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When golfers start adding up the green fees to play the best golf courses on California's Monterey Peninsula, many of them decide not to come.
Staying at Pebble Beach Resorts is the only way to guarantee a tee time at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Playing the holy trinity of Pebble Beach ($675), Spyglass Hill ($525) and the Links at Spanish Bay ($365) will cost $1,565, plus the expense of a three-night stay, which adds up to another couple grand.
I've always maintained that playing Pebble Beach is worth it for any diehard lover of this game...once. You have to go. My advice is always to go as soon as you can because the green fee will only rise over time.
If you just can't find it in you to pay that much for golf, I'm still here to assure you that anybody can afford a golf vacation to the Monterey Peninsula. All it takes is some creativity around where you stay and play. You can find golf deals on the Monterey Peninsula.
If you're really dying to give Pebble Beach a shot while you're in town, the most affordable way is to call the pro shop 24 hours in advance to see if there are any spots open the following day. Make sure to call at 7 a.m. sharp. Your odds increase exponentially if you're willing to play as a single with another group.
Even if you can't get on or don't want to, anybody can enjoy the spoils of Pebble Beach Resorts for a day. The experience for golfers who aren't staying on property has really improved in recent years. I recommend taking advantage of any and all of these opportunities: playing The Hay and having lunch afterward there, touring 17-Mile Drive, exploring the really cool (and free) visitor center, buying souvenir merch at the Shoppes at Pebble Beach near the first tee and practice putting green, grabbing a drink or some food at the legendary Tap Room inside The Lodge (reservations recommended), wandering around the first tee and 18th green to soak in the aura of the place and visiting the Inn at Spanish Bay at dusk (go early!) to listen to a bagpiper serenade the gathering crowd. Anybody can afford these magical moments.
There are also more good golf deals on or near the Monterey Peninsula than you would expect for such a famous, expensive destination. You could play any combination of these courses for at least five to seven memorable days of golf. All of these Monterey County courses are rated 4.2 stars or better on GolfPass, meaning that they're impressing everyday golfers with their combination of value, service, conditions, layout, pace of play and overall experience.
We make our articles user friendly. Simply click on the golf course photo below to visit our course pages for more information. Many offer the opportunity to book a tee time to get a great golf deal in Monterey.
Best Golf Deals on and near the Monterey Peninsula
Pacific Grove Golf Links
Green fee: $50-$89
This short, sometimes quirky course (4.5 GolfPass star rating) will provide the ocean views golfers seek without the steep green fee to match. It's only 5,727 yards long but packs a lot of fun into every round. The back nine was designed by Jack Neville, the original designer of the Pebble Beach. That final stretch debuted in 1960, laid out like a true links over dunesland that approaches the sea.
The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch
Green fee: $70-$100
I've had some enjoyable rounds walking Crazy Horse (4.6). I'd call it "crazy hills" since elevation changes are the hallmark of the property. Some holes feel impossible climbing uphill or sitting on tilted fairways. The demon-drop par 3 at no. 5 is one of northern California's most entertaining holes.
Monterey Pines Golf Club
Green fee: $50-$85
Monterey Pines (4.4 rating) is another shorter military course (a par 69 of 5,629 yards) that's popular with locals and interesting to play. Multiple GolfPass reviews tout how it's seemingly always in good condition.
Laguna Seca Golf Club
Green fee: $61-$102
I've not played 6,200-yard Laguna Seca yet, an issue that needs to be rectified. GolfPass Reviewer 'StaceyWatson' describes the 1970 Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr. collaboration as a "Great Value for the Money." Her recent review notes a "Beautiful course filled with oak trees and wildlife. Very well maintained. Nice carts and a friendly atmosphere. Definitely will play again."
Bayonet and Blackhorse
Green fee: $99-$249
The most affordable way to play this fantastic public facility is to package them together to play all 36 holes in the same day. Both layouts are walkable, which is another way to keep a green fee less expensive. A two-time host of the PGA Professional Championships, Bayonet (4.6) is the tougher challenge and the more coveted get, although recent upgrades to covert the fairways to rye grass and surround them with sandscapes has really improved the look and strategy of tackling Black Horse (4.5).
The Hay
Green fee: $75, plus children 12 and under free
The Hay's draw is the chance to play an exact replica of the famous 107-yard seventh hole at Pebble Beach. Many golf groups use the short course to compete in a par-3 shootout with friends, along with a putting contest at the free putting course. Afterward, savor a drink by an outdoor fire pit while overlooking the Monterey Bay.
