Pat:
Part of the reason that I have a very high opinion of PD is because I very much enjoy the Press holes (3-5; 11-16) and don't find them at all inferior to the original nine, in fact my favorite stretch of holes is the swing 11-16 and back on the 13th tee I feel like I could be in Oz, literally for me it's other worldly. In short, I don't believe there is a weak hole at PD.
The definition of weak hole is a bit like the old line about pornography, "I'm not sure but I know it when I see it."
Not to be flippant about it at all but I think a weak element or hole can vary greatly from hole to hole and course to course. One consistant weakness that I find on many courses and certainly some at Pebble is when the line of play either off the tee or into the green is dictated to the player.
I don't want to be told, hit it here or hit it anywhere but here . . .
Take the first tee shot at PD, you can hit down the left or the right, but if you go left go far enough to make it to the fairway and far enough to clear the mounding down the inside of the dogleg so you can see the green and that requires a very bold line challenging the fescue or you can hit it right, but be sure your distance control is on because too long is in the bunkers and if you bail out short right you've got a million miles for your second (btw, C&C's appreciation for PD hits you immediately at Cuscowilla as the tee shot on number 1 there has a very similar feeling and right to left risk reward element).
I find elements of that risk reward on every tee shot at PD, it's on 1, 2, 5 (although less so b/c it's straight, the bolder you hug the inside of the hole the better and shorter the approach), 6, 7, 8, 9 (similar to 5), 11, 12 (which I love and some people hate b/c of the trees, I've hit driver a little off line and had to bump and run under the limbs thinking I hit a great shot only for it to roll entirely through the green) 13, 14, 16, 17 (again similar to 5 and 9 in being fairly straight) and 18, perhaps my favorite and potentially disasterous on the course as the ball can roll forever right to left with any kind of hook and the high stuff eats balls up down the right and left side but you can hit anything from 5 iron to driver if it's down wind).
As for Pebble's weak holes, I would say 1, 2, 11, 12, 14, and 15 are weak.
1) Weak b/c it requires little thought off the tee, beside don't hit it right and don't screw up in front of all these people;
2) Weak because again, there is little strategy off the tee besides hitting it straight and unless you're going for it in two it's a layup and a wedge over the baranca (note, for me # 3 is the first real interesting tee shot, with several options and risk reward element);
11) Weak off the tee after you've played it once and the blind tee shot effect fades, not a very interesting second IMO and the housing starts to overwhelm things there, (btw, the best views on number 11 are all backwards which is not a weakness);
12) Very ordinary like many other par threes I've played, I think I hit the same club three days in a row;
14) I really just don't like 14 even though the tee shot sets up for a power fade which I like to hit, I find the green completely out of balance with the rest of the hole, it's too undulated and the transitions between segments is too severe;
15) The tee shot is very cramped and once you get to the fairway there's little interest in terms of fairway bunkering and I yawned on the approach too, althought there is some nice titlt to the green I just find the approach there uninspired;
So for me, one is too many weak holes for PB to be truly a world class tract (by my count there are 6). BTW, my thoughts of Pebble have grown more critical as I played what I consider truly world class courses, e.g. Shinnecock, Prairie Dunes, Pacific Dunes. I'm imagine that I may grow even more critical of Pebble once I get across the Pond and play some real links golf
Jason