What a stunning golf course Pebble Beach is – the Sky Sports pictures were incredible and probably put it on everyone’s wish list to play. The final holes along the ocean are spectacular and as we saw on the first two days of the tournament the weather can make them brutal to play. The most iconic hole is probably the 109 yard 7th Hole and just how tough it played could be identified from the clubs that the Pros chose to play. What could normally be a sand wedge for the Pros saw some of them playing knock down 6 irons which, into such a small target, was a true test of skill. If they made par then they had the awesome 8th hole to encounter with its second shot over the water and anything right heading towards the beach!
Pebble Beach Golf Course
A member of our office was lucky enough to play it several years ago and what is interesting is that they can remember all the holes that were featured on television but none of the others. It’s always a good test of a golf courses greatness if you can recall the holes after you have played a round and for a truly great course you can recall several holes often years after you have played the course. Currently the green fee is around $500 a round which is quite high for what is a municipal golf course and despite the cost it is still not often easy to get tee times as it’s so popular. Would we pay $500 now to play it again? The answer is probably not as in effect you are paying for 7 spectacular golf holes and 11 that are OK but not great.
Great coastal views at Pebble Beach golf course
If you want a truly spectacular golf course where every hole is a photo opportunity and gives you stunning Ocean views the place to find it might surprise you – its Thracian Cliffs Golf Course in Bulgaria. We never thought we would be playing golf in Bulgaria but on a short trip there last year we were astounded at the quality of the golf courses on offer, the accommodation and the general infrastructure which makes it a great golfing destination. This is especially so now that there are more flights into Varna airport from different UK Airports at a reasonable cost.
Thracian Cliff golf course in Bulgaria
Once you arrive you will find the cost of food and drink is much cheaper than in California so all in all it has become a must visit destination in a very short space of time. It may require you to broaden your horizons and accept that Bulgaria is a possible golfing destination rather than the more usual European destinations than Spain and Portugal. If you can do this you will not be disappointed!
Stunning view at Thracian Cliffs golf course
If you look at the images on our website you can see what we mean about Thracian Cliffs. It’s a brilliant design where, unlike Pebble Beach, you see the sea from every hole and I guarantee that you will remember more than 7 holes there. The destination is still relatively undiscovered here in the UK but the Scandanavian and German golfers are already arriving en masse and it wont be long before prices start rising to reflect this growing popularity.
$500 will buy you a round of golf at Pebble Beach but for the same amount of money you could get 3 rounds of golf and accommodation in Bulgaria and I know which is the better value for money and will live longer in the memory!
Leave a Reply