Pacific Grove Golf Links

Perched on the tip of the Monterey Peninsula, Pacific Grove Golf Links is the Monterey Bay area's best-kept secret and most affordable ocean-side experience. This 1932 municipal gem splits into two distinct personalities: Chandler Egan's quirky front nine winds through tree-lined residential neighborhoods with tight greens and surprising challenge, while Jack Neville's back nine—designed in 1960 by the original architect of Pebble Beach—transforms into a true links experience that tumbles through windswept dunes toward the churning Pacific. The Point Pinos Lighthouse, California's oldest continuously operating beacon (built 1855), watches over the back nine like a historical sentinel, while deer casually roam the fairways and sea otters lounge offshore. At nearly 5,700 yards and par 70, the course plays deceptively tough, especially when the ocean wind picks up. You'll encounter everything from back-to-back par fives on the front nine to drivable par fours on the back, with authentic Scottish links-style holes that would make St. Andrews proud. Unlike its neighbor Pebble Beach, you can actually walk here affordably.