In the early part of the 20th century, Samuel F.B. Morse is challenged with making the Pebble Beach area an attractive real estate investment in order to find a buyer. He decides to create a one-of-a-kind golf course with unsurpassed beauty and an element of difficulty that will always be challenging.
Morse utilizes the extraordinary talent and vision of two great amateurs—Jack Neville and Douglas Grant—to design the course, and Pebble Beach Golf Links officially opens on February 22, 1919.
Del Monte hosts the 1926 Monterey Peninsula Open on Pebble Beach Golf Links, putting up a $5,000 purse and attracting most of the top golfers—professionals and amateurs—in the country. Harry “Light Horse” Cooper of Texas wins with a 72-hole score of 293, five over par. Photography by Julian P. Graham
Pebble Beach hosts its first “Major”: the U.S. Amateur. Field favorite Bobby Jones ties for medalist honors but loses his first 18-hole match. Minnesota’s Jimmy Johnston beats the field with a 4 & 3 win in the final 36-hole match against Oscar Willing. Photography by Julian P. Graham
In the heart of the Depression, Pebble Beach Golf Links hosts the California State Open after a long hiatus. Pebble Beach head professional Cam Puget wins the event on his home course, pocketing the $300 first place money. Pebble Beach hosts the event again in 1936 and 1948. Photography by Julian P. Graham
The USGA returns to Pebble Beach for the 1940 U.S. Women’s Amateur, which is won by defending champion Betty Jameson. The USGA also schedules the 1942 U.S. Men’s Amateur for Pebble Beach Golf Links, but it is canceled due to World War II. Photography by Julian P. Graham
The Bing Crosby National Pro-Am golf tournament is played for the first time at Pebble Beach (after being played for six years at Rancho Santa Fe before World War II). Photography by Julian P. Graham
The U.S. Amateur returns to Pebble Beach and is won by Skee Riegel. Photography by Julian P. Graham
The U.S. Women’s Amateur returns to Pebble Beach. It is won by Grace Lenczyk. Photography by Julian P. Graham
Among the first of the tournaments of the newly formed LPGA is the Weathervane Transcontinental Women’s Open, which is won by Babe Zaharias at Pebble Beach in 1950. It returns in 1951 and is won by Patty Berg. Photography by Julian P. Graham
For the first time, television covers the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. Bing Crosby hosts the broadcast of the final round live from the 18th green. Photography by Julian P. Graham
Pebble Beach again hosts the U.S. Amateur, attracting one of the top international showings to date, as it follows just weeks after the Walker Cup is held in Seattle. Jack Nicklaus sees Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time and decides he likes it—defeating Dudley Wysong 8 & 6 in the final match. Photography by Julian P. Graham
Pebble Beach Golf Links hosts its first U.S. Open golf championship. After defeating Johnny Miller in the 1972 Crosby, Jack Nicklaus returns to Pebble Beach and wins the U.S. Open by 3 strokes with a 2-over par 290.
The Company hosts its first PGA Championship tournament. Lanny Wadkins wins on the third hole of sudden death.
The U.S. Open is held at Pebble Beach Golf Links for the second time. It features the battle between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus and the most talked about shot in golf. Watson needs birdie to win but completely misses the 17th green. To accomplish his mission, he sinks his legendary chip shot. He also birdies 18 and defeats Nicklaus by two strokes with a 6-under par 282.
The Crosby Clambake becomes the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament.
The NCGA opens Poppy Hills Golf Course.
The 2nd Annual Nabisco Golf Championships—which in 1991 became The Tour Championship—brings the top 30 golfers to Pebble Beach. A rain-delayed final round ends with Curtis Strange and Tom Kite tied; Strange wins on the second playoff hole and becomes the first golfer to win more than $1,000,000 (lifetime) on the PGA TOUR.
Pebble Beach Resorts hosts the U.S. Open for the third time. Under brutal winds, Tom Kite shoots an incredible par round and wins his first major with a 3-under 285.
Pebble Beach Company constructs the new 5th hole of Pebble Beach Golf Links, as designed by Jack Nicklaus. It opens for use in November, during the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational.
The 99th U.S. Amateur Championship becomes the ninth USGA championship held on Pebble Beach Golf Links and the first to also use Spyglass Hill for the medal-qualifying rounds. In the final, Tennessee’s David Gossett defeats South Korea’s Sung Yoon Kim 9 and 8.
The U.S. Open returns for the 100th playing of the championship. Tiger Woods captures the trophy, besting his nearest competitor by 15 strokes and tying the lowest 72-hole score ever in the national championship.
Golf Digest ranks Pebble Beach Golf Links as the No. 1 Golf Course in America—the first time a public course has been so honored.
The U.S. Open Championship returns for the fifth time to Pebble Beach Golf Links. A number of course enhancements—all under the direction of legendary Arnold Palmer—are completed to strengthen player appreciation, heighten the challenge and exceed guest and championship expectations.
It is an amazing week and quite a celebration at Pebble Beach Resorts. Congratulations to Graeme McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open Champion.
In a championship where a score of par is the most meaningful, the 30-year-old McDowell posts an even-par 284 for the 72 holes to become the first European winner since England’s Tony Jacklin in 1970.
In 2018, the U.S. Amateur returned to Pebble Beach, where Norwegian Viktor Hovland claimed victory.
Pebble Beach previously hosted the U.S. Amateur in 1929, 1947, 1961 and 1999, and the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1940 and 1948.
Pebble Beach Golf Links and the USGA again celebrate a centennial together, when the U.S. Open Championship returns for the sixth time.
Gary Woodland executes exquisite shot-making down the stretch on Sunday to hold off two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka and win his first Major.
