How Can I Play Monterey Peninsula?

Not far from the iconic Pebble Beach Links on the Californian coast is the less celebrated – though still breathtaking – Monterey Peninsula Country Club. The club comprises two courses, the Dunes and the Shore. Both courses benefit from creatively laid-out holes. However, the Shore Course has garnered the most acclaim in recent years. 

It boasts fairways situated among trees so players can “dance among the cypress”, in the words of course architect Mike Strantz, who completed the restoration of the formerly unremarkable course in 2004. Meanwhile, the course makes excellent use of natural rock formations. For example, the par 3 11th features an elevated tee atop a natural granite rock offering stunning views of the green and the Pacific Ocean beyond it.

That proximity to the ocean and its accompanying breezes makes the course challenging as well as breathtaking, so it’s little wonder that the Shore Course has hosted the PGA Tour’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am in recent years, which it co-hosts with Spyglass Hill. But how can you play the Monterey Peninsula? The Monterey Peninsula Country Club is a private club. Because of this, arranging a round there is more difficult than the nearby Pebble Beach Links, which is open to the public.

Of course, you can become a member. However, this is far from a cheap option. Initiation fees are reportedly around $300,000, while monthly dues are over $1000. Meanwhile, membership to the club is via invitation only. Therefore, perhaps the best option, short of qualifying for the PGA Tour or becoming a caddie, is to know one of the course’s 1,100 members. Then, if you do, before long, a truly unique golfing experience could be yours to savour.