PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - To me, the Peter Hay Golf Course was always the weak link of Pebble Beach Resorts.
Sure, the view of Stillwater Cove through the trees was nice, but with mats for tees and too many similar short holes, the nine-hole par 3 with no holes longer than 105 yards always felt like it was an afterthought among the resort's golf courses. Most visiting golfers never set foot on the grounds.
That is about to change.
The Dec. 17 announcement that Tiger Woods will redesign Peter Hay into a memorable short course signals another major step in the evolution of the iconic resort, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019 by hosting its sixth U.S. Open. Peter Hay closed earlier this year to serve as infrastructure for the major championship and has sat idle ever since, waiting for a new beginning.
"We are thrilled to partner with Tiger Woods and TGR Design to transform the Peter Hay site into a world-class short course," said Bill Perocchi, Chief Executive Officer of Pebble Beach Company. "Tiger Woods and TGR Design are the perfect partners for this project, given Tiger's commitment to youth golf and experience in developing fun, creative, and playable courses for golfers of all levels."
Although no formal plans have been unveiled, it's easy to envision the small parcel of land near the Pebble Beach Golf Academy being transformed into something similar to The Cradle at Pinehurst. A press release indicated the short course will "leverage" the amenities of the nearby academy and "offer an incredible food and beverage venue with expansive ocean views."
TGR Design already has experience designing fun, interesting short courses, having built the 10-hole Playgrounds at Bluejack National outside of Houston and the Oasis Short course at Diamante in Mexico. Next year will be a big one for the firm, which is set to open Payne's Valley at Missouri's Big Cedar Lodge, Tiger's first public course in the U.S. Peter Hay, dating to 1957 and named after one of Pebble's long-time head golf professionals, is set to reopen next fall.
Peter Hay's transformation adds Pebble Beach to the ongoing trend of resorts building (or rebuilding) short courses or putting courses as a way to entertain golfers in between rounds. Since Bandon Dunes built the 13-hole Preserve in 2012, major resorts such as Forest Dunes, Sea Island, Erin Hills, Big Cedar Lodge, The Greenbrier, Diamante, Pinehurst and others have added short or putting courses as new amenities. Building shorter courses means faster, more fun and more affordable rounds - all important initiatives in today's golf climate.
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I played PH with both my sons-youngest age 6-on family vacation. Many other families there while we played. GET IT??? FAMILIES!! aka-the future of the game. FUN COURSE!! We serious golfers have other great options in Monterey. Get family friendly!!