February 22, 1919. Pebble Beach Golf Links officially opens.
For the last 100 years it has been widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world, becoming the first public golf course to be selected as the number-1 golf course in America by Golf Digest in 2001.
But when it first opened, it was hardly the course the world knows it as now.
Budget constraints, a premature opening, and… sheep… all led to an uneven first few years.
Railroad partners Charles Crocker, Collis Huntington, Leland Stanford and Mark Hopkins were known to history as the Big Four.
Together they created the Southern Pacific Railroad and changed America forever.
When the last of the four associates, Collis Huntington, died in 1900 the railroad was sold and their incredibly vast company land holdings were ordered to be liquidated. These land holdings included the areas in and around Pebble Beach, California.
In the spring of 1915, Charles Crocker’s son and controlling heir put 29-year-old Samuel Finley Brown Morse in charge of selling off the company assets.
Morse was the captain of the 1906 national championship football team from Yale. Well liked with a sharp business mind, he was an easy pick to get the job done.
In order to find buyers, Morse abandoned a plan for small lots along the coast in favor of larger lots inland and a golf course that hugged the coastline.
It was as incredibly bold plan. Seeing though that the goal was liquidation and not investment, Morse had to convince the company he worked for that his plan would work. The board members had their reservations But Morse was not deterred.
Morse would use existing maintenance staff to build the course, and it would be operated by using an underground irrigation system and… sheep.
The course design would come free, courtesy of two well known amateur golfers: Jack Neville and Douglas Grant.
In 1916, the pair would complete their initial design and construction would begin.
Construction went slowly but by late 1917, the course was nearly complete.
The plan was to open the course on Feb. 22, 1918. But due to some delays was pushed back to April.
August Heckscher, the millionaire who built Central Park in New York, made an offer on the land, but it was too low… and that’s when Morse had an idea: he would buy the land himself, at the full asking price, if the company would give him a year to arrange proper financing.
The company agreed.
Samuel Finley Brown Morse purchased nearly 18,000 acres on the Monterey California coast, including the world renowned Hotel Del Monte which had opened in 1880, for $1.3M dollars.
On February 22, 1919, Pebble Beach Golf Links opened. The next week Morse’s Del Monte Properties Company closed the sale.
The course was visually stunning but it did not have immediate impact on golf, and had its share of critics.
Morse had already opened the Del Monte Golf Course in 1897, and was warmly received by the area residents and the golf world. To this day Del Monte Golf Course remains the oldest golf course in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River.
Everything changed in September 1929 when Pebble Beach held its first “major”, The U.S. Amateur championship, and the star power of 27 year old Bobby Jones.
The area in and around Pebble Beach operated as a hideaway for the rich and powerful, hosting celebrities, sports icons and even royalty. The property was known far and wide for its extravagant parties and alcohol even during prohibition.
The Great Depression nearly ended the course, dropping membership down to almost zero.
World War 2 also nearly crippled Pebble Beach.
But it was kept alive through Morse’s smart business ventures, including leasing the Hotel Del Monte and land to the U.S. Navy for use as a flight school.
Over its 100 year history, Pebble Beach has made golf history time and time again.
In 1947 the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am golf tournament offers another boost of star power to the course’s history.
In 1950 the newly formed Ladies Pro Golf Association holds the Weathervane Transcontinental Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. The tournament is won by the legend Babe Zaharias.
In 1961 the U.S. amateur championship returns, this time won by 21 year old Jack Nicklaus.
The U.S. Open in June 1982 plays host to the legendary duel between Tom Watson and, you guessed it, Jack Nicklaus.
Watson, needing a birdie to win, completely misses the 17th green. But then he sinks a miraculous chip shot, one of the most incredible shots in golf history, then birdies the 18th hole to win the Open by two strokes.
And of course, the 100th U.S. Open Championship in June 2000… won by 24 year old Tiger Woods, besting his nearest competitor by 15 strokes.
Samuel Morse, regarded as the Duke of Del Monte, served 50 years as president of his company before dying in 1969. His funeral included paid respects from President Nixon and future President Ronald Reagan.
The course itself has seen many improvements and major redesigns to the 5th hole and the lengthening of the incredible gorgeous 18th hole.
Of course, today Pebble Beach remains one of the greatest public golf courses in the world, and you can schedule your next round, all for the low – low price of $550 per round.
