Who can hit the 8th green at Pebble?

[Mike Nuzzo]

Thank you.
Sure is a memorable hole for everyone.

It is hard to imagine someone building a green that size today.
What would happen to the hole if the green were increased to 6,500 sft?

Today the hole would be defined as too difficult requiring such a perfectly struck heroic approach shot.

And it is a perfect hole the way it is.

Keep the stories coming and let me know if you played way over your head too.

Cheers

[Mike Bowline]

Played it once, strong left-to-right wind. Hit a 3-wood off the tee that had an unintentional draw and went nowhere, leaving 225 to middle. Was so far back couldn't see green. Hit 3-hybrid to 15 yards short, chipped to 4 feet, pin-high to right. Four-footer broke about 3 feet, lucked out and made it.

I cannot wait to get back there and hit a better drive to have a 6 iron in and see how I do.

[Chip Gaskins]

played it once.

3 wood, 6 iron...missed long and left, chip, 2 putt and a happy bogey with that view.  probably the biggest diversity of any hole in golf...the tee shot couldn't get any more bland and second may have no other rivals in golf.....

[Tim Bert]

One time. Hit the tee shot to the edge of the cliff (wasn't playing the back tee)

Hit the best struck 7-iron of the day. The only problem was that I needed an 8. I went in the buncker behind the green. Blast rolled off the green. Chip and 2-putt for a frustrating 6. I was frustrated at my caddie for calling the club, but that is just because it was convenient to blame someone else. He had already over-clubbed me once and I chose to trust him.

[Bill_McBride]

One time. Hit the tee shot to the edge of the cliff (wasn't playing the back tee)

Hit the best struck 7-iron of the day. The only problem was that I needed an 8. I went in the buncker behind the green. Blast rolled off the green. Chip and 2-putt for a frustrating 6. I was frustrated at my caddie for calling the club, but that is just because it was convenient to blame someone else. He had already over-clubbed me once and I chose to trust him.

Tim, that's exactly why all I ever want to know is the yardage to the front and pin, MOL, when dealing with a caddy.   Then the club selection is your responsibility!

[cary lichtenstein]

Hitting the green was never my problem, putting it could be dicy

[John Mayhugh]

I hit probably my best shot of the day there.  Poor tee shot & had to hit 3-wood.  I believe I ended up just off the green but was able to putt.  I really loved the hole.  6-7-8   Wow, what a stretch!

[David_Elvins]

It is hard to imagine someone building a green that size today.
What would happen to the hole if the green were increased to 6,500 sft?

Mike,

You really have to get to Pebble Beach to see how small all the greens are, not just 8.  I think it suits the clifftop site really well.  It is unique and the fact that there is no real bailout or fat side of the green on holes like 7, 8 9 and 10 is part of what makes the stretch of holes great. 

[Chip Gaskins]

I holed a 6 iron for 2.

wow, it doesn't get much better than that...nice work.  needless to say you will remember that one for a while

[JMEvensky]

I holed a 6 iron for 2.

wow, it doesn't get much better than that...nice work.  needless to say you will remember that one for a while

It's been ~ 15 years since and I remember it vividly.Let's just say that I agree with Nicklaus' opinion that it's the best second shot in golf.

[Jim Franklin]

The first time I played it in a tournament I hit 6 iron to 2 feet and made birdie. Unfortunately, I have not been nearly as close in my other attempts. But that first time was pretty cool although not as cool as a holed shot .

[Tom_Doak]

Mike:

I played the course about ten times when I was a teenager and I never hit the green in two.  (I did make par once or twice with good chip shots.)

The responses so far make it sound like the hole is not so hard, but I think you've probably heard every instance of anyone on this board making par on the hole ... so just count up the number of positive responses and divide by about 1,500 and that's the success rate. 

[Tony_Chapman]

I played in July 2002 and it was about 55 degrees. I hit a 3-wood and a grip down, punch 7-wood to about 15 feet and two-putted.

[Brad Tufts]

One round, September 2007.  Skanked low drive safe to the right, 4-iron from about 205 right into the heart, 2-putted from 30 feet with about 10 feet of break.  I shot even par 72, which was a couple under the rating (I'm pretty much scratch).  One of the better putting days of my life, I birdied 3, 11, 17, made a 20-footer for par on 10, and 10-footer for par on 18.  Left one hanging for birdie on 4, 14, 16....etc...

[Adam Clayman]

Interesting how this hole gets special dispensation with regards to the monstrosity of a house that now blights the tee shot. Ironically, the ideal safe line off the tee is the garbage storage area's fence door visible at skyline level left center.

[cary lichtenstein]

My dad took me to Pebble Beach as a present after I took the Bar Exam in 1969. I returned there with him for many years, then my golf buddies and then with other couples for a total of 23 consecutive years every 3rd week in Oct.

We always played 27 holes, so sometimes played the 8th twice everyday. I have played that holes well over 100 times.

I always said that the teeth of the course started with the 2nd shot on 8. More often than not I could get to the 8th tee at par or 1 or 2 over at worst.

The shot into 8 was always wonderful. I can't ever remember missing the green to the right, but my misses were mostly long or left, sometimes goosing at impact.

The brilliance of the green, the severeness of the grain made recovery shots, always the best part of my game, a great challenge. To this day, the grain baffles me. It always took longer to play Pebble's greens because of the grain.

I had a caddy I always used called "Foot". He was a Vietnam Vet with a drinking problem and nightmares from the war, but he was a great guy with a terrific sense of humor and we would fight over his reads, but he usually was right unless he just couldn't stand up.

I stopped comming to Pebble in 1992 after a 6 hour round but my memories are fond.

[David Stamm]

I missed the green to the right and the ball lodged itself about 20 ft down the cliff face. I though the wind would carry to the left, but I misjudged it. I actually scaled down the cliff, found it, pitched on to the green and 2 putted for a 5. Looking back, I was an idiot for doing it. I could've been killed if I had lost my balance down there.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Great point Tom.

Great architecture is also a conduit for great playing.

[Pat Burke]

Hit a sprinkler head, cart path and ended up on 9th tee in a state am match
got it up and down to tie the hole!