Playing Golf in Monterey, CA During Car Week: The Ultimate Guide for 2026
Why Golf and Car Week Are a Perfect Pairing
Every August, the Monterey Peninsula transforms into the epicenter of car culture. Monterey Car Week 2026 runs August 7–16, a ten-day stretch of concours shows, vintage races, and multimillion-dollar auctions that culminates in the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 16. But while the auction houses and lawns get most of the headlines, the Monterey Peninsula is also home to some of the most famous golf courses on the planet — several of which sit close enough to Car Week's biggest events that you can play a round in the morning and watch a Ferrari roll across the block by afternoon.
If you're a golfer heading to Car Week, or a car enthusiast who happens to golf, this guide covers where to play, how to book, and how to work a round into a week that's notoriously packed and congested.
The Golf Courses Every Car Week Visitor Should Know
Pebble Beach Golf Links
There's no getting around it: Pebble Beach Golf Links is the marquee course of the peninsula, and during Car Week it does double duty as an event venue. In fact, for the 2026 Concours' 75th anniversary, Pebble Beach Golf Links is opening its 3rd fairway for the first time during Concours week for a special display curated by Automobili Lamborghini celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Lamborghini Miura. That means the course itself becomes part of the show — a rare overlap of two worlds that golfers and gearheads will both appreciate.
Tee times at Pebble Beach are famously hard to get even in a normal week, so during Car Week you'll want to book as far in advance as possible — ideally 12 months out if you're not staying at The Lodge at Pebble Beach or one of the other resort properties that get priority access.
Spyglass Hill Golf Course
A short drive from Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill is consistently ranked among the toughest courses in the country, with a back nine that winds through Del Monte Forest pines. It's less directly tied to Car Week programming than Pebble Beach itself, which can actually work in your favor — tee times are somewhat easier to secure during the week's busiest days.
Poppy Hills Golf Course
Poppy Hills is a more accessible, walk-up-friendly option on the peninsula, with rates well below Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. It's a solid choice if you want a quality round without the marquee price tag, and its location keeps you close to 17-Mile Drive.
Pacific Grove Golf Links
Nicknamed "the poor man's Pebble Beach," Pacific Grove Golf Links delivers ocean views on its back nine for a fraction of the cost of the resort courses. It's municipally owned, first-come-first-served for same-day tee times, and a favorite among locals — which makes it a smart pick if you're trying to squeeze in a round without a months-long booking lead time.
Del Monte Golf Course
As the oldest golf course in continuous use west of the Mississippi, Del Monte offers a shorter, more forgiving layout and is often easier to book last-minute than its more famous neighbors. It's a good option for a quick nine or eighteen holes between Car Week events.
Planning Your Round Around the Car Week Schedule
Car Week traffic is legendary, and 2026 is no exception. The peninsula wasn't built for the influx of visitors, so veterans warn that arriving early and expecting congestion around every venue is essential, with parking filling fast and arriving before 7am transforming the day. That same logic applies to golf: book early tee times, ideally sunrise or shortly after, so you're off the course and out of your golf cart before midday traffic around Pebble Beach and 17-Mile Drive picks up.
A few scheduling notes specific to 2026:
Pebble Beach's official event calendar lists signature events clustered August 13–16, 2026, so if you want a quieter round at Pebble Beach Golf Links itself, aim for earlier in the week.
>17-Mile Drive is closed to general tourist traffic during Car Week, with access limited to residents, their guests, and Pebble Beach ticket-holders whose tickets include parking and shuttles — worth knowing if your route to a tee time runs through that stretch.
The 75th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance itself falls on August 16, the final day of Car Week, so the course sees its heaviest non-golf traffic right at the end of the ten-day run.
Booking Tips for Car Week Golf
Book resort courses months ahead. Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill tee times during Car Week disappear early, especially for out-of-town golfers without resort-guest priority.
Stay at a Pebble Beach resort if golf is the priority. Guests of The Lodge at Pebble Beach, The Inn at Spanish Bay, and Casa Palmero get booking windows that day-trippers don't.
Use municipal courses as a backup. Pacific Grove and Del Monte are far more forgiving on lead time and price, and both are still genuinely enjoyable rounds.
Play early, watch cars late. A 7 a.m. tee time gets you off the course before the day's road closures and event traffic really kick in, leaving your afternoon free for the auctions, concours lawns, and street displays downtown.
Check shuttle and parking options. With 17-Mile Drive restricted and Car Week crowds swelling, using MST trolleys or shuttle services for non-golf events can save you the hassle of parking near the course.
Where to Watch Cars After Your Round
Once you've finished 18 holes, several Car Week highlights are within easy reach of the peninsula's courses:
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance (August 16) — the week's centerpiece, held right on the Pebble Beach grounds.
The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering — a short drive from Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill.
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca — home to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and the Corkscrew Hillclimb, a bit further inland from the coastal courses.
Downtown Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea — free car displays and gatherings line the streets throughout the week, an easy add-on after a round at Pacific Grove or Del Monte.
Final Thoughts
Golf and Car Week aren't usually mentioned in the same sentence, but for anyone making the trip to Monterey this August, playing a round is one of the best ways to experience the peninsula beyond the auction tents and concours lawns. Book early, plan your tee time around the traffic, and you can have a morning on some of the most iconic fairways in the world before spending the rest of your day surrounded by the rarest cars on earth.