The second stop on the Monterey Peninsula was the iconic Pebble Beach. Conditions were perfect for golf, however the persistent Monterey fog remained to make it less than perfect for photography.
Here is the view down the fairway on the par four 1st hole.
Rita Green fires away down the par five 2nd.
This huge bunker provides a barrier for those who wish to attack the 2nd green in two. A lot of preparations were being undertaken for the US Open in 2019. In particular green surrounds, and bunker restoration.
The third hole is a great risk / reward par four. The more you bite off the corner the better the approach, but as the fairway sits at an angle, the landing zone becomes smaller.
Michael Green's bunker shot ended up in this property behind the 3rd green. A contractor arrived to unlock the gate but Michael decided to let it go.
The par four 4th hole is the first to venture alongside the ocean, but it is not noticeable from the tee. Once you reach the fairway you are met by this.
This is the view from the back of the 4th green, across to the green on the par three 5th. A great little par three that requires precision from a mid / short iron. It is also the beginning of a brilliant stretch of coastal holes.
The par five 6th hole puts the fear of god into you on the tee. A lot of don't go right swings are made here.
Once you second shot makes it up the steep rise, this is the view that you leave behind.
One of the most iconic par threes in golf, the 7th. Only playing 88 yards, it is one of the most difficult sand iron shots you will encounter. We were lucky that there was no wind.
After a blind tee shot, this is what is faced on the second shot to the par four 8th. The cliff drops straight down into the ocean. Apparently years ago a Japanese man drove a cart off this cliff in the fog, plunging to his death. It is the reason why the course now requires carts to remain on the cart paths only.
Gary Jones extracting himself from the greenside bunker after successfully negotiating the cliffs. His caddy Chris watching on.
This is the cliff I was talking about from behind the green.
As we reached the par four 9th hole, the sun tried to break through the thick cloud. It gave some good photo opportunities for about half an hour, before the cloud closed over again.
The green at the ninth.
On the beach to the right of the par four 10th, it looks as if someone is getting ready for a bonfire evening.
Looking across the 11th tee to the 10th green, you can see Gene Hackman's little shack on the left!
The par four 13th hole has been recently re-opened after a green reconstruction. The USGA were looking for additional pin placement options ahead of the US Open, and so the green was restructured.
A view back down the fairway of the par five 14th hole.
Gary Jones tees off over the junk on the par four 15th.
Some of the newly renovated bunkers at the front of the par four 16th.
You can see 3 pretty handy shots near the pin on the brilliant par three 17th hole. Unfortunately none of these were converted to birdies.
Michael Green lets one rip down the par five 18th hole.
A brilliant hole to finish the round. A par five that requires accuracy from the tee, not only to avoid the ocean, but to avoid the tree in the middle of the fairway, and then still requires the right apporaches to the green.
Looking back along the 18th from behind the green. You might not think a course on the tour could get better than this, but it does.
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