American Golf’s Sistine Chapel

Pebble Beach Golf Links may be America’s living breathing Sistine Chapel, where the beauty of nature meets the artistry of golf. Nestled along California’s rugged coastline, it offers panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, with crashing waves and towering cypress trees framing several of its holes. Every fairway here feels like a brushstroke in a masterpiece, with the course itself acting as a stage where golfers are both players and spectators of nature’s most dramatic performance. From its stunning cliffs to the gentle breeze off the ocean, Pebble Beach blends sport and scenery in a way that’s unmatched anywhere in the world.

Unlike Michelangelo’s masterpiece, Pebble Beach would not be the creation of a single visionary, but rather the product of many minds coming together over decades of time. Over the years, the course has evolved through the influence of several architects, each leaving their indelible mark on its design.

Originally designed by amateurs Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, they were given one of the most beautiful canvases the golf world had ever seen and a blank check to design a masterpiece. In 1919 Pebble Beach made its debut - the only issue - it wasn’t ready.

One could argue that Pebble Beach opened too early, or that two amateur golfers, while they created a breathtaking layout, didn’t fully grasp the complexities of agronomy. When the course opened in 1919, its beauty was undeniable, but its maintenance was another matter. To address this, Pebble Beach hired Harold Sampson, the pro at the nearby Del Monte Golf Course, as its first professional and lead agronomist. Sampson’s expertise helped transform the course into a world-class venue, ensuring that the stunning design could stand up to the challenges of both play and maintenance, laying the foundation for what would become one of golf’s most revered courses.

The one thing that has remained constant at Pebble Beach is change. Especially in its early years, the course wasn’t afraid to make adjustments in pursuit of perfection. In 1921, Samuel Morse, the course’s owner, hired renowned golf course architect William Herbert Fowler to address a key weakness—the lackluster 374-yard par-4 finishing hole. Fowler, with his sharp eye for design, transformed the hole into what is now one of the most iconic par-5s in the world, wrapping gracefully around the stunning Carmel Bay. This brilliant redesign not only enhanced the visual appeal but also cemented Pebble Beach’s place in golfing history, making it a heart-pounding conclusion to any round played there.

In 1926 Morse hired Dr. Alister Mackenzie to work on the 8th hole and the 13th. Mackenzie reshaped the greens and provided his signature natural bunker style (as seen in the photograph below).

Of all the renovations that have taken place at Pebble Beach over the years, none are discussed more in the golf course architecture community than those that occurred before the 1929 U.S. Amateur. Spearheaded by Roger Lapham on behalf of the USGA, the course underwent significant changes, this time under the direction of renowned architects Chandler Egan and Robert Hunter. Their work was aimed at refining the layout to make it more challenging and suited for top-level competition. It’s also believed that the legendary Alister MacKenzie may have offered guidance on some of the changes.

The 1929 renovation was by far the most extensive design project undertaken at Pebble Beach since its inception. With Chandler Egan and Robert Hunter given full reign over the property, no proverbial stone was left untouched.

Among the most notable changes that golfers would recognize today, Egan moved the first tee box to its current position, and he shifted the 9th green to its dramatic location on the cliffs, overlooking the Pacific. On the 16th, he extended the hole another 100 yards, pushing it to its present-day layout. But the changes didn’t stop there—Egan and Hunter reshaped most of the greens and performed a complete renovation of the course’s bunkers.

Of these, the most talked-about hole transformation was at the 7th hole. Egan and Hunter utilized the existing hole location to create a striking island green surrounded by sand, a bold and dramatic design that made the 7th hole even more iconic.

However, this bold creation didn’t survive in its original form for long. The onset of the Great Depression and the escalating costs of maintaining such an elaborate feature made it too expensive to keep. As a result, the hole began to evolve over time, with changes made to reduce maintenance and costs. Eventually, the 7th hole morphed into the more manageable, but still challenging, version we see today—a shorter, visually captivating par-3 that continues to stand as one of the most recognizable holes in golf. Despite the changes, the hole’s charm and its ability to test golfers remains as potent as ever.

The next major renovation took place 69 years later. In 1998 Jack Nicklaus designed the new par three 5th hole on the cliffs of Pebble Beach providing yet another oceanside hole.

Why did it take nearly 80 years to create this hole? Initially Pebble Beach was designed to be a a residential community and the area where the 5th hole resides today sat a home who’s history pre-dates the golf course. It was one of the very first homes to be built in the residential neighborhood that never materialized. Fortunately for us, smarter heads prevailed and Morse & Co realized that this land was meant for golf.

The addition of the fifth hole at Pebble Beach was the last major change to the course- a course that has been designed, rearranged, tweaked, lengthened, and improved by the likes of Jack Neville, Douglas Grant, Harold Sampson, Arthur Vincent, William Herbert Fowler, Dr Alister Mackenzie, Chandler Egan, Robert Hunter, Robert Trent Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and many more.

Pebble Beach is a testament to the power of collaboration. Each architect brought a unique perspective, refining and enhancing the course in ways that balanced both beauty and challenge, ultimately crafting a layout that continues to captivate and challenge golfers from around the world.

This article was made possible by photos from the USGA and the archives of Pebble Beach Golf Resort.

For Your Own Golffice

With the formalization of the Society of Golf Historians we will be offering items for sale. Our goal is to provide items that we think you might enjoy in your own home or Golffice.

We have partnered with a local artist who will assist us in providing original artwork, prints and vintage prints. Proceeds will help us establish a website, build a historical database of downloadable books, white papers, articles as well as a place where collaboration is possible. We will also be building a fund to support golf history research.

The first item for sale is one of my favorite golf history pieces. A print of John Smart’s painting of Hell Bunker circa the 1880s. Hell Bunker will be made available on a 16×24” stretched canvas (larger prints may be possible). It’s stretched, meaning there will be no need to frame, you can literally hang this on your wall or the Louve for that matter.

If you are interested you can shoot me an email at [email protected].

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. If you enjoyed it, please share with your friends and family. If you have ideas for future newsletters or podcasts please let me know. Until then…

Yours in Golf History,

Connor T. Lewis