Pebble Beach Golf Links- A Goliath of a Golf Course

With the US Women's Open being played recently at Pebble Beach; I find myself reflecting on the experiences I have had there. 10 years ago I never thought I’d be able to say I’ve played Pebble Beach Golf Links. At this point in my life, I can say that I’ve been fortunate enough to have played it twice. Being able to play Pebble Beach greatly impacted my life, my dedication to improving my craft, and created space for so much humility. That is one of the best gifts golf gives its players. Humility. One shot you are Tiger Woods, the next you make a triple bogey. It can change that quickly. Hubris never lasts long for golfers. 

View of Stillwater Cove from hole 18

The first time I played Pebble Beach, the round was gifted to me by my step-father. He is the person who introduced me to the game, so it was very fitting that he would be there for this special experience. My mom and step-brother, Ryan, also would be playing there with us that day. Golfing Pebble Beach was the most beautiful experience, yet it ended up bringing out the most ugly parts of my consciousness. I was only 23 years old at the time and still young, emotional and immature. My golf game suffered a lot as a result. I approached the first hole full of confidence because I had just shot a low round at Pacific Grove Golf Links the day prior. However, underneath that confidence was a thick layer of doubt and lacking of self control that surfaced after I was unable to hit out of the first bunker. Not a promising sign since there are 117 bunkers at Pebble. The sand at Pebble Beach is incredibly fine; the bunkers are deep; and it was obvious very quickly I needed a caddie if I was going to avoid them (unfortunately I didn't take that advice the second time I played there either). Needless to say, I will not play there again without one, so stay tuned for successes of that future 3rd round. 

I wanted to be so present in the beauty that is Pebble Beach. The cliffside ocean views. The perfectly manicured tee boxes. The soft yet bouncy fairways. My struggles with the deep roughs, small greens, and the fact that my ball found the ocean on multiple holes kept me much more inside my head than I would have liked to have been. I ended up shooting the worst round of my life. Pebble crushed me and humbled me. It was beautiful and it was painful. This first round was right after I had finished college and hadn’t been playing very much. It was also the beginning of me taking golf more seriously again.

Me at Pebble!

Now let’s fast forward. Round 2. Ten years later. My husband Chris had not played Pebble and had always had it on his bucket list. So, for our first anniversary we went to Carmel and played Spanish Bay on day one and Pebble Beach on day two. I crushed Spanish Bay. It is still my favorite round of my life so far. It was beautiful and I played so well, without a care in the world…maybe that is why I played so well! I had grown so much since that first Pebble round, both with my golf skills and my emotional control. I was ready. Really ready this time. We started by warming up at the practice range. I was hitting the ball well, but I could still feel the nerves. We would be paired with another golfer. Would I play well or embarrass myself? My confidence was obviously more than a little shaky as I flashed back to the worst round of my life.

We were paired with an incredibly kind older gentleman who played Pebble every summer. He was patient, helpful and knowledgeable about the course. This relieved a lot of the tension of being paired with someone you don’t know. As I went to tee up my first shot, all the feels of this course engulfed me. I can remember watching Phil Mickleson win the AT&T here. I’ve seen this course played on TV many times…so pristine, beautiful and immaculate…a stark contrast to what my golf game looked like last time. Playing Pebble reminds me of the David and Goliath story from the Bible. It is a course that is daunting to every bogey golfer who dares to attempt to slay it. Nevertheless, onward I trudged.

I had moments of greatness and moments of tragedy as I fumbled my way around these beautiful links. Once you get to hole 3, the rocky ocean views with waves crashing against them and the beautiful calm of the quiet lush fairways weaving through the Carmel coastline, is a sight to behold. But by the time you arrive at hole 4 with the smallest green in championship golf, you are struck back to reality. Hole 5 looks like a simple short par 3, but with the cliff that parallels the entire right side and an incredibly sloped green, it is much harder than it looks. Hole 6 is the hardest for me. There are bunkers on the left, right where my drive would land. So you have a choice to lay up or aim a little more right, but there is another ocean cliff lining the right side. Get in those bunkers, and you're screwed as the next shot is the steepest elevation change on a course that I have ever played. I forgot to mention Chris and I decided to walk this round to take in the majesty that is Pebble even more. By the time you get through 6, your legs are already pretty tired. Hole 7 appears to be another sweet and easy par 3. But don't be deceived. It has elevated tee boxes which creates a downhill shot, surrounded by an ocean cliff, bunkers, and wind whipping off the coast. Hole 8 needs a perfectly placed drive in order to carry the canyon over the ocean to get to the green with youse second shot. Hole 9 is somewhat helpful as you can catch the downslope off the tee and have your ball roll closer towards the green. But the rugged coastline remains. Another hole prompting self talk of “don't hit it right”… luckily I tend to hit a draw, but there always seems to be a bunker right where the “I want to play it safe" players would like to land. By the time you get to hole 11, you are finally heading back inland. It is a welcome respite from the front. But don’t let the lack of coastline trick you into thinking it’s easy. There are many carries and blind shots. And the bunkers and small, undulating greens never cease. As you approach 17, the ocean view comes back into sight. And 18 has coastline all to the left. 18 is the most iconic hole on the course. It is a long par 5 with a fairway bunker running just inside the cliff to the left. It ends with a steeply sloped green and patrons watching from the restaurant deck.

My golf game was much better than the last time I had played there. Chris is a 5 handicap and he possesses a lot more of the skills necessary to be successful there. He was actually able to hit many of the small greens in regulation and get out of the thick rough without a problem. Many of the holes also have side sloping lies. There are hazards and challenges at every turn and bunkers on every hole, so nothing there is ever easy.

Playing here is so much like life. There are constantly challenges facing you. Some are obviously right ahead, some sneak up on you, some that you wouldn't think would be so hard, and some are within your control. Some also turn out to be beautiful gifts. Some are your own fault. And some you try to run from, but you can’t avoid. How you handle these challenges shows you what you are made of and what kind of person you are. Playing a tremendously challenging golf course can reveal so much about yourself…validating things you already knew…and learning things you didn't. How do you bounce back after setbacks and let downs? In golf, every shot is an opportunity to reflect and grow. It teaches poise and self-control and determination unlike anything else I know of. I’d like to say I approach and respond to each shot as I do with each challenge in life, having confidence, grace and self-control, but that would be a lie. But each day, and each round, and each shot brings me closer to that place of perfect trust, perfect peace and perfect grace, as I learn and grow with God leading me through each experience.