travelspin
By Jake Narro
dream come true
Pebble Beach offers perfect
golf backdrop and tests
players of all levels
It’s hard to imagine that a $600 round of golf could be worth
it, but playing Pebble Beach Golf Links could be. I’ll do my best
to “critique” my round at perhaps the most famous 18 holes in
the world at Pebble Beach, but please understand how biased
I may sound. Perhaps is was the perfect weather, the lodges,
shopping and intimacy surrounding the first tee, or the history
we’re all aware of, but it could’ve been the best experience of
my golfing life.
Wow! That’s deep.
Our tee time was early, 7:20. We showed up at 6:30 to warm
up on the newly renovated practice area a short shuttle ride
away. Of course, the service lived up to the fee as a personable
Scottish guy took my partner’s clubs and mine and nearly
carried us onto the shuttle. It was a cool morning, so that first
thinly hit wedge sent the shock through my left arm we all have
felt. A slight adjustment in ball position cured that mistake and
by the time we needed to return to the first tee area, I was ready
to go.
After a few putts on the putting green, it was our time on
the first tee. The coolest and most nerve racking thing about
that first shot of the day was we were playing in the National
Taylormade Pro-am which means we had our names announced
prior to our opening shot. Some how or another, I got my ball
to sit atop my tee when my name was called and even more
astonishing, I ripped my 5-wood down the middle. My perfect
drive left me an 8-iron into a small, well-bunkered green which
I missed in the left bunker. A blast from a buried lie left me 20
feet above the hole which took my best two strokes to two-putt.
Bogey.
Number two is a par five which I with a small creek about
100 yards from the green. A solid wedge to five feet left me a
putt to get back the opening bogey but my nervy stroke didn’t
cooperate. Three is a dogleg left par four which of course I
bogeyed and then the fun really began.
The short, uphill number four is well bunkered off the tee.
225 yards will leave you within 125 yards but the second shot
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Pebble Beach’s Pro Shop
Statue and Memorial of Bing Crosby
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