How to take a dream golf trip to Pebble Beach

Ahhhh, Pebble Beach. The granddaddy of all bucket-list golf destinations, and host of this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. So beautiful, so historic, so … expensive. Though it may turn out to be one of the most memorable rounds of your life, there’s no getting around the fact that a trip to Pebble Beach costs roughly an arm and a leg.

For true aficionados of the game, though, a Pebble pilgrimage is an essential must-do, at least once in your life. Here’s how much it will cost to make your dream trip a reality.

AIRFARE: ~$415

There are three airports to choose from when traveling to Pebble Beach. The closest is the Monterey Peninsula Airport (MRY), which is about 20 minutes away. San Jose’s International airport (SJC) is about an hour and a half away, and San Francisco (SFO) is about two hours away.

Monterey’s airport is small enough to require a layover from most East Coast starting points, so even though you’ll have a stop and a more expensive round-trip ticket, the additional cost of ground transportation from destination airports like SJC and SFO will almost even things out.

For a Friday to Monday itinerary I tried booking in late March, I found round-trip fares to MRY for $413 from JFK, $315 from BOS and $509 from ORD (prices via Expedia).

TOTAL AIRFARE: ~$415

GROUND TRANSPORTATION: $25

An Uber ride from the MRY airport will only set you back $25 each way — yay! If you’re going to Pebble strictly for the golf and resort experience, I don’t think a rental car is necessary. The resort shuttle is complimentary for guests and can take you everywhere you need to go on property.

TOTAL SPEND: $415 + $25 = $440

LODGING: $1,230+

This is the category of your trip where the numbers will edge a little higher than usual. The only way to guarantee yourself a tee time at Pebble Beach is to stay at one of the Pebble Beach Resorts, and there are three: The Lodge at Pebble Beach, the Inn at Spanish Bay and Casa Palermo. The least expensive of these three options is the Inn at Spanish Bay, which will set you back $820 per night. And you need to stay at least two nights in order to pre-book your round at Pebble. So, a three-night stay will set you back $2,460 on lodging — plus taxes and fees — but will enable you to book advance tee times at the Pebble trifecta: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay.

Note: If you opt not to stay at one of the Pebble resort properties, you can still book a tee time at the courses. At Spanish Bay, you can book up to six months in advance, at Spyglass, three months, and at Pebble, one day. Resort policy allows two tee times to be booked per room, so sharing the room’s cost is definitely in your wallet’s best interest.

TOTAL SPEND: $440 + $1,230 = $1,670

GREEN FEES: $1,235

Beginning in April, green fees are increasing at Pebble by $25 per person, so if you can make it out there before then, you can save a tiny bit. Through March, a round at Pebble costs $550 for resort guests. Spyglass is $395 and Spanish Bay is $290.

Add it all together and you end up spending $1,235 in green fees.

TOTAL SPEND: $1,670 + $1,235 = $2,905

DINING: $340

With 15 restaurants to choose from between the three resort properties, you’ll have plenty of variety to look forward to. Here’s a budget breakdown to keep you on track:

Arrival dinner: $50

Day 1 golf course lunch: $30

Day 1 dinner: $50

Day 2 golf course lunch: $30

Day 2 dinner: $50

Day 3 golf course lunch: $30

Miscellaneous breakfasts and snacks: $100

TOTAL DINING: $340

TOTAL SPEND: $2,905 + $340 = $3,245

And there you have it! Flights, ground transportation, three nights of lodging, three green fees and dining at the one and only Pebble Beach for under $3,300! Ready to book? Happy travels!

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