US Open 2019 - Pebble Beach

Hey folks

4 of us planning a trip to pebble beach next year for the US open, need to start hammering off some details.

Have never been to the area, us open or any pga tour event for that matter.

We plan on hitting up maybe Friday and Sunday tournament days. Any opinions?

Arriving wed/thur, leave Monday.

Where is the best play to stay? Air BnB(vrbo, HomeAway) away from

Course a bit maybe Near San Fran? Best places to golf in the area that we will be staying.

Best place to be on the course, best place to park, any info from those that have gone there would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I'd look for an AirBnB or go through a realtor for a home/condo with four people. Be prepared to pay more during Open week.

Golf wise, Bayonet and Black Horse are great. If you can sign up for an NCGA membership it might pencil out to save you some money. If I remember correctly Poppy Hills didn't offer the usual NCGA discount during Open week last time (2010). Spyglass is wonderful but pricey. Go through this board for other recommendations.

I like going to a Wednesday practice round rather than the main event. The crowds are much smaller and the players often interact with fans. If you can pull that off I think you'll like it.

My favorite place to watch is around the seventh tee. The sixth green is right there. Hole eight tee is too. I think it has the best views on the course.

Unless you have some connection, you'll have to park at the former Fort Ord which is in Seaside. That may come into play with your hotel/condo/whatever plans.

On the way from San Francisco down to the Monterey Peninsula (or vice-versa) you could hit up Pasatiempo, if you have the time

On the way from San Francisco down to the Monterey Peninsula (or vice-versa) you could hit up Pasatiempo, if you have the time

I would say that you definitely "should" hit up Pasatiempo. Make the time for it. It's worth it.

Agree about Pasatiempo - you should not miss it

With the -40 temperatures, this trip has me so excited, anything else a person needs to know for the us open? Tips, tricks, suggestions?

Another vote for Pasatiempo.

Fetch, if you haven’t already done so, book your lodging. Hotels are asking 3x their normal rate.

Don't forget to pack a sweater, a wind shirt and slacks. Weather can be cooler than you think by the coast if the fog is in.

With the -40 temperatures, this trip has me so excited, anything else a person needs to know for the us open? Tips, tricks, suggestions?

I prefer Monday and Tuesday practice rounds at the Open. It seems like the players kind of taper down practice by Wednesday. I also like feeling of anticipation that the opening round has. Before the dream of winning the U.S. Open is dashed for 80 percent of the field ( maybe that’s overly pessimistic ).

Definitely hit the driving range. Look for a sandwich board identifying the player that is going to use a particular practice station.

The USGA sometimes has a “theme” for some of the threesomes the first two rounds. And not always a good one. See if you can figure it out.

My family and I went in 2010, for Sunday only. Here’s what we learned:

1. We live in Fremont, CA and drove down the morning of, leaving at 5:00 AM. Ate at Denny’s and were in the parking lot by 7:30, on the course at 8:30. (Someone mentioned the shuttles). We left as McDowell was on 18, and got home at 10ish. My point with that is it is possible to do a bonzai from out of the area. Anywhere Bay Area, Gilroy, or possibly even Hollister would be outside the Open price effect. Might be harder to convince a group of buddies to do that, especially when even a $400 room split 4 ways is just $100.

2. Pebble beach is not condusive to spectators due to the layout. There are only a few places on the course where you can see more than 2 holes at once. On the morning of day one, find a low-profile group with a player you like and walk the course with them. As you do, make note of places you might camp out come Sunday/later in the day.

3. Find the AMEx tent or whoever sponsors the radio earpieces. These give commentary of ESPN radio (if they still have them.) Really helps keep track of what’s going on, especially since when we were there, phones and cameras were outright forbidden.

3. On Sunday, the leaders will have crowds 3-5 deep following them, especially if that includes Tiger or Phil. If the 4 of you want to stick together, following one group through the crowd will be impossible. Pick 2 or 3 spots on the golf course where you can wait for the leaders, watch them go, and hustle to your next spot. For my family that was 5 green, and 15 green/16 tee. *Caveat: if you want to see the winner on 18 and the final group, you need to decide that about 3 hours in advance. It filled up THAT EARLY. They do not let the crowd follow the last group down the fairway, so it gets really tight really quick. On the other hand, the shuttles will be in maximum constraint at that point as 30,000 people leave the golf course in about 2 hours. If the tourney is decided, bail early and snag a bus before the throng.

5. It’s expensive, but hit the merch tent just because it’s so cool and once in a lifetime. My dad still uses his towel and I still use my Nike golf shirt.

6. Soak it up, get lost in the atmosphere and pomp and circumstance. It’s going to be a long, tiring day or couple days but it will be a blast. You will be walking along a beautiful golf course you’ve probably played in your head many times. Enjoy it!

Courses in the area: The expensive and famous ones have been listed: Pasatiempo, Spyglass, etc. Other options are Pacific Grove (wonderful little fun course), Half Moon Bay- beautiful oceanside golfing, and in the SF city proper, Harding Park (2020(?) PGA) and Presidio, a retro, tree lined track. There are also plenty of cheap munis and the like if you’re just looking to play somewhere, and not a destination course. (De La Vega, Eagle Ridge, San Jaun Oaks).

Things to do:

Driving from SF to Monterey, take CA-1 along the ocean. Stop at the pigeon point lighthouse, and in Santa Cruz. Eat a pizza my heart pizza (local chain) and if you want to, go to the boardwalk amusement park if for no other reason than to walk on the beach. In the Bay Area proper, find and eat at a Nation’s Hamburgers, you will not regret it. If you play Harding Park there’s one less than a mile away. Any place whose slogan is ”Giant Hamburgers, Grand Breakfasts, Great Pies and More!” Cant be that bad. 1/3lb burger with full fixings and fries for $6.

Anything else? Just ask; I’m Bay Area born and raised and always happy to give tips!

As mentioned I also like to be at hole #7 to watch tourneys. As tad950 mentioned definitely hit the driving range which is really close to the course.

Weather in June can vary it can be sunny and warm, foggy, cold and windy so I would be prepared clothes wise.

If you have questions feel free to ask as I'm in the bay area, my wife and I spend a lot of time on the Monterey Peninsula.

I have tickets for Thursday through Sunday but it's just me going so I'm worried that I'll end up having to sell them because traveling as a single is going to cost a fortune for this trip.

As mentioned I also like to be at hole #7 to watch tourneys. As tad950 mentioned definitely hit the driving range which is really close to the course.

Weather in June can vary it can be sunny and warm, foggy, cold and windy so I would be prepared clothes wise.

If you have questions feel free to ask as I'm in the bay area, my wife and I spend a lot of time on the Monterey Peninsula.

+1

Top row of 7 grandstand can maybe see 6 green and 8 tee. For “viewpoint that shows off how good the pros are”, behind 8 green to watch the 200-220 yard iron shots fall from the sky over the “gulf of pebble” to the tiny green. Something I felt after watching on tv so much was how small the greens are in real life, btw.

I have tickets for Thursday through Sunday but it's just me going so I'm worried that I'll end up having to sell them because traveling as a single is going to cost a

fortune for this trip.

If you're going as a single it's been mentioned that rooms are going to be really expensive. You could always stay a little further north and on the coast at Aptos or Capitola approximately 30 minutes to Monterey. Both towns are seaside towns on the Ocean and rooms should be much cheaper. And if you want to golf Pasatiempo is less than 30 minutes away

Hey folks, thanks for the suggestions! Yah we booked an air bnb about a year ago in Santa Cruz. All good there. Can’t wait to go, watching the at&t proam has me all gitty!

Hey folks, thanks for the suggestions! Yah we booked an air bnb about a year ago in Santa Cruz. All good there. Can’t wait to go, watching the at&t proam has me all gitty!

If you're staying in Santa Cruz then Pasatiempo Golf Club is only 10 minutes away.

I volunteered at 2010 open and stayed in Morgan hill. Price was right at extended stay. About 1 hr drive to parking.

I have some accommodation I need to get rid of that is non refundable as some people have pulled out of our tour. Happy to sell it on to anyone interested.