1990 |
| Monterey Peninsula CC |
Pebble Beach, Calif. |
1947-1952, 1954-1966, 1977, 2010 |
| Spyglass Hill GC |
Pebble Beach, Calif. |
1967-1976, 1978-1979, 1981-present |
| Poppy Hills GC |
Pebble Beach, Calif. |
1991-2009 |
|
|
| This week's Kodak Challenge hole |
HOLE: The par-5, 543-yard 18th at Pebble Beach Golf Links
LAST YEAR: The 18th played to a stroke average of 4.938, with players recording 3 eagles, 59 birdies, 124 pars, 27 bogeys and 12 double bogey
DESCRIPTION: A new tee further out to sea actually makes the tee shot a little easier, but it still must negotiate the coastline. Only the longest hitters will be able to reach the green in two if they keep their balls in the fairway, although a good, hard drive will bounce considerably because these fairways run firm and fast in the summer. (Click here for more) |
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