Bob,
I've only played Pebble once, and it was really quite an unexpected round.
I was able to go to KP this year because of a scholarship I won for college, which opened up a little bit of extra money for me. I went down a day early to play some extra golf. I had saved up for a few months to be able to pay for the trip. My Dad is disabled for the rest of his life and thus funds are tight in the family, so making a trip like this was really special. The scholarship had really opened some cool doors for me.
So, early in April, I was in Monterey and was playing my first round of the trip at Spyglass with fellow GCA'ers John Mayhugh, Tim Bert, and Bob Jenkins. It was the time of my life - winding my way through the dunes, enjoying what I had seen on television but in real life. Anyways, on the sixteenth hole, John and Bob start talking about playing Pebble Beach that afternoon. We had a free afternoon and it was not going to waste.
So, after the round, we went to the pro shop at Spyglass to ask them what it would take to get on at Pebble, keeping in mind this was a last minute idea and we had no tee time at the course. So, the pro shop member calls Pebble, and informs us that it is booked full for the day. He mentions it might be worth it to go check personally with Pebble Beach, so we get in the car and make the short drive.
We get to Pebble and find one last parking spot available. We park and head to the pro shop. The first tee is scattered with groups, and there are upwards of fifty spectators watching people tee off. Being that it was as perfect of a day as there can possibly be, it was no surprised to see the course so packed. Anyhow, we venture into the pro shop and look around, not knowing really how to approach things. After a while the counter is clear, and so we go up to talk to the gentlemen running the pro shop. I told him it was a dream to be at Pebble Beach, something I had only imagined before, and related to him the story of my Father and my scholarship. We informed him we had no tee time, but would be very grateful if there was one more opening that would allow us to play the course.
The gentlemen tells us to wait outside and briefly walks through the door to the pro's office. Thirty seconds later he comes out, takes us aside, and explains that if we are willing to fight darkness, they will open one more tee time up, just for us. I cannot explain my emotion at that time, other then that I was extremely grateful and excited. We thanked the gentlemen, and went to warm up before our round.
Finally, after twenty minutes (which seemed more like two hours), it was our turn to tee off. I hit my drive at the first with about 40 people watching and drew it into the left rough. The next five hours were magical.
On the fourth hole, there was a group by the green when we stepped to the tee. The caddy said it was clear to hit, and from the tee I proceeded to rope a tee shot that promptly took one bounce and hit a lady in the front left greenside bunker. However, it was all smiles on the next tee when we went up and apologized. Everyone was just enjoying the day. I walked along the ocean on the next few holes, not even really believing that I was actually at Pebble Beach. On #7, I hit my tee shot three feet from the hole. On #8, John, Bob, and I all made pars. Between 9 and 10 I bought the most expensive polish dog ever - and loved it. I made a birdie on 11 as we turned away from the ocean. On 14, we all took turns hitting from the front of the false front to a back left pin, trying to negotiate how to chip the ball perfectly to get it close.
Then, on #18, we walked down the fairway together, in the sunset. I had John on my right, Bob on my left, the sun in the clouds above me and a feeling as if were just meant to be. It was just magical.
After returning home I wrote the pro a thank you letter and got a nice response back. He stated something along the lines of, 'those are the types of things we like to do, I'm glad we got it right'.
They did get it right. I'll never forget it.
Cheers,
Jordan