Someone please explain to me the value add of that stupid tree in the 18th fairway over any other option? Lame, lame, lame. I can't believe no one has mentioned this. It just doesn't feel right to me.
I can see how this topic could be elaborated on ad nauseam, but there are a couple of things about Pebble that really stood out for me.
First, for the first time I somehow remembered just about every single shot from my round. That immediately makes the course memorable to me.
Second, the small greens in some tough wind (as in 1-6-08 ... the day after the worst storm in years...).
Third, the routing. I liked it ... a lot. Decent directional changes and exposure to the elements. Good ebb and flow.
Fourth, the stretch from the 6th through the 10th. Wow! Has to be a world class stretch! Especially the 8th. Brilliant hole.
Fifth, hodge podge bunkering. What can I say, I like bunkers. And at Pebble it seems to me from one hole to the next, some of the bunkers just feel out of character in design. The bunkering style isn't consistent throughout.
Last but not least ... why is it an obsession to compare courses? Why can't a course be appreciated on it's own without going into comparisons?
From one course to the next, the context is different. The geography and topography is different. The architect can be different, etc. It goes on and on...
I'm glad I went and won't forget anytime soon.