1800s
In the late 1800s, railroad titans Charles Crocker, Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, and Mark Hopkins formed the Pacific Improvement Co. and open Hotel Del Monte in the Monterey area of California. In 1897, the nine-hole Del Monte Golf Course opens.
Pebble Beach Golf Links Begins
After buying Hotel Del Monte and much of the surrounding property, Samuel F.B. Morse develops two golf courses called the Pebble Beach Golf Links and the Lodge at Pebble Beach.
Pebble Beach Becomes Major Player
In 1929, Pebble Beach hosted its first "major," the U.S. Amateur Championship. In 1940, the Women's National Amateur Championship was played there. The men's tournament was to return in 1942, but it was canceled because of World War II, when the Lodge became used as housing for pilots in training.
Bing Crosby
The Bing Crosby National Pro-Am Golf tournament made its home at Pebble Beach for the first time in 1947. Television covered the tournament for the first time in 1958 as Crosby helped announce the final round.
1960s
Jack Nicklaus played Pebble Beach for the first time in 1961 and won the U.S. Amateur. In 1966, the marvelous Spyglass Hill course opened at Pebble Beach, with most of the holes named after characters and places from the novel "Treasure Island."
Continued Development
The resort and golf courses at Pebble Beach continued to grow with the times, making Pebble Beach a popular vacation destination. In 2001, Golf Digest made Pebble Beach Golf Links the first public course to be named the No. 1 golf course in America.
About The Author
James Roland is the editor of a monthly health publication that has approximately 75,000 subscribers in the United States and Canada. Previously, he worked as a newspaper reporter and editor, covering issues ranging from the environment and government to family matters and education. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oregon.
