Course of the Week: Pebble Beach Co., TGR Design to design new facility
Pebble Beach Co. and Tiger Woods, through his TGR Design firm released plans to transform the former site of Peter Hay Golf Course.
Located directly between the Pebble Beach Pro Shop and Golf Academy, the new facility will include:
- A short course comprised of nine par-3 holes ranging in length from 47 to 106 yards and measuring 670 yards in total;
- A 20,000-square-foot putting course that can be set up in a variety of different hole and routing combinations; and
- A 5,000-square-foot food and beverage venue featuring a full kitchen and bar, indoor seating and the resort’s largest outdoor patio positioned for expansive views of the short course, putting course, Carmel Bay and Point Lobos.
“We are thrilled to elevate the quality of our short course to a level consistent with our other world-class golf courses,” said Bill Perocchi, CEO of Pebble Beach Co. “You can see the genius of Tiger Woods and TGR Design come to life when you walk the site, the way it all fits together. I expect all aspects of this new facility will be very popular for junior golf events, resort golfers, outings, resident hangouts and everything in between.”
Woods’ design philosophy for the short course is anchored on playability and creativity. His vision is that the course will draw new players to the game, bring families together and provide a fun golf experience for players of all ages and abilities, while still offering a challenge for skilled players.
“Everyone who plays this golf course is going to enjoy the playability of it,” Woods said. “Golfers will have the choice to play nearly any club off most tees and around the greens, which will make them think and channel their creativity. It will also play differently from day to day depending on the tee and hole locations and wind direction. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I can’t wait to play it.”
In shaping the new course, Woods’ inspiration resulted in dramatic terrain movement and nine holes entirely distinct from the old course. He also reoriented the routing to better capture the views, with four holes now playing directly toward Carmel Bay.
In addition, Woods aligned each hole’s yardage to correspond with a significant year in Pebble Beach history, with accompanying plaques on each tee telling a story and creating the sense guests are walking amongst the Resort’s rich championship heritage as they play. The only exception is the course’s second hole, which will be an exact replica of the famous seventh hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
“Pebble Beach is such an iconic golf destination, we want guests to feel the entirety of that spirit when they play this course. We also know not everyone who comes to Pebble Beach will have a chance to play the U.S. Open course, so we wanted to create the opportunity for all visitors to experience one of its most famous holes,” Woods added.
The grand opening of the entire facility is currently scheduled for the spring of 2021.