Part of what makes Pebble Beach one of the most revered golf courses on the planet is its location, perched on the edge of California’s Monterey Peninsula. But that comes with a trade-off, leaving the iconic venue exposed to just about every element Mother Mature has ever dreamed up. This is especially true at this time of year, when atmospheric rivers of rain and wind slam California’s central coast while the region’s infamous king tides – abnormally strong high tides often seeing during full moons and early spring months – pummel the shoreline.
Obviously, those aren’t ideal conditions for a bucket-list golf trip, which a few unfortunate souls learned this week when they arrived at Pebble Beach for the round of a lifetime to find the course still reeling from recent series of storms that have inundated the region. Watch it and weep.
If you spent $4,000 on your dream trip to Pebble Beach, would you play in this?
Brutal scenes from the recent storms in California.
But if it’s a bucket list trip, what can you do? The game must go on.
One of the hard truths about planning expensive golf trips is that… pic.twitter.com/anChJhClyR
— Rick Golfs (@Top100Rick) January 6, 2026
Brutal stuff, and it gets even worse when you watch the whole video, posted to local looper Johnny Eugenio’s Instagram. In addition to the flooded bunkers and spongey greens, Eugenio’s video also shows the overtaxed drainage systems and tees dotted with pebbles washed up from the recent high tides. There’s a reason they call it “Pebble Beach”, after all.
Pebble Beach has one of the best grounds crews going, so you can bet the course will be ship-shape again in no time. That said, greens fees begin at $US675 before carts and caddies, and with the competition for tee-times fierce, don’t expect a rain check. So if you’re headed to Pebble Beach next week, next winter or next decade, come prepared and be ready to roll with the punches. A bad weather round can be even more memorable than a bluebird day, but it’s no fun when you’re wearing shorts and forgot your umbrella.
