Best golf courses: Monterey / Carmel

Monterey / Carmel: the table below provides brief details about the top golf courses in this country or region. Each golf club has been visited and/or researched by Where2Golf. Click on the course name below to discover more. The course ratings below range from 5 highest, to 2 lowest. They attempt to provide an indication of the golfing experience you might expect at the course (based on its design, condition and surroundings). Hover your cursor above the Rating Key for the rating definitions.
4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Carmel-by-the-Sea
McClure, Bob

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Originally designed by General Bob McClure. Significantly upgraded, re-routed and re-bunkered by Gene Bates (2008/09).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carnes, Edwin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Original design by US Army General Edwin Carnes. Significantly upgraded, re-routed and re-bunkered by Gene Bates (2008/09).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Dye, Pete

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Original design by Pete Dye. Later renovation designed by Gene Bates (2006).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Carmel-by-the-Sea
MacKenzie, Dr Alister

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Dr Alister MacKenzie & Robert Hunter

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Maud, Charles

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Charles Maud (a golf and polo enthusiast).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Raynor, Baldock, Stranz et al

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Dunes course: original design by Charles Blair Macdonald & Seth Raynor (1925); modifications by Rees Jones (1998), and Tom Fazio, Tim Jackson & David Khan (2015). Shore course: Robert (Bob) Baldock & Jack Neville (1961); redesigned by Mike Stranz (2004).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Egan & Neville

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Front-nine originally designed by Chandler Egan (1932). Back-nine designed by Jack Neville (original designer of the Pebble Beach Golf Links).

5-PLUS: In the world’s elite - has few peers; one of our top-rated 5s!
Visitors welcome
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Neville & Grant

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Original design by Jack Neville & Douglas Grant (1919), with later improvements by Herbert Fowler (1920), H. Chandler Egan (1928), Jack Nicklaus (1998) and Arnold Palmer & Thad Layton (2007-16).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Original design by Robert Trent Jones Jr; renovated by RTJ Jr & Bruce Charlton (2013).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Fazio, Poellot & Tatum

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Tom Fazio, J. Michael Poellot & Sandy Tatum

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Graves, Robert Muir

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Robert Muir Graves

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Jr, with Tom Watson & Frank "Sandy" Tatum.

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Designer

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr, who said of Spyglass Hill "the first six holes were inspired by Pine Valley, the rest by Augusta National." Course modifications made by Tom Fazio (1996).

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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