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CARMEL VALLEY, Calif. - California's best golf resorts have been well known for decades.
Pebble Beach, La Costa, Aviara, Half Moon Bay, Silverado, Torrey Pines and others have been on TV hosting professional tournaments for years. California's newest golf resort is just as good, or better, than a few I've already mentioned. It just hasn't been discovered yet.
Tucked away in one of California's sunniest micro-climates, the Bernardus Lodge & Spa just launched a stay and play golf package to an exclusive private course, TPC Monterey at Pasadera, a thrilling Jack Nicklaus design that rides the ridges of the surrounding golden hillsides.
The AAA Four-Diamond Bernardus Lodge & Spa has been wowing guests since opening in 1999 as a romantic retreat 10 miles inland from the famed Monterey Peninsula coastline home to Pebble Beach Golf Links. This isn't the kind of place you bring golf buddies. It's an intimate escape surrounded by a winery where couples - or a group of them - can relax, dine and reconnect for a weekend or more.
Staying at Bernardus Lodge & Spa
I couldn't shake the feeling that all 28 acres of the Bernardus Lodge's ranch estate felt like an outdoor spa. My wife and I spent every evening walking the perimeter around all 73 guest rooms, suites and villas and two tennis courts to soak up the serenity. We marveled at the variety of vegetables, fruit trees and flowers in the Rose Garden, where a couple got married Saturday night, and toddled around the community lawn, where guests can play bocce or hit putts.
We spent most of Saturday using the steam room, sauna and private outdoor pool at the spa (free to any guest) to unwind. For a change of scenery, we lounged by the resort pool for another hour more. That evening, we snuck away to the adults-only outdoor hot tub at the highest spot on property, where a fire pit and steaming water provide a warm hug from the cooling breeze.
The rooms are comfy enough to stay much longer than we did. Each one includes a two-person soaking tub, fireplace, dining table and plush king-sized bed with a goose down comforter and Italian linens. My wife is now obsessed with getting a heated bathroom floor in our home after experiencing such a luxury (Thanks Bernardus! I'll be sure to send the home-improvement bill.) A complimentary charcuterie board, snacks and bottle of wine are a nice welcome touch. We enjoyed our sips and nibbles on a secluded patio outside.
Dining at the resort's Lucia Restaurant & Bar is its own kind of special. Everything is farm-to-table and grapes-to-glass fresh. Make sure you have reservations as it's also popular with locals who want to celebrate a special occasion.
True to California, at one point during dinner, there were three dogs (much better-behaved than mine) sitting under the tables of their owners. Live music from the grand piano just off the lobby serenaded our every bite.
Heaven forbid, for those who must leave this oasis to explore Carmel Village or Carmel-by-the-Sea, they can rent a complimentary Mercedes-Benz for up to four hours. If only it were five. I could have driven a convertible Benz 15 minutes to TPC Monterey at Pasadera for my round.
Playing TPC Monterey at Pasadera
Unlocking the chance to play Pasadera should steer savvy golf travelers away from the more famous Monterey Peninsula. The exclusive club, purchased by Concert Golf in early 2024, is reaping the benefits of $2 million in capital investment from its new owners. Everything from the hacienda-style clubhouse to course conditioning has never looked better since the 6,733-yard, par-71 routing debuted in 2000. Member Jim Nantz calls Pasadera "one of the underrated gems of California golf." It is located just over the hill from Clint Eastwood's Tehama Golf Club, another celebrated private playground in the valley.
All three GolfPass reviews for Pasadera are five star: When I write mine, it will be the fourth.
Pasadera's most memorable holes feature extreme climbs and demon drops that will equally stimulate the senses as they damage the scorecard. Riding a cart is a must. The second hole reads 283 yards on the scorecard but plays more like 350 yards given the steep accession to the green. Five different ponds impact two par 3s (nos. 6 and 8), two par 5s (nos. 10 and 17) and a demanding par 4 (the 10th). A stream playfully meanders through the fairway of the par-5 seventh and par-4 18th.
Buckle up on the back nine for California's tantalizing version of mountain golf. It takes three demanding uphill journeys at holes 11-13 to reach the climax, the 206-yard par-3 14th with a green hanging over a canyon abyss.
The effort to reach this scenic summit is rewarded with a pair of drop-shot drives that propel the ball to fly forever. The downhill 15th hole might be the longest par 4 I've ever encountered (551 yards from the tips). As the no. 1 handicap, bogey should be the goal.
The par-5 17th plays only 25 yards longer (576 yards), proving that par is an arbitrary number.
At one point during this stretch of high-altitude holes, I noticed a hawk circling below me, another not-so-subtle reminder that playing Pasadera and staying at Bernardus Lodge leave you feeling on top of the world.
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