In California, when bad weather ruined a round of golf on the Monterey Peninsula’s world-class Pebble Beach golf course, Guy Fiorita opted for the inland calm of Quail Lodge Resort
Bad weather can bring out the best in golfers, and changes in conditions certainly add an extra challenge to the game. But sometimes ‘challenging’ becomes nigh-on impossible. Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsula may be one of the world’s top three courses but there is a downside: the weather. Hanging over the Pacific, the course is vulnerable to rain and, worse still, the fog that is so prevalent on this part of the coast (when just a few hundred metres inland the sun might be shining).
So it was that a fog-filled sky got the better of my scheduled round at Pebble Beach. Determined not to let the weather ruin the entire trip, I headed inland to the calm of Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club. Designed by Robert Muir Graves and opened in 1964, the course sits on an impressive 350 hectares of land about three miles from the town of Carmelby- the-Sea. Although it is flanked by mountains, this is one of the flattest, and therefore most walkerfriendly, courses in the area – and walking is certainly necessary to take full advantage of the surrounding natural beauty. A former dairy farm, the course offers wonderful views from nearly every point and it is not uncommon to see giant blue heron gliding overhead and other furry creatures scurrying across the fairways.
Quail Lodge measures just under 6,000 metres and offers a challenge to golfers of all levels. With 10 lakes, various creeks and the Carmel River meandering its way through the course, water comes into play on many holes. But there are two things that really set this course apart: the nearperfect condition of the fairways and greens, and the challenging par 3 holes.
Some have called the series of par 3 holes at Quail Lodge the most challenging on the Monterey Peninsula, and I have to agree. I come up short on three of these holes; my only comfort lies in the fact that the shortest of them measures 185m.
Apart from that and a few balls lost to the water, I really enjoy playing here. It’s fair and fun – just what a golfer wants from a course. It was the weather that brought me here but the golf that got me. This is a course worth playing no matter what is happening along the coast.
QUAIL LODGE RESORT & GOLF CLUB
8205 Valley Greens Drive
Carmel, California, US
qlreservations@quaillodge.com
quaillodge.com
QUAIL LODGE RESORT & GOLF CLUB
| Opened | 1964 |
| Designer | Robert Muir Graves |
| Number of holes | 18 |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | |
| Blue tees | 5,896 metres |
| Gold tees | 5,570 metres |
| Red tees | 5,018 metres |
Green fees: $140–$200 (€110–€160)
Ideal playing season: Year-round
Other services: driving range, putting green, pitching green, practise bunker, buggies, carts, club rental, pro shop, changing rooms, showers, lockers, private and group classes, restaurant, snack bar
Where to stay: Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club
THE HOLE
The 16th hole is a 373m, par 4, which requires both distance and accuracy. The hole doglegs to the right around a large lake that stays tight along the fairway all the way to the green. Safely around the corner you are faced with an approach shot to an elevated green carved into the hillside, with two large bunkers at the front and another to the back. Good luck!
THE WATERING HOLE
After the round, I head back to the clubhouse and Edgar’s for a chilled glass of Haber Golden lager, a special brew made exclusively for Quail Lodge and named after the resort’s founder, Edgar Haber. As the sun beats down from above, a couple hacks away at a bucket of balls on the driving range and the mountains gleam a purple hue in the distance, I go over my round and plan my return.
THE VIEW
Although this is a flat course, the fifth hole has an elevated tee that affords great views of the Carmel Valley and nearby mountains. The only problem is that, standing here, you are faced with a 181m, par 3, with a bunker short left and a pond short right.