The Hay™

I had heard a lot about Tiger redesigning the Hay and was anxious to try it. So I signed up for Youth On Course's, Hike to 100, which is a 100 hole round to raise funds for Youth On Course to subsidize golf rounds for Juniors, and provide scholarships and internships. They are an amazing organization but back to The Hay. It was a blast and I enjoyed every one of the 102 holes we played. Excellent conditions, nice variety of holes, plenty of elevation and when you are done one of the best Mexican restaurants and bar you will find anywhere. It is all about having FUN. You will find more challenging golf at the other PB courses but this should be part of any visit out there on its own or before or after a round. It is also a great way to settle your wagers from the day and have a memorable 19th hole.

I was excited to play The Hay based on the hype on Golf Channel and Twitter when it opened but I was disappointed.

I get that Tiger Woods did the design and it’s Pebble Beach but as a resort guest, it’s not a good value for the experience at $65. And one really annoying fact - on Mondays you have to play off mats (which we were not told when we made our tee time for The Hay - $65 and hitting off a mat, not good!

The two interesting holes are 2 (described as like 7th at Pebble Beach but not really but it’s pretty and fun) and 4 (uphill blind shot to the green).

Yes, it’s a good practice for your shot game which I assume is why it’s located at the “practice and learning center” for Pebble Beach golf links.

My advice to Pebble Beach management- as part of the practice facility offer resort guests one free round at The Hay since you promote the practice center as free to resort guests.

One other point on the practice area, the range is the warmup for golfers playing Pebble Beach golf links (they have a shuttle from the course). Because there’s so many players, there is no grass on the driving range. The shuttle driver told me that by 8 am the grass is gone and they know it’s a problem but they can’t do anything about It with so many golfers (especially guys that take big divot and not in a line pattern)

On the bright side - Everything else about Pebble Beach resort, the courses, amenities, staff friendliness was 5 stars.

Thanks to the redesign by Tiger Woods and his TGR Design team, The Hay has been elevated to the level of the other courses at Pebble Beach.

It was in prime condition on grand opening day. Even with a foursome of talented golfers, we all made our fair share of bogeys. The greens are demanding, even if the distances (40 to 107 yards) aren't. You'll have a good time, especially with family, friends and kids who don't normally play the game. When the clubhouse debuts this fall with its food and drink offerings, it will take The Hay to the next level. The free putting green is a welcome addition to the resort and could become a hangout for all ages.

Peter Hay is a unique 9 hole, traditional pitch & putt course. No hole is much longer than 100 yards but it is a lot of fun. This is where I take my friends who aren't experienced golfers but want the Pebble Beach experience. You can play all day for less than 1/10th the cost at Pebble but you can enjoy all the great views and food.

There's nothing overly flashy about the Peter Hay, the nine-hole, par-3 course at Pebble Beach Resorts. Most of the holes play between 75 and 100 yards. It's a great spot to warm up your wedge game for the bigger challenges. The greens are small and protected by the same style of bunkers as Pebble Beach Golf Links. Locals enjoy playing the loop since it's affordable ($30) and family-friendly. I teed it up with my 12-year-old son, who hadn't played all summer. He still made a par and came away happy with the experience. It's an easy walk, and there are glimpses of Stillwater Cove through the trees. It's location is ideal right across the street from the new Pebble Beach Golf Academy and just a short shuttle ride down the hill from Pebble Beach.