Lisa Longball surprised her husband with a life’s dream—they golfed Pebble Beach and met Arnold Palmer
The 110th US Open was held on June 14 – 20, 2010, at Pebble Beach Golf Links for the sixth time. It is heralded as one of the most spectacular US Open venues. A bucket list course.
I knew I had to play it, some way, somehow. I started squirreling away for the trip and I ended up surprising my husband Anton for a milestone birthday. Pebble Beach Golf Links was a gift like no other.
We were greeted at the front gate by a valet who took our clubs and parked our car. After passing a beautiful garden we came around a corner and saw the first tee. We were awestruck—there was the first tee at Pebble Beach where the legends of golf had gone before us.
As we enthusiastically went to check in, we were informed that Arnold Palmer would be playing in front of us. At that moment a large crowd was beginning to form behind us. We turned around and there he was.
He was very approachable. After introducing ourselves he shook our hands and graciously posed for a picture with us. It truly was an honour.
After kindly signing autographs for admiring fans, Palmer stood on the tee and split the fairway with his drive to a thunderous applause.
After recovering from our celebrity sighting we warmed up and hit the first tee. We were assigned a wonderful caddy named Chris. He had been a veteran at Pebble for the last 13 years and has caddied for the likes of Clint Eastwood, Joe Pesci, Jane Seymour and Don Johnson.
After a slight disagreement with the starter when he told me I should hit from the “ladies tees” (you can imagine how well that went over) we teed off with a wonderful father and son twosome from Toronto.
Luxurious surroundings
The first two holes of the course boasted beautifully manicured fairways, lush rough and homes starting at $20 million US. Celebrities ranging from Gene Hackman, Bing Crosby and Charles Schwab own or have owned homes on the course. This is definitely not a course where you want to duck hook a shot into a backyard.
As we rounded the corner on number three to hit our approach shot we got the first breathtaking views of the ocean. The salty air, ocean breeze, surf crashing and sun beating down on you were enough to distract even the most focused golfer.
Once we got over the views it was back to business. That little white ball does not fly as far at sea level as it does in our fair and elevated city of Calgary. Club selection was a challenge but we were comforted by the fact that the ocean played as a lateral hazard.
The immaculate condition of the course, the unforgiving and small greens, the club catching rough, massive sand traps with looming edges and the strong ocean breeze make this seemingly tame 7,040-yard course a force to be reckoned with on tour.
We too felt as if we were pros as our caddy coached us through the course. He read greens, selected and cleaned our clubs, carried our bags, washed our balls, informed us of unforgiving traps and passed on the local gossip.
Memory of a lifetime
Every shot was a challenge but a joy at the same time. We were saddened as we rounded the last corner to number 17 and 18.
As we approached 18 we decided that we had to play that last hole from the tips. The ocean coast guarded the entire left side toward a narrow fairway.
After we holed out we shook hands on the green and we stood for a moment trying to freeze-frame that moment into a lifelong memory. We knew that many more future greats of the game would stand in that very place.
If you are interested in playing Pebble it will cost you a pretty penny. Green fees are $495 US plus a caddy (which is not mandatory but highly recommended). To book a tee time prior to 24 hours in advance golfers must stay two nights at one of the three Pebble Beach accommodations. The “dirt cheap” room is $595 and can go up to $2,750. Reservations are recommended for one year in advance. For more information go to www.pebblebeach.com.
Although the trip is a small fortune it is well worth it! Jack Nicklaus was once quoted “If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach. I’ve loved this course from the first time I saw it. It’s possibly the best in the world.”
