Golfing in Monterey, CA: Where Legends Are Made From the cliffs of Pebble Beach to the pines of Spyglass Hill — and why your round deserves to be captured forever.
There are golf destinations, and then there is Monterey, California. Few places on earth combine championship-caliber courses, breathtaking Pacific Ocean vistas, and a golfing legacy stretching back over a century. Whether you're planning your first bucket-list round at Pebble Beach Golf Links or you're a seasoned player exploring every gem on the Monterey Peninsula, this guide covers everything you need to know — including why hiring a professional golf photographer from Tee Time Photos may be the most important booking you make.
The Monterey Peninsula is home to more than 25 eighteen-hole golf courses within a remarkably compact stretch of California coastline. With a mild, year-round climate and scenery that stops you mid-swing, it's no surprise that Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, and virtually every major publication in the sport consistently rank this region as the single greatest golf destination on the planet.
THE CROWN JEWEL
Pebble Beach Golf Links:
America's Greatest Course
There is a reason Jack Nicklaus once said, "If I could play only one course for the rest of my life, it would be Pebble Beach." Hugging the rugged cliffs of the Monterey Peninsula, Pebble Beach Golf Links is not merely a golf course — it is a pilgrimage for anyone who loves the game.
Rated the number-one public golf course in America by Golf Digest every year since 2003, Pebble Beach has hosted more U.S. Opens than any course in the past 50 years. The stretch of holes from 4 through 10 — with the ocean crashing below, cypress trees bending in the Pacific wind — is widely considered the greatest seven-hole sequence in golf.
At $675 for a green fee (with an overnight stay required at the resort), a round at Pebble Beach is an investment. But every golfer who has ever stood on the 18th tee with the Pacific shimmering beyond the fairway will tell you the same thing: it is absolutely, unmistakably worth it.
"If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach."
Pebble Beach by the Numbers
7
U.S. Open Championships hosted — more than any course in the last 50 years. The next is scheduled for 2027.
#1
Ranked the greatest public golf course in America by Golf Digest since 2003 — every single year.
100+
Years of history. Opened in 1919, the course has seen Nicklaus, Watson, Hogan, Palmer, and Tiger.
7
Of Golf Magazine's 500 Greatest Holes in the World are found right here at Pebble Beach Resorts.
$20M
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am purse — one of the most celebrated events on the PGA Tour calendar.
THE FULL LINEUP
Must-Play Courses on the Monterey Peninsula
Beyond Pebble Beach, the Monterey Peninsula is home to a collection of world-class courses that would be the crown jewel of any other golf destination on earth.
COURSE 01
Pebble Beach Golf Links
BUCKET LIST
America's greatest public course. Clifftop holes, Pacific Ocean views on nearly every hole, and a finishing 18th that is simply without equal. Home to legends, now home to your greatest round.
PAR 72 · 6,828 YDS$675 GREEN FEE
COURSE 02
Spyglass Hill Golf Course
WORLD RANKED
Described by Sports Illustrated as "Pine Valley-by-the-Sea meets Augusta National," Spyglass Hill begins in the dunes and disappears into the towering Monterey pines of the Del Monte Forest. Many local caddies call it better than Pebble.
PAR 72 · 6,960 YDSTOP 50 PUBLIC
COURSE 03
MPCC Shore Course
MIKE STRANTZ MASTERPIECE
Designed by the late Mike Strantz while battling cancer, the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club weaves through cypress trees with Pacific Ocean backdrops rivaling Cypress Point itself.
PRIVATE · PAR 71TOP 10 IN U.S.
COURSE 04
Poppy Hills Golf Course
GOLF DIGEST TOP 100
Carved through the towering Monterey Pines of the Del Monte Forest, Poppy Hills offers championship-ready bentgrass greens and a serene natural setting. Golf Digest's Top 100 Courses You Can Play.
PAR 72 · 6,861 YDSNCGA OWNED
COURSE 05
Pacific Grove Golf Links
HIDDEN GEM
Nicknamed the "Poor Man's Pebble Beach," Pacific Grove's back nine features some of the finest pure links holes in America, playing right along the shore near the Point Pinos lighthouse. Stunning value.
PAR 70 · UNDER 6,000 YDS~$50 GREEN FEE
COURSE 06
Del Monte Golf Course
HISTORIC · SINCE 1897
The oldest golf course in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River. A Pebble Beach Resorts classic that has challenged professionals and amateurs alike for well over a century.
PAR 72 · HISTORICPEBBLE BEACH RESORTS
TEE TIME PHOTOS
Why a Professional Golf Photographer
Is the Best Investment You'll Make
You've saved for this trip. You've traveled to one of the most iconic golf destinations on earth. You're about to play a round that will live in your memory forever. Don't trust that memory to a cell phone photo taken by your playing partner mid-swing.
Memories Fade. Photographs Don't.
Playing Pebble Beach is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most golfers. A professional photographer from Tee Time Photos captures every breathtaking moment — your tee shot on the 7th hole, the 18th fairway with the Pacific behind you — so the emotion of that day is preserved exactly as it felt.
The Scenery Demands Expert Eyes
Pebble Beach and the Monterey Peninsula are extraordinarily photogenic — but capturing that scenery requires knowledge of lighting, angles, and the course itself. Tee Time Photos photographers know every inch of these fairways and exactly when and where the magic happens.
Your Swing, Your Story
A professional can capture your swing in high resolution, giving you both a keepsake and a tool for improvement. Far more powerful than a smartphone snapshot, these images tell the story of your game against one of golf's most iconic backdrops.
Perfect for Groups & Corporate Outings
Golf outings with clients, colleagues, or friends are memorable enough — add professional photography and they become legendary. Tee Time Photos provides shareable, print-quality images that serve as lasting mementos and incredible marketing material.
You're Focused on Golf, Not Your Phone
When you're playing $675 for a round at Pebble Beach, the last thing you should be worried about is capturing content. Let Tee Time Photos handle the photography so you can stay fully present in every moment of the greatest round of your life.
Milestone Moments Deserve More
Retirement round? 50th birthday? First birdie at Pebble Beach? Milestone moments on the world's most famous courses deserve more than a blurry thumbnail. Tee Time Photos delivers gallery-quality imagery worthy of being framed on your wall forever.
Book Your Tee Time Photos Session
Don't leave the most iconic round of your golf life unrecorded. Tee Time Photos specializes in professional golf photography on the Monterey Peninsula — including Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, and beyond.