Huge Damage On Monterey Peninsula As Storm Batters Golfing Haven

Videos show damage at Monterey Peninsula but also concerns about Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Cypress Point

Pebble Beach in a storm
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Videos have revealed that storms and heavy rain in North California have caused some devastating damage to golf courses along the famed Monterey Peninsula.

A hotbed of golfing beauty with courses that fill many golfer’s bucket list, the area can boast the likes of famed tracks such as Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, Monterey Peninsula and Cypress Point.

Many of these have breath taking Pacific Ocean views with holes hugging the coastline, but these iconic holes and courses have been battered by the elements, causing some monumental damage in some cases.

Worst hit of all seems to have been Monterey Peninsula Country Club, which holds two courses - the Dunes and the Shore – with social media clips showing the Dunes Course being battered where it runs alongside the ocean.

The storms have been so bad that California Governor Gavin Newsome has declared a state of emergency, and there are even evacuations issued in parts of Monterey County and other areas, so damage to golf courses is obviously secondary to human suffering.

On the golf course damage though, no clear updates have been issued as to the extent of the problems and more storms are forecast in the coming days, so matters could get even worse.

What is of particular concern to the PGA Tour would be any damage to the Monterey Peninsula’s Shore Course, Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill, as those three tracks are the host venues for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the start of February.

Pebble Beach is also scheduled to stage the next US Women’s Open in July, so that will need to be in tip-top shape to host that Major.

Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.