Pebble Beach Golf Links: 5 Truly Stunning Golf Holes

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Pebble Beach Golf Course is renowned for its breathtaking coastal views, challenging layout, and hosting prestigious golf tournaments like the U.S. Open. Its iconic holes, such as the seventh and 18th, set against the Pacific Ocean backdrop, make it a bucket-list destination for golfers worldwide.

With Pebble Beach Golf Links returning to the major calendar as host venue for the 2019 U.S. Open, we thought we would take a look at some of the most famous and equally stunning golf holes at one of the world's best loved golf courses.

The fact that the course is hosting the U.S. Open Championship for the sixth time comes as great news for us all, as we get the chance to watch the world's best golfers toil and scrap for a major championship title while taking in some of the greatest views of any golfing location on Earth. Pebble Beach, located in California, has been rated the greatest public golf course in America by Golf Digest since its rankings came out in 2003. It has also hosted its first U.S. Women's Open in 2023 and will host its first U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Senior Women's Open in 2030, solidifying its place as one of the most prestigious and sought-after locations for major golf tournaments on a public course. With its stunning views and top-notch design, it's no wonder why Pebble Beach Golf Links is considered the No. 1 public golf course in America.

To get you ready for this week's event, let's look at Pebble Beach Golf Links' best golf holes. Take a look at our list and let us know your favourite in the comments below...

7th Hole (par-3 109 yds)

Undoubtedly one of the most iconic par-3 holes in all of golf, the 7th at Pebble Beach looks almost close enough for you to throw the ball to the target. Playing as the shortest hole on the PGA Tour, depending on the prevailing wind, this can still be far from an easy task with as much as a 5-iron required on particularly ferocious days. This hole has been played by some of the greatest golfers in history, including Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, and Tiger Woods. It has also been a favorite among recent winners like Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, and Dustin Johnson. With its stunning views and rich history, including being a favorite of golf legend Ben Hogan, it's no wonder why Pebble Beach Golf Course is famous in the golfing world.

The hole is perched high on a cliff as the waves of the Pacific Ocean lap at the shore beneath, while the tee shot is to a heavily-guarded green set well below the golfer's feet.

8th Hole (par-4 428 yds)

As with its neighbour, the 7th, hole 8 at Pebble Beach is one of the most instantly recognisable in world golf. Approaching the tee for the first time, it's very easy to let the mind wander and get caught up in a second shot once described by Jack Nicklaus as his favourite in the game. This course is not only famous for its stunning holes, but also for its Pebble Beach Golf Academy & Practice Facility, located in Pebble Beach, CA, which is an invaluable resource for golf professionals, groups and individual golfers of every skill level, including amateurs and the best players in the world. The course is also renowned for hosting the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament every February, as well as multiple U.S. Opens, solidifying its place as one of the most famous golf courses and golf resorts in the world, including the renowned Links at Spanish Bay and Spyglass Hill Golf Course.

The tee shot is hardly a walk in the park either though, with the golfer hitting blind while aiming to find the best position for a nerve-jangling approach shot over Stillwater Cove towards a well-protected green and fairways that tilt towards the sea.

18th Hole (par-5 543 yds)

The 18th hole is possibly the best closing hole in the game. The medium-length par-5 has the Pacific Ocean to the golfer's left-hand side and a 100 yd+ long bunker which sits ready to snare any errant shots up towards the green.

The hole was originally a pretty unspectacular par 4 up until 1922 when a course designer named William Herbert Fowler added close to 200 yards. It's clear to see that it's perfect for final day drama as the tournament comes to an almighty crescendo.

17th Hole (par-3 203 yds)

The 17th is another of the best holes at Pebble Beach and it has seen its fair share of historic golfing moments.

The great Jack Nicklaus won the 1972 U.S. Open here, a tournament that is most remembered for his stunning 1-iron which hit the flag stick and came to rest just a few inches from the cup. A decade later, Tom Watson captured his solitary U.S. Open victory in June and created his own memorable moment along the way on the 17th hole - majestically chipping in for a welcome birdie to the delight of the watching masses and the USGA.

It's an extremely tricky hole and, in fact, the last time Pebble Beach played as the host venue for the US Open (2010) it was the toughest all week. The hour-glass-shaped green is a tiny target when viewed from the tee and is surrounded by challenging sand traps.

14th Hole (par-5 580 yds)

Another challenging par-5 hole, the 14th is reachable (by the pros at least) with two solidly hit shots. With that said, the pragmatic approach may be to lay-up around the pine tree about 100 yards out to help with accuracy to a rather perilous green with run-off areas and a nasty bunker to be avoided.

When we remind you that Phil Mickelson once carded an 11 here... it's easy to see how this hole can certainly derail any golfer's hopes of posting a good score.

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