Is Pebble Beach worth the money (high handicapper)

[Green Golfer]

Contemplating playing the "number 1 public golf course in the US". I look at the green fees and my handicap and wonder if it would be worth it. Will be in the area in a few weeks so time to decide if I want to secure a good tee time. Don' get me wrong, a low score isn't the most important factor here, ,but I want to make sure the $500 is worth it.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Green Golfer

[Henning]

Any course charging a greenfee of $500 is sending a clear message to me : Yor are not really needed here.

[Marty2019]

4 hours ago, Green Golfer said:

Contemplating playing the "number 1 public golf course in the US". I look at the green fees and my handicap and wonder if it would be worth it. Will be in the area in a few weeks so time to decide if I want to secure a good tee time. Don' get me wrong, a low score isn't the most important factor here, ,but I want to make sure the $500 is worth it.

I think it would depend on the comparative value of the $500 to you. 

It depends on how much money you have, what you want to spend it on, how close you are to the end of your life, etc.   No one can say, "Oh, yes, it's worth $500."  It might be your last $500.   Or you might be a multimillionaire.  No one can really answer your question, in my opinion.  They can say what it's worth to them, but they can't say what it's worth to you. 

I actually think the more interesting question is, how could a person make such a decision logically? 

1)Think about what else you might buy with the $500. 

2)Are experiences more valuable than things to you. 

3)What will your wife say. 

4)How much money do you have and how much do you expect to have in the future? 

5)What value can you take from this experience?  For example, telling all your friends you played Pebble Beach.  Is that worth anything to you? 

6)Can you justify it by reducing some other expenditure? 

7)Why do you want to do it in the first place? 

I can only say for myself, but I would not pay $500 to play Pebble Beach.  When I compare it to everything else I could buy for $500, I just don't think I would get the value out of it. 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2018 by Marty2019

[gym_class_hero]

we were there a few years ago. Checked out the pro shop, looked around but didn't play. Beautiful place. If you decide not to play, stopping there is still aa cool experience.

[Patch]

If you are just thinking about your own game, and just playing some golf, then the value may not be there. There are a bunch of other courses in the area, that are less expensive, to just play a round of golf. 

Some folks play there just to be able say they did it. They play it once, and never return. Others play there for the history. The cost is not a factor. 

Pebble, and Spyglass are special places in my book. Not just because of the golf. It's the whole atmosphere of the area. I don't go there just to play golf. 

I am of the opinion, that if the cost gives a golfer second thoughts, then perhaps they should play a less expensive course in the area.

 

 

[HJJ003]

I am a high capper as well, but having visited and not played pebble I have to say it looked every bit of worth it to me. I’m a bit of course collector though so I agree with some of the posts above it depends on what motivates you as a golfer. Playing iconic courses is a huge motivator for me. One day I will check pebble off the list! 

[Maric771]

I've been in the gallery at Pebble and it is a beautiful course.  As a new player I would be intimidated to play it.  The one person that I know who has played it loved it, but he has an 8 handicap.

[Mr. Desmond]

As a 19 capper and if you are striving to get better, I'd skip it for now. BUT play Pacific Grove Muni for $40-50.  The poor man's PB. The front 9 is just a parkland muni, but the back 9 is the jewel - much of it on or near the ocean. Rent a push cart and enjoy the walk. And the restaurant is good, too.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Mr. Desmond

[Lihu]

9 hours ago, Green Golfer said:

Contemplating playing the "number 1 public golf course in the US". I look at the green fees and my handicap and wonder if it would be worth it. Will be in the area in a few weeks so time to decide if I want to secure a good tee time. Don' get me wrong, a low score isn't the most important factor here, ,but I want to make sure the $500 is worth it.

Seems like a 19 handicap should have fun there.

[Golfingdad]

Hard to define “worth” of a golf course like that.  It’s on my bucket list and I will play it one of these days, but I don’t necessarily think it’s worth $500.

Seeing as how you’re on the fence about it, it sounds like it’s not really a thing you consider a must, in which case I’d guess it’s probably not worth $500 to you.  But that’s a guess, only you know for certain.

Since you’re already there, though, I agree with @Mr. Desmond about PG.  Also consider the recently revamped Poppy Hills (got the Pinehurst treatment a year or two ago).

Edited February 11, 2018 by Golfingdad

[Mr. Desmond]

16 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Hard to define “worth” of a golf course like that.  It’s on my bucket list and I will play it one of these days, but I don’t necessarily think it’s worth $500.

Seeing as how you’re on the fence about it, it sounds like it’s not really a thing you consider a must, in which case I’d guess it’s probably not worth $500 to you.  But that’s a guess, only you know for certain.

Since you’re already there, though, I agree with @Mr. Desmond about PG.  Also consider the recently revamped Poppy Hills (got the Pinehurst treatment a year or two ago).

I would have mentioned Poppy Hills, but did not know if he traveled to the area more than once a year.

For the OP, I become a member of the NCGA for $75, and can play Poppy for about the same price in the afternoon. I think regular greens fees are $150 but if you sign up for NCGA, you can play the two Poppys - one in Monterey and the other in Livermore for half-price. You can also sign up for trips - they have one for Bandon, and I missed the first signup day, and now on the waiting list. They have an Ireland trip. If you live in the area, they have plenty of tournaments.

I typically visit 2X per year, so it's worth the NCGA fee, especially if you play it several times - Poppy Hills was in great condition last July.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Mr. Desmond

[Wally Fairway]

As others have said there is a lot more than $500 that goes into the decision.
I went out about 10 years ago with some golf buddies, we played Spyglass Hill, Links at Spanish Bay, Del Monte and Pacific Grove GL.

Part of the decision for us was that we rented a house, so we could make tee times 30 days in advance for any course except Pebble Beach, which was 1 day in advance if you were not staying on property. Staying on property gives you preferential tee times, but is way more expensive.
Spyglass and the Links were worth the money ($350 for Spyglass, maybe $300 for Links) Del Monte was nothing special but Pacific Grove is worth it if only for the back 9 and very moderately priced.
So my answer is it is definitely worth a trip out there - but deciding which courses to play is more of an individual preference. Some of the guys in my group have talked about going back out specifically to play Pebble, the rest of us would rather go to Bandon and play those courses as a new different trip. We have couple of guys who play to around a 5, and then there are a couple who couldn't break 120.
 

Edited February 11, 2018 by Wally Fairway

[caniac6]

12 hours ago, Henning said:

Any course charging a greenfee of $500 is sending a clear message to me : Yor are not really needed here.

I would bet they don't have too many open tee times.

[Chanceman]

Absolutely worth it. What's $500? 5 golf shirts. The course is brilliant, the scenery is unmatched, go for it. It's history. The memories will be forever. And having played there makes watching it on TV even better.

[caniac6]

6 minutes ago, Chanceman said:

Absolutely worth it. What's $500? 5 golf shirts. The course is brilliant, the scenery is unmatched, go for it. It's history. The memories will be forever. And having played there makes watching it on TV even better.

$500 is two and a half months worth of dues for me. Plus, however much it cost to fly from coast to coast.

[Riverdad]

I went to Pebble Beach and walked around a little in 1997. It was $250 to play it then. I told my wife that I would never pay that much to play golf (she was actually encouraging me to play). When I got home I was kicking myself for not playing. I went back in 1999 and was able to get on as a single. The cost had gone up to $305. It was the most enjoyable round of golf that I have ever played. My (at the time) 8th grade son walked it with me (he didn't play). It was 2 weeks prior to the U.S. Amateur and the course was set up tough. I played out of my mind on the front nine and limped in on the back nine to shoot 79. I don't think I could have spent $305 anywhere else or any other way and gotten more enjoyment out of it. I have pictures, a bagtag, and some ball markers as keepsakes. 

 

[Green Golfer]

Theres a lot of good suggestions on here. Think I'll weigh the options but I don't think I'll pass up this opportunity. Thanks for all of your inputs.

1 hour ago, Chanceman said:

Absolutely worth it. What's $500? 5 golf shirts. The course is brilliant, the scenery is unmatched, go for it. It's history. The memories will be forever. And having played there makes watching it on TV even better.

Exactly. The more I think about it the more I am enticed. Who knows how many opportunities i'll get to play it down the line.

7 hours ago, Wally Fairway said:

..So my answer is it is definitely worth a trip out there - but deciding which courses to play is more of an individual preference. Some of the guys in my group have talked about going back out specifically to play Pebble, the rest of us would rather go to Bandon and play those courses as a new different trip. We have couple of guys who play to around a 5, and then there are a couple who couldn't break 120.
 

A few people have suggested Poppy Hills. Have you tried that one? 

Edited February 12, 2018 by Green Golfer
Misspelled word

[Wally Fairway]

40 minutes ago, Green Golfer said:

A few people have suggested Poppy Hills. Have you tried that one? 

 

They had punched the greens the week we were out there, so it was not considered.
If I were to go back Poppy would definitely be on my list, also I've heard good things about the Bayonet and Black Horse courses