Since 2010, when a sodden Graeme McDowell celebrated his win on Sunday night by hosing down patrons with the soda gun behind the bar, Brophy’s has been remodeled and lost a little of its scruffy charm. Brophy’s (Carmel): During past Opens, this cramped pub was the unofficial caddie headquarters. Bayonet: Easily the toughest course on the Peninsula, which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers. It will also get you inside the gates of 17 Mile Drive, which is quite handy during Open week. Poppy Hills: An elegant course and a very good value.

Just don’t be put off by the quirky start: back-to-back par-3s followed by a par-4 that doesn’t really have a fairway. Ridiculously fun and of tremendous value, this course has a bunch of memorable holes and the back nine winds through gorgeous dunes. – Pacific Grove Golf Links: Or, as it’s still known to locals, P.G. If you’re coming to the area, a sojourn to Pasa is mandatory. – Pasatiempo: Cypress Point, Augusta National and Royal Melbourne are all obnoxiously private, but another Alister MacKenzie masterwork is blessedly public and less than an hour’s drive from Pebble Beach. (Generally, tee times are reservable only 24 hours in advance without booking a pricey room at the Lodge.) A shotgun is sub-optimal but comes with a big bonus: you can shuttle (or even walk) to the tournament before or after the round. Plenty of spots are still available and reservations can be made now.

Open week, there will be shotguns at 7:30 a.m. – Spyglass Hill: A course which needs no introduction. It seemed prudent to put all of my counsel in one document, so here is one man’s highly idiosyncratic guide to the Monterey Peninsula (and slightly beyond). Open, quite a few folks have been tweeting and texting me for advice about visiting the area. I grew up in Steinbeck country, spent my college summers as a cart boy at Pebble Beach Golf Links and now live in Carmel.

17 mile drive restaurants