Pebble Restoration Curious

[Steve_Roths]

I have seen the pictures floating around of Pebble Beach with the unkempt bunkers, etc.


If they went through and did a proper (by gca.com standards) of the course, tore out the cart paths, etc. etc.  Would that vault it closer to the top of the rankings?

Would it send a good message across to membership boards to get back to the basics?

[Erik J. Barzeski]

I have seen the pictures floating around of Pebble Beach with the unkempt bunkers, etc.

If they went through and did a proper (by gca.com standards) of the course, tore out the cart paths, etc. etc.  Would that vault it closer to the top of the rankings?

Would it send a good message across to membership boards to get back to the basics?

Has Pinehurst #2 gone up in the rankings since its renovation?

[Mike Sweeney]

Has Pinehurst #2 gone up in the rankings since its renovation?

Yes -https://www.pinehurst.com/news/pinehurst-no-2-moves-up-in-golf-coms-top-100-courses-in-the-world/

[Erik J. Barzeski]

Yes -https://www.pinehurst.com/news/pinehurst-no-2-moves-up-in-golf-coms-top-100-courses-in-the-world/

Right, I thought so. So that bodes well for Pebble, I would think.

[John Emerson]

That place is printing money...do they even care about a restoration? That’s the million dollar question.

[Jeff Schley]

That place is printing money...do they even care about a restoration? That’s the million dollar question.

I agree with John, the ATM is spitting out money and they are in the US Open rotation while hosting the annual pro am.  Charging people $500 or more and filling the resort in the process has to be lucrative.  Unless the USGA leans on them to do something to stay in the rotation I don't think they will do much, nor have the incentive to do so.  BTW I shudder to think what the USGA would suggest as well.

[Ryan Carey]

Steve, I presume you are referring to the famous 1920s photo of #7 (and other similar ones) that is commonly circulated. That’s Chandler Eagan’s version that he created for the 1929 US Amateur.


Egan’s version of Pebble is arguably one of the best, if not the best, of all the iterations of Pebble Beach. But it’s important to note that those dunes and that sand were not at all original to the rocky land that ended up being the 7th hole. Egan’s version of the 7th, while incredible-looking in photos, was also apparently not very practical. Wind kept blowing the sand away (and onto the green). So Egan’s version of 7 only lasted a few short years before being completely changed.


But man, that’s a gorgeous looking hole

[Pete Lavallee]

One might ask just why HCE thought this idea would work? Sand dunes shift in the wind; why wouldn’t imitation dunes shift as well? Pot bunkers are deep in windy Scotland not so much to punish but to preserve the sand! Does anyone know just exactly how long the imitation dunes s lasted; I’ve never heard the date that PB blew them up.