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The world's two most famous public golf courses are hosting events this week: The Old Course in St. Andrews is co-hosting the European Tour's Alfred Dunhill Links while Pebble Beach is hosting the Champions Tour's First Tee Open.
Our Editor-at-Large Matt Ginella is at the First Tee Open and posed the question to his Twitter followers this week:
If you had ten free rounds to divide between Pebble Beach and Old Course, how would you break them up? Calling in my answer to Wednesday’s @GCMorningDrive. pic.twitter.com/v1L8Jbbb2b
— Matt Ginella (@MattGinellaGC) September 25, 2019
You can view the video above to see how Ginella would divvy up the ten rounds (skip to the five-minute mark where host Damon Hack poses the question). Based on replies to Ginella, it appears golfers on Twitter favor the history and playability of the Old Course to the scenery of Pebble Beach. That's pretty incredible considering that the Old Course green fee is about half the cost of a walk-up tee time at Pebble Beach (both are more expensive when you book an advanced golf package with a guaranteed tee time). Here are some of the best answers to Ginella's question:
7 at the Old Course & 3 at Pebble Beach with the stipulation that at Pebble I had the first tee time for each round. If I had to tee off mid-day at Pebble it might be more like 9 to 1.
— Society of Golf Historians (@SHistorians) September 25, 2019
I love Pebble but people need to speed it up out there.
9 St Andrews v 1 Pebble.
— Matt Cleary (@JournoMatCleary) September 25, 2019
Actually no I'd go 8 St Andrews and 1 Pebble and sell the other one.
Five rounds par Pebble in September and October. Five rounds at the Old Course in June and July.
— Chuck Acquisto (@AirPallotti) September 25, 2019
7 Old Course, 3 Pebble. Both are amazing experiences, but The Old Course was the most special experience I’ve ever had in golf. Helps that it was a few weeks ago, but there is just something about it that Pebble doesn’t compare to. If it were 1 round I’d pick The Old Course 100%.
— Dominic Gallo (@DominicGallo) September 25, 2019
Old Course 8-2. One created by God, the other by man. The OC is the only course that as soon as you putt out on the 18th, you want to re-use on the 1st and play again to validate how well you played or prove that you can play better. OC can almost be played with only a putter.
— Scott Dutton (@duttongs) September 25, 2019
Comments (14)
I live a few hours away from Pebble and have attended the AT&T & the US OPEN several times when held there. Unbelievable beauty and layout. Definitely a "bucket list" for me. But, the HOME of golf, REALLY, can't pass it up. I would say 5 and 5. BTW, can I stay extra days in the UK and play other memorable courses?
I have played both, although many (20+) at Pebble and only A few (3) at the Old Course. If picking, I would take Pebble over the Old Course 8 to 2.
I live a few hours away from Pebble and have attended the AT&T & the US OPEN several times when held there. Unbelievable beauty and layout. Definitely a "bucket list" for me. But, the HOME of golf, REALLY, can't pass it up. I would say 5 and 5. BTW, can I stay extra days in the UK and play other memorable courses?
I have played both, although many (20+) at Pebble and only A few (3) at the Old Course. If picking, I would take Pebble over the Old Course 8 to 2.
I have played them both and if I had the chance to play ten rounds between them again, I would play Pebble Beach 7 out of 10 rounds simply because the conditions and layout are better. The Old Course has great tradition but Pebble Beach is a more enjoyable round of golf.
Simply Pebble is more beautiful & better chance of enjoyable weather!
7 St. Andrews
3 Pebble Beach
Golf in Scotland (St Andrews and more) is better because all the great courses accessible to the public plus all the single malts to finish the round. Cheers.
10-0 works for me (sneak back to Muirfield for a round?)
8-2 in favor of St. Andrews. There is nothing that can come close to the thrill of standing on the 1st tee of the OC.
I played both courses. Pebble Beach in July 1917 and the Old Course in May 1918. Both were arranged by the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) Member Outing Program. Weather was almost identical. Course play: The best for both.
8-2 for the Old Course! History, emotion, memories, in the heart of St.Andrews (an icon)!
Saw a little of Pebble Beach and watched all Opens at St Andrews last 52 years. Split 5 and 5 both would be miraculously awesomely enjoyed!!