The CSGA Links Volume 2 Issue 2 April, 2014 | Page 12

Golf & Travel ~ Monterey, California
Where to Play?

Owned and operated by the Northern
California Golf Association and set among
the many trees of the Del Monte Forest,
Poppy Hills Golf Course was designed by
Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and opened for play in 1986. The
course co-hosted the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach
Pro-Am for 18 years before undergoing an extensive
renovation, centered around water conservation.
Jones reinvented the course architecturally, restoring
each hole to its natural elevation along the forest
floor, softening doglegs and contours, rebuilding all
18 greens with bentgrass, eliminating rough and
introducing native waste areas.

Although Poppy Hills is set in the forest, there
is ample opportunity to see the ocean from many of
the elevated holes. Widely regarded as one of the top
courses in the country, it is well worth the trip.

Round Two: Let’s be honest, how could we
have an article about Monterey without mentioning
Pebble Beach Golf Links? At $500 per round, it’s
a steep price to pay, but a true once-in-a-lifetime
experience.

Where to Stay?

Relax and unwind at the casually elegant Old Monterey
Inn; a gorgeous bed and breakfast surrounded by
lush gardens in the heart of Monterey. Staying here
transports you back in time to experience the true
history of early California. Plus, it’s no more than a
Drive and a 5-Iron from six of the best courses in the
area: Poppy Hills, Spanish Bay, Monterey Peninsula
Dunes, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach and Cypress Point.

Where to Eat?

As you might expect, no trip to Monterey is complete
without experiencing a first-class ocean cuisine. With
an ever changing menu that features the freshest
sustainable seafood, slow cooked meats, farm fresh
organic greens and delectable house-made desserts,
Passionfish in Pacific Grove, CA
is a true treat. One of their most