Pebble Beach golf for first time players

Pebble Beach golf for first time players

Pebble Beach can be intimidating for the first timer player, and these tips for first time players may help.  Every golfer knows Pebble Beach and this great golf course will be even more in the public eye for the 2010 US Open.  But there are some tips and tricks that every first-time player at Pebble Beach should know about:

• Don’t have any expectations – Just because Tiger made a birdie on #6 does not mean that you will.  It’s a typical scene for first time players to get frustrated.  The Pebble beach fairways are wonderful and even a high and mid handicapper can play par golf on the fairway, but the approach shots are greens are WAY HARD.  The greens are almost spooky, with hidden breaks.  If a first-time wants to maximize their score, a caddy is de rigueur.

• Skip the Pebble Beach Lodge - The Pebble Beach golf course web site says that the only way to get a guaranteed tee time at Pebble Beach is to stay at the Pebble Beach resort.  However, in this down economy you can call 24 hours before playing and easily get a tee time.  There is a wide choice of great hotels at a fraction of the cost of the Pebble Beach Lodge.

• Bring your own weapons – Playing Pebble Beach is tough enough for first timers without worrying about acclimating to a set of rental clubs.  Spend a few bucks and have your clubs mailed to your resort.

• Get a Caddy – The greens are amazingly tricky at Pebble Beach, and the cost of caddy is money well spent.

• Score your putts separately – First time players should records their scores at a finite level.  As you play-along with the pros during the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, it’s useful to separate your drives, iron shots and putts.  If Tiger three putts a green, you will need proof that you two-putted the hole!  The Pro shop can sell you a nice framed scorecard holder that you can buy to commemorate your score.

• Watch the weather – Playing Pebble Beach the first time is special, and you want a nice day, free of the fog that is very common.  Make sure that you pick a day with clear views.

• Buy the swag – Make sure to buy a memento as a testament that you were willing to spend a small fortune on a round of golf!  A common purchase at Pebble Beach is a logo windbreakers, as first-timers don’t realize that Pebble Beach golf can be cool and foggy, even in mid-summer.

• Bring your camera – Everyone is in awe of Pebble Beach, not just first time players, and you will have time for photos.  The famous par-3 6^th hole on the peninsula is a favorite photo opportunity.

• Warm up – First timer players should arrive early and enjoy the complementary driving range at Spyglass.

• Bring some tipping change – Tip your started $10, and have some $5 bills handy for other helpers.

• Prepare for sticker shock – First time players should practice your reactions to paying over $600 for a round of golf.  Remember, Pebble Beach is a favorite course of billionaires (Donald Trump ranks Pebble Beach as his favorite course).

• Be ready for a long round – My round lasted for five hours and 20 minutes, so first timers should be prepared for slow play and delays.  The delay are great because you have that much more time to enjoy the spectacular vistas.

Because Pebble Beach is so famous, some first time players expect to see celebrities.  While some celebrities play Pebble Beach, one of the Marshalls told me that it’s much more common to see sports stars than TV or movie starts playing Pebble Beach.

In sum, these are some tips for first time players at Pebble Beach.  If you have any other tips that I can include for first-timers, please e-mail me!

Also see my tips for Pebble Beach golf for high handicapper beginners