California vacation: Pebble Beach for non-golfers

By Polly Sheridan

Pebble Beach, California, is supposed to be one of the ultimate golf destinations. I am not a golfer. So imagine my surprise on our recent California vacation when our afternoon at Pebble Beach turned out to be one of my favorite experiences!

Pebble Beach lies between Monterey and Carmel on the northern California coast and includes three resorts and four golf courses.

We hopped in our rental car and did the 17-Mile Driv e — paying $9 for the privilege of
getting inside the gates and gawking at the huge homes and scenery. The
area is much more hilly and wooded than I expected, so the scenery is
lovely. But I would recommend skipping the interior roads and heading
straight to the coast. This is the view worth paying for: Waves crash
onto bluffs, sea lions lounge on rocks, and the famous "lone cypress"
tree stands gracefully against the wind.

I decided to humor my golf-playing fiance by offering to buy him a drink at The Lodge at Pebble Beach. Trust me: Even if you don’t love golf, this is a great place for a cocktail! The Terrace Lounge is cozy and elegant, with a stunning view of Carmel Bay and the famous 18th green of the Pebble Beach course. We sunk into leather chairs by the fire, listened to the live piano music and both declared this a fabulous California vacation!

Here are a few of my pictures: