Going to Pebble

[cliffhanger]

Just so excited i thought i would share this with everyone... my wife and i are taking our kids on a trip through california on our spring break... She has surprised me with rounds of golf for me and my son at the links of spanish bay and Pebble Beach. We are staying at the Spanish Bay resort for 2 nights and this has been a dream for me for a long time... Living in Alberta Canada its friggin cold up here and i am so looking forward to this... March 26th and 27th... i don't think i will sleep between now and then lol... this is an early 40th birthday gift and a once in a lifetime experience for me and my son!

[kekoa]

Congrats. Looks like several wrx''ers are making the trip. Be sure to take pics and enjoy. Ill be there in april

[sharkiesj]

Have fun! If you have some spare time, do go hiking/walking around Point Lobos State Reserve or Big Sur State Park. Great place for a picnic and photo shots to last a lifetime.

[skaarsgard]

Congrats! i hate to bring bad news but there have been quite a few posts here around green airation during the first week of April at Pebble - Spanish Bay. look for them and or call the resort for more info.

other than that, i live in the bay area and we have had pretty good weather this month. low 60's this week, low 70's last weekend. hopefully you get some of the great golfing weather during your trip - but i bet no snow on the ground is just fine for you guys.

[CallawayLefty]

Nice! Just got back from Pebble on Sunday...it's such a tremendous experience. Don't worry even if the greens are aerated, it wouldn't hold me back one bit.

[MJP22]

Great present. FWIW, do what you can to play Spyglass over Spanish Bay. IMO it is such a better course. If you are staying using the Getaway package (2nights @ spanish Bay plus 2 rounds of golf, 1 @ Pebble, then 1 at either Spyglass or Spanish Bay, then definitely do Spyglass as there is no addl upcharge).

Have a great time!

[tucsondivots]

[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1331149537' post='4456615']
Nice! Just got back from Pebble on Sunday...it's such a tremendous experience. Don't worry even if the greens are aerated, it wouldn't hold me back one bit.
[/quote]


Yep, I am about 100% sure I will have aerated greens for my potential days of April 9 or April 10 at PB -- but am not going to let it stop me or spoil the experience!

[slocagolfer]

[quote name='cliffhanger' timestamp='1331107901' post='4453809']
Just so excited i thought i would share this with everyone... my wife and i are taking our kids on a trip through california on our spring break... She has surprised me with rounds of golf for me and my son at the links of spanish bay and Pebble Beach. We are staying at the Spanish Bay resort for 2 nights and this has been a dream for me for a long time... Living in Alberta Canada its friggin cold up here and i am so looking forward to this... March 26th and 27th... i don't think i will sleep between now and then lol... this is an early 40th birthday gift and a once in a lifetime experience for me and my son!
[/quote]


Fantastic! My advice: Take a camera and hire a caddie. Don't take a cart.

Where else in California are you going?

[CallawayLefty]

[quote name='slocagolfer' timestamp='1331178435' post='4459269']
[quote name='cliffhanger' timestamp='1331107901' post='4453809']
Just so excited i thought i would share this with everyone... my wife and i are taking our kids on a trip through california on our spring break... She has surprised me with rounds of golf for me and my son at the links of spanish bay and Pebble Beach. We are staying at the Spanish Bay resort for 2 nights and this has been a dream for me for a long time... Living in Alberta Canada its friggin cold up here and i am so looking forward to this... March 26th and 27th... i don't think i will sleep between now and then lol... this is an early 40th birthday gift and a once in a lifetime experience for me and my son!
[/quote]


Fantastic! My advice: Take a camera and hire a caddie. Don't take a cart.

Where else in California are you going?
[/quote]

Big time second on don't take a cart. Either walk it or hire a caddy. I'd tend toward the latter, although it does add $100 to an already expensive day.

[Tallen01]

Third that. Walk it. And take a caddy for sure, even if just for the experience. I am so happy I splurged for that. My guy was great, he was fun, he saved me a ton of strokes on the green, and also had great stories about who owned the houses, where great shots had been played from, etc. PM me and I'll send you his contact info if you want.

Tom


[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1331232771' post='4463127']
[quote name='slocagolfer' timestamp='1331178435' post='4459269']
[quote name='cliffhanger' timestamp='1331107901' post='4453809']
Just so excited i thought i would share this with everyone... my wife and i are taking our kids on a trip through california on our spring break... She has surprised me with rounds of golf for me and my son at the links of spanish bay and Pebble Beach. We are staying at the Spanish Bay resort for 2 nights and this has been a dream for me for a long time... Living in Alberta Canada its friggin cold up here and i am so looking forward to this... March 26th and 27th... i don't think i will sleep between now and then lol... this is an early 40th birthday gift and a once in a lifetime experience for me and my son!
[/quote]


Fantastic! My advice: Take a camera and hire a caddie. Don't take a cart.

Where else in California are you going?
[/quote]

Big time second on don't take a cart. Either walk it or hire a caddy. I'd tend toward the latter, although it does add $100 to an already expensive day.
[/quote]

[deadsolid...shank]

I have a caddy question. If he double bags, is it still $80 (or whatever the correct rate is) per person, and is each person then expected to also tip the $30-50? Can you request a caddy just for your own bag?

Three weeks from Saturday we leave!

[slocagolfer]

[quote name='deadsolid...shank' timestamp='1331237595' post='4463769']
I have a caddy question. If he double bags, is it still $80 (or whatever the correct rate is) per person, and is each person then expected to also tip the $30-50? Can you request a caddy just for your own bag?

Three weeks from Saturday we leave!
[/quote]


Yes and yes. I believe it's more expensive (naturally) for a caddie to carry a single. Call PB and ask about it. They are very helpful.

[dcmidnight]

Spent last weekend at PB, played two rounds there and a round at Spyglass.

Will be posting a full trip report next week with tons of pictures but I cant encourage you enough to get a caddy. Honestly, you will not he able to read the greens without one. And its nothing personal. I played my second round at Pebble with a TM staff guy, a pro that had played a couple years on the Canadian Tour, and he said there's no way you could read the greens without one. I broke 90 all 3 days and can confidently say I would have been over 100 on my own.

And IMO the recommended tip for these guys is ridiculously low. If you're going to make this trip of a lifetime, playing one of the most amazing courses in the world, getting help from some of the best caddies ive seen, really, this is the time you're going to cheap out on the tip? Ugh.

Full tr to come.

[leftypga]

I'm not dissing the idea of a caddy. When we were there in August, the caddies with the group ahead of us definitely made a difference. The old man and little girls that took 5-6 shots to get to each hole made a disturbingly high number of putts. I just don't get why people always say that the greens are impossible without a caddy. Maybe if you are not from the area and haven't really played seaside courses, but neither I or the friend I played it with had any trouble reading the greens. And I'm not even that great a putter. I actually putted quite well and made a crazy putt from clear across the green on 8. I'm sure watching Pebble every year either on tv or in the gallery helps a bit. I feel like I know that course better than my home course.

[cliffhanger]

We will also be around anaheim for a week... i usually play anaheim hills because it is close and maybe something around san diego and then off to vegas for a couple of days.[quote name='slocagolfer' timestamp='1331178435' post='4459269']
[quote name='cliffhanger' timestamp='1331107901' post='4453809']
Just so excited i thought i would share this with everyone... my wife and i are taking our kids on a trip through california on our spring break... She has surprised me with rounds of golf for me and my son at the links of spanish bay and Pebble Beach. We are staying at the Spanish Bay resort for 2 nights and this has been a dream for me for a long time... Living in Alberta Canada its friggin cold up here and i am so looking forward to this... March 26th and 27th... i don't think i will sleep between now and then lol... this is an early 40th birthday gift and a once in a lifetime experience for me and my son!
[/quote]


Fantastic! My advice: Take a camera and hire a caddie. Don't take a cart.

Where else in California are you going?
[/quote]

[cliffhanger]

Thanks for the tip... my wife and daughter are looking for things to do around town while we are golfing...but we will definately look at any state parks and beaches... cheers.
[quote name='sharkiesj' timestamp='1331139457' post='4455541']
Have fun! If you have some spare time, do go hiking/walking around Point Lobos State Reserve or Big Sur State Park. Great place for a picnic and photo shots to last a lifetime.
[/quote]

[cliffhanger]

Thanks to everyone for the tips and advice. The aerated greens will not be a bother at all... i am too excited to let that worry me... as far as the caddies go i will be hard at work with my wife trying to convince her it is a good idea... my son already likes that one... said he would feel like a pro lol. If anyone has any thoughts regarding the area as far as things to do other than golf... that would be awesome. Thanks guys and i will be posting some pics for sure from this amazing trip. Cheers!!!

[cliffhanger]

Oh and we have been hard at work playing the course on PGA tour golf lol.

[deadsolid...shank]

[quote name='cliffhanger' timestamp='1331297399' post='4468545']
Oh and we have been hard at work playing the course on PGA tour golf lol.
[/quote]

We've been playing it in the simulator. I sure hope the ball goes right through the trees without hitting anything at Pebble like it does on the screen.

[tucsondivots]

[quote name='deadsolid...shank' timestamp='1331298658' post='4468613']
[quote name='cliffhanger' timestamp='1331297399' post='4468545']
Oh and we have been hard at work playing the course on PGA tour golf lol.
[/quote]

We've been playing it in the simulator. I sure hope the ball goes right through the trees without hitting anything at Pebble like it does on the screen.
[/quote]

Please let us know how it goes. Several of us WRXers are headed to PB between now and the end of April -- many of us first timers!

[CallawayLefty]

Sounds like you're on top of the caddie issue, but don't be disappointed if you don't end up getting one. For you and your son, you're looking at another $250+, which is not chump change when you just dropped $1000 on the round and god knows how much on other gear. A couple things I'd suggest...(1) if you don't take a caddy, walk it with your son (sounds like a damn great experience in and of itself). Carts are on path only, so you're going to walk it either way. And people always look really frustrated walking back and forth to the carts. (2) If you're tight on money for the caddy, you might think about skipping on shirts, hats, etc...all of the "touristy" stuff that can suck some serious cash out of your wallet and ends up being something you wear for one year and never again. I'd take a caddy at Pebble anytime over a shirt from the gift shop. Just a thought on some mental/financial "horse trading" you can do to justify the caddie. Heck, pack your own sandwiches, trail mix, bottled water, etc...by the time you skip food and clothing, you've already saved $300 or $400 that most people spend. Then plop that straight down for a caddy, which really adds to the experience. I don't know that they save you 10 shots like others have said, but it was awesome to have one nonetheless.

EDIT: And by the way, I don't think it actually costs extra to have a single caddy. You just have to request it in advance. I think it's $80 for a single and $160 for a double. I could be wrong about that. But if it IS more expensive, I would just take the double - no experience aspect lost on that one if it saves you a few bucks.

[kekoa]

I'm about 99% sure that I'll be using a caddy when I go.

Someone pls confirm that they dump ur clubs into crappy Ping carry bags out there.

[tucsondivots]

[quote name='kekoa' timestamp='1331336032' post='4472701']
I'm about 99% sure that I'll be using a caddy when I go.

Someone pls confirm that they dump ur clubs into crappy Ping carry bags out there.
[/quote]

I am curious about that, too. I only have a cart bag and have heard if you do not have a "light" carry bag they transfer your stuff. I have heard the PB Shop in Carmel has the golf souveniers (clothes, etc) at a better price than at the course. Does anyone know if this is true?

[dcmidnight]

[quote name='kekoa' timestamp='1331336032' post='4472701']
I'm about 99% sure that I'll be using a caddy when I go.

Someone pls confirm that they dump ur clubs into crappy Ping carry bags out there.
[/quote]
Yes this is true in some cases but I'm guessing they would always do it with a cart bag.

They told me it was not about the weight, that it mostly had to do with the straps and how the bags are to carry when they are double bagging. I have an Ogio bag that they swapped out on the day my gf and I split a caddy. But on the next two days when I had my own they did not. To be fair they explained it to me very precisely and asked me if I minded

And please, its not as if they "dump" your stuff into a "crappy" bag - a little melodramatic lol. It didn't bother me one bit, I carried everything I wanted to, just in a different bag.

[ukalum]

I recommend the caddies for the flavor and stories they add, as well as it allows you to enjoy the stroll along the course. They do help reading the general break of greens, but don't count on them to greatly improve your round. From my experience they give you fair distances and greens advice, but don't expect tour caddy performance.

[poppyhillsguy]

Yes, they move your clubs to a different bag no matter what your kind of bag you have. It's really no big deal and allow for it to take a few minutes.

[deadsolid...shank]

[quote name='tucsondivots' timestamp='1331326405' post='4471795']
[quote name='deadsolid...shank' timestamp='1331298658' post='4468613']
[quote name='cliffhanger' timestamp='1331297399' post='4468545']
Oh and we have been hard at work playing the course on PGA tour golf lol.
[/quote]

We've been playing it in the simulator. I sure hope the ball goes right through the trees without hitting anything at Pebble like it does on the screen.
[/quote]

Please let us know how it goes. Several of us WRXers are headed to PB between now and the end of April -- many of us first timers!
[/quote]


I will do that. We are first timers also, We fly out of Denver at 2:00 on that last day of March, we have a three hour drive to get to Denver, so we will start working the phone as soon as we get in the car. First available tee time for two people we're jumping on (just hope there is one available).

[tucsondivots]

I will do that. We are first timers also, We fly out of Denver at 2:00 on that last day of March, we have a three hour drive to get to Denver, so we will start working the phone as soon as we get in the car. First available tee time for two people we're jumping on (just hope there is one available).
[/quote]

I am trying as a walk on as well. Not staying at the Lodge. My potential days are Mon/Tues (Apr 9/10) so am hoping the mid-week helps. And the fact some may pass due to aeration.

[deadsolid...shank]

To those of you going out to Pebble that first week of April, I just got an email from the guy I was working with at Pebble. He said they have some tee times available for the end of the week that can be made earlier than just one day in advance. It won't work for us because we'll be there the first of the week (although I asked him to help anyway and see if we can't score one) but for those going towards the end of the week, you might try to see if you can get your time booked sooner.

I'm guessing the availability is probably due to aerification.

[harpua728]

Make the drive down the Big Sur coastline and stop at Nepenthe for lunch. Don't miss this!

Also, after your round at Pebble, have some drinks in the Tap Room but also take a beer or two out to the veranda outside of Stillwater's looking over the 18th green.

You've got a great trip ahead of you. One of the coolest spots in this country!