Carmel-by-the-Sea: Pebble Beach Golf Course

One afternoon, we walked 5km (and 5km back!) along the famous 17 Mile Drive, which led to the Pebble Beach Golf Course.

 

17 Mile Drive traverses a gated community, so vehicles have to pay to drive through it.  As pedestrians, we didn’t have to pay, but neither were we welcomed, as there were no footpaths.  Whenever a Mercedes, Bentley, open-topped sportscar etc came along, we either had to press ourselves into manicured hedges or hang by our fingernails from cliffs (slight exaggeration, but you get the idea.)

 

Oh dear, a traffic island with nothing on it!  What will we do?  How about a couple of giant potplants? 

 

First glimpse of Pebble Beach golf course, (down the driveway of a golf course bordering house) recently rated the best public course in the U.S. by Golf Digest, and the site of the 1972, 1982, 1992, 2000 and 2010 U.S. Opens.

 

 Another view of the golf course. 

 

There were a lot of fancy houses along the road beside the golf course.  As well as these houses being designed to have great views over the golf course and the sea, you had the feeling that they were also designed to provide great views of themselves to anyone on the road (or the golf course.)

 

Oh look, a deer running around on the golf course.

 

View over the golf course back towards Carmel-by-the-Sea.

 

And again.

 

And again.

 

Another fancy house overlooking the golf course.

 

This house was called “Bear Necessities”.  This picture was taken through the bars of the front gate.

 

Laura and Arend on the way back.  This bit actually had a footpath.

 

Shortcut down the hill through the bush.  It was good to walk on some unprocessed ground.