Golf Mecca More Accessible as Economy Continues to Slow

It ranks among golf’s most precious commodities: a tee time at these fabled links one errant chip shot away from the roaring Pacific.

Reservations have historically been a must, and golfers sometimes plan their vacations here years in advance just to walk in the footsteps of Snead, Hogan and Nicholas.

But the slowing economy has struck a blow even to the Pebble Beach Golf Links and its sister courses and luxury hotels at this huge Monterey Peninsula resort.

The $350 price for a round of golf hasn’t dropped yet, and a window table overlooking Pebble Beach’s famous 18th green, where Tiger Woods won the centennial U.S. Open in 2000, still requires a wait.

But with persistence and some luck, a golfer these days stands a decent chance of teeing off sooner rather than later for one of the more spectacular, five-hour thrills in the sport.

Bob Chase was able to join a party of three earlier this month. His partners had waited a year and a half to tee off. Chase got on with only 24 hours’ notice.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Chase, a Philadelphia salesman who was accompanying his wife on a business trip to San Francisco. “I would have regretted getting that close and not doing it.”

Welcome to the new economic order at this golfing mecca. Citing a 20% to 30% drop in business at the resort’s three hotels and four courses, Pebble Beach Co. laid off 10% of its 1,700-member work force last month--the biggest single layoff in the company’s 82-year history.

Everyone was touched, from caddies to hotel housekeepers, to drivers who shuttle wealthy golfers around the wooded resort wedged between historic Monterey and exclusive Carmel. The downturn coincides with the broader dip in tourism nationwide because of the economic slowdown and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Resort golf courses open to the public, such as Pebble Beach, apparently are being hit harder than courses that rely primarily on a private membership.

“We went into the toilet right after Sept. 11,” said Mike Hannon, head golf pro at the 500-room La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad. Hotel guests pay $165 for an 18-hole round on the facility’s private course. “We had only 9% occupancy in the hotel, where we’re usually in the mid-70% to upper 70% range.”

Hannon said things have been picking up in recent days--”back into the 50s.”

On the other hand, business hasn’t declined that much at the private Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, according to head pro Todd Yoshitake. Guest greens fees are $90 weekdays, $120 weekends.

“Guest play has dropped way off,” he said. “But our members are staying in town more these days, and they’re playing more.”

Drop-Off in Convention Customers Is Cited

Officials at Pebble Beach Co., a partnership that includes Clint Eastwood, Peter Ueberroth and Arnold Palmer, are not expecting improved conditions any time soon. Though the company’s prized properties, the golf courses and The Lodge at Pebble Beach, still attract steady business, officials said the other hotels nestled in the Del Monte Forest are suffering, in part, because of a drop-off in convention customers.

At first glance, signs of an economic slump at Pebble Beach are hard to spot. This is, after all, one of the world’s greatest courses, where the annual pro-am tournament once hosted by Bing Crosby attracts top golfers and celebrities galore. Most golfers--rich and poor--dream of playing here at least once and liken their visits to a religious pilgrimage.

On a recent crisp, sunny day, dozens of golfers strolled the tree-lined fairways, taking swings and admiring views of the blue-gray waters crashing against the craggy shoreline.

“It wasn’t golf. It was like sightseeing with some frustration mixed in,” said John Phillips, a San Francisco investment banker.

Luxury touches abound. Upon completion of their rounds, golfers are whisked back to the pro shop in escorted carts. Each player receives a personalized bag tag. Later, they can sip wine next to the fireplace in the Terrace Lounge, where a formally attired pianist plays requests. If they are hungry, they can order a plate of Monterey Bay red abalone, at $65.

Merchants at some of the pricey boutiques and art galleries adjoining the lodge say strollers still spend big bucks. One 62-year-old woman recently purchased a $36,000 bronze sculpture as a birthday present for herself.

But subtle signs of a downturn do exist amid the splendor. Restaurants have slowed to the point where guests often don’t need reservations. Golfers sometimes have to wait an extra five minutes for a shuttle ride because there are fewer drivers.

And, most obviously, the competition for tee times seems to have entered a new era. Though Pebble Beach is open to anyone who can afford it, only hotel guests can make reservations more than 24 hours in advance.

This rule has often made it nearly impossible to get a tee time for golfers unable to fork out the $425 to $2,395 for a room.

But weakened demand has suddenly made quick access easier.

Granted unexpected tee times, many golfers interrupt business trips to San Francisco or Southern California and drive to Monterey County. They stay at the cheaper hotels in nearby Seaside or Monterey, and park their compact rental cars next to the fleets of luxury cars in the parking lot.

Chase, the Philadelphia salesman, was visiting San Francisco with his wife when he called to see if there was an opening. He was turned down once but on his second try was given an 8 a.m. tee time.

The greens fees were more than his air fare to the West Coast, but Chase said that finishing with a respectable score of 84 on the par 72 course made it worthwhile.

Atlanta businessman Al Lumpkin traveled north from a convention in Anaheim after unexpectedly being given a tee time.

“I was expecting to have lots of hassles to get on, but it was easy,” he said, moments after coming up short on a 30-foot putt on the 18th green. “It’s been a dream for me.”

But Lumpkin, like many, said the expensive experience would live on only in memories and pictures taken with his golf mates.

“This is the first time I’ve played here,” he said, “and it will probably be my last.”

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Staff writer Eric Malnic contributed to this report.