My Favorite Local Course: Monterey Pines

Living on the Monterey Peninsula means being surrounded by some of the most famous golf courses in the world. But one of the courses I enjoy playing the most is much simpler: Monterey Pines Golf Course.

Monterey Pines is also one of the older local courses in the area. It was originally designed by Robert Muir Graves and opened in 1963 as a nine-hole course. A second nine was added in 1972, and the course later went through a major renovation in 2009. Because it is operated by the U.S. Navy, a lot of locals simply know it as the “Navy Course.”

For me, though, the main reason I play Monterey Pines is pretty simple: it is close to home, the conditions are usually good, and it is a fun course to play.

The first thing I notice whenever I play there is the grass. The fairways are soft and comfortable to hit from, and the greens are usually smooth and in good condition. The course is also relatively short and flat, especially on the front nine. That makes walking and playing there feel less tiring than at some of the longer or hillier courses around Monterey.

My favorite hole is the first hole. I like it partly because it is the beginning of the round, when you are fresh and still have the entire course ahead of you. It also looks simple. The hole is basically right in front of you, and if you hit a straight tee shot, you should be in a good position.

The problem is when you don’t.

That is something I like about Monterey Pines. A lot of the course looks easy at first, but you still have to control where you hit the ball. You can’t just hit it anywhere because the course is short.

The back nine gets more interesting, and I think the hardest hole is No. 18. It is one of the longer holes on the course, and by the time I get there, I know I need to hit the ball straight. There is water on the right and trees on the left, so a bad shot in either direction can put you in trouble. I like finishing on a hole like that because it makes you think about your shot instead of just trying to hit it as far as possible.

That is probably the best way I would describe Monterey Pines. It isn’t extremely long or physically demanding, but you still need a good feel for the course and some course management.

I would especially recommend it to someone who is just starting golf or someone who already plays but wants an enjoyable local round. It is short enough that it doesn’t feel overwhelming, flat enough to walk comfortably, and the course conditions make it enjoyable to practice and play.

Monterey has plenty of golf courses that people travel across the world to experience. Monterey Pines isn’t trying to be one of those courses.

For me, that’s part of why I like it. It’s just a good local golf course that I can come back to again and again.