In an era in which short, typically par-3 golf courses are playing a giant role as resorts and clubs reimagine their guests’ experience, Pebble Beach Company has one of the biggest announcements yet: The Hay, designed by Tiger Woods, opens April 16.
The Hay sits on land formerly occupied by the California resort’s Peter Hay Golf Course, between the Pebble Beach Pro Shop and the Golf Academy, just a few hundred yards from the famed 18th green of Pebble Beach Golf Links. The Hay, built by Woods’ TGR Design firm, also will be home to the resort’s first putting course and a new restaurant with an expansive patio overlooking the new nine-hole course, Carmel Bay and Point Lobos.
The previous short course was built by longtime Pebble Beach professional Peter Hay in 1957 to give newcomers and juniors a right-sized opportunity to learn the game. Woods has incorporated that theme with improved views and a new routing. Kids ages 12 or under can play The Hay for free, and the putting course is free to all.
A few of the highlights of The Hay, as spelled out in the media release announcing the opening:
- No. 2 is an exact replica of Pebble Beach Golf Links’ seventh hole, making one of the game’s most iconic holes accessible to more
- Each of the other eight holes’ yardage corresponds to a significant year in Pebble Beach history, with plaques on each tee telling the story.
- For example, No. 4 is 47 yards long and is named Bing in honor of Bing Crosby, who in 1947 brought the original Pro-Am tournament to Pebble Beach. The event is now known as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and is one of the longest-running events on the PGA Tour.
- No. 9 is 100 yards long and named Tiger in honor of Woods’ victory at Pebble Beach in the 100th U.S. Open in 2000.
- The logo, with a sea lion holding a flagstick, honors Hay’s role in the 1929 U.S. Amateur, in which he restored order among unruly fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Bobby Jones with assertive commands that were said to have shaken the sea lions.
Reservations to play The Hay are available now with a $65 green fee for resort guests and the general public, plus lower rates for Del Monte Forest residents and tiered pricing for juniors ages 13 and over. The same-day replay rate is 50-percent off.
It’s all part of a trend as course operators commit premium sites to short courses in search of boosting the fun and inviting new players to take a few swings.