Most golfers leave Pebble Beach Golf Links® with a signed scorecard and a camera roll of blurry phone shots taken by whoever wasn't hitting. A professional on-course photographer — usually called a photo caddie — walks the round with your group and shoots every swing, walk and celebration, so nobody in the foursome has to choose between playing and documenting. Here is how it works, where the best shots are, and how to fit one into your trip.
Why a photographer on a bucket-list round
For most golfers, Pebble Beach is a once-in-a-lifetime round. It is also one of the most expensive days of golf in the country, usually tied to a 2–3 night resort stay to book in advance. The coastline holes along Stillwater Cove and Carmel Bay are among the most photographed places in golf — but rarely with you in the frame.
A photo caddie solves that. Phones stay in pockets, nobody stops play to set up a group shot, and you come home with images of the round itself rather than of the scenery. It is especially popular with buddy trips, father-and-son rounds, milestone birthdays and corporate groups who want something to hand clients afterward.
How an on-course photo caddie works
The photographer joins your group at the first tee and moves ahead of you through the round, setting up each shot so play keeps moving. Tee Time Photos, a Monterey-based golf photography service, offers two options at Pebble Beach Golf Links®:
Front or back nine — a minimum of 100 photos
Full 18 holes — a minimum of 200 photos
Both require at least two players, include the course spectator fee, and are delivered as a professionally curated online gallery. Beyond Pebble Beach, Tee Time Photos is authorized to shoot at Spyglass Hill® Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay® (reopening April 17, 2027) and several other Monterey Peninsula courses.
Where the best shots are at Pebble Beach Golf Links®
Every hole has a photo, but a few stretches deliver the images groups frame and hang on the wall:
Hole 7 — the short downhill par 3 to a green ringed by ocean. This is the group shot of the round.
Holes 8 through 10 — tee and approach shots along the clifftops above Carmel Bay, with open water behind the swing.
Hole 18 — the walk up the seawall toward The Lodge at Pebble Beach™, and the handshake on the final green.
If you book nine holes, choose by what matters most. The front nine carries the run from 6 through 9 along the cliffs. The back nine gives you 10 and the closing stretch on 17 and 18. You can browse recent Pebble Beach galleries to see what each side produces.
Timing your round for the best light
The same local weather patterns that shape your tee times shape your photos:
Morning fog — from May through August, the coastal marine layer usually clears between 9 and 10am. A tee time of 9:30am or later gives you clear skies and ocean backdrops from the first hole.
Spring and fall — March–May and September–November bring the lightest fog of the year. October is often the clearest month on the peninsula.
Overcast is not a loss — soft, even light flatters faces and swings. A good golf photographer works with the marine layer rather than against it.
See our guide to the best time to play golf on the Monterey Peninsula for the full seasonal breakdown.
Booking: build it into your trip plan
Lock in your tee time first, then add the photographer. Pebble Beach Golf Links® tee times typically need to be secured 6–12 months out alongside a resort stay, and that date drives everything else.
Once your round is confirmed, book a photo caddie for your round directly. Tell the photographer your tee time, group size, and any moments you want captured — a birthday, a retirement, a first trip together. Larger groups and corporate outings with multiple foursomes should reach out early so coverage can be planned across the tee sheet.
If 2027 is your Pebble Beach year, plan around the US Open, which returns to Pebble Beach Golf Links® June 17–20, 2027. Our 2027 US Open trip guide covers how the championship affects access.
Key takeaways
A photo caddie shoots your whole round so nobody in the group has to stop and take pictures
Tee Time Photos offers nine-hole (100+ photos) and 18-hole (200+ photos) coverage at Pebble Beach Golf Links®, two-player minimum, spectator fee included
Holes 7, 8–10 and 18 produce the signature images
Book tee times of 9:30am or later in summer for fog-free backdrops; spring and fall are clearest
Secure your tee time first, then book the photographer
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring a photographer to Pebble Beach Golf Links®?
Yes, but on-course photographers must be authorized and pay the course's spectator fee. Tee Time Photos is authorized at Pebble Beach Golf Links®, and the spectator fee is included in its packages.
How many photos will we get?
A nine-hole session delivers a minimum of 100 photos and a full 18 delivers at least 200, shared through a curated online gallery.
Will a photographer slow down our round?
No. A golf photographer works ahead of the group, positioning for each shot before you arrive, so pace of play stays the same as any other foursome.