19 Facts Interesting Facts about Pebble Beach

• The front nine has twice as many holes with the Pacific in play -- six versus three -- but the back nine is at least two strokes tougher.
• When 20th Century Fox purchased Pebble Beach Resort in 1979 for $81.5 million, most of the money was profit from Star Wars.
• When Pebble opened in 1919, the turf was not the lush green we know today. The grounds crew struggled with the spotty grass, until someone came up with the bright idea of driving a truck over to the presidio at Monterey, scooping out some stables and using the manure for fertilizer. That's the honest poop.
• David Duval (1997) and Tom Kite ('83) share the course record with a 62, but that number is not recognized by the Pebble cognoscenti because both rounds benefited from lift, clean and place, as did Tiger Woods's 63 in '97. The best round ever shot at Pebble is Davis Love's 63 in 2001, which rocketed Love to victory at the Clambake.
• Pebble does 64,000 rounds a year. At $395 a pop, that's a staggering $25 million-plus per annum, even if you take into account that Clint, Arnie and the occasional media hack don't have to go to their wallets.
• Pebble has a decent driving range a quick shuttle ride from the 1st tee, but one of the planet's most pleasant practice areas is just a mile down the road at Spyglass Hill. Warm up there and enjoy the Zen vibe of a range nestled among towering pines and grazing deer.
• If you need a good caddie, ask for Casey Boyns. The longtime looper is a two-time winner of the California State Amateur, the finals of which are always played at Pebble.
• If you hook your tee shot O.B. on 5 and hop the large fence to retrieve it, there could be a payoff: That's Charles Schwab's yard, and he might have a stock tip or two.
• The best place to spot harbor seals is from the 7th tee. Walk to the back of the tee box and look down into the little nook of Stillwater Cove, where dozen of the spotted cuties usually hang out.
• Standing on the 8th tee, looking to the right, you'll see a rock outcropping offshore. With a tailwind you could launch a drive out to it, though Greenpeace might not approve.
• Legend has it that a tipsy Japanese duffer died when he drove his golf cart over the cliff bordering the 8th fairway. Pebble Beach Company officials deny the story, but some veteran caddies still call the spot "Kamikaze Cove."
• You always need two extra clubs for the third shot into 14.
• Forget about sandwiches at the snack shack off the 10th fairway. About 100 yards from the 1st tee is the Pebble Beach Market, which has scrumptious delights packed to go. The stuffed shells pasta will change your life, if not your swing.
• Houses on the course are outrageously expensive. A bungalow on the 14th fairway recently went on the market for $31 million.
• You can't see the putting surface on the 17th thanks to Arnold Palmer, one of the course's co-owners. When various upgrades were discussed a few years ago, there was a movement to raise the 17th tee. The King said he had always liked the look of the hidden green. End of discussion.
• The world-renowned par-5 18th hole was originally a 325-yard par 4.
• The 18th tee doesn't sit on natural rock but on cleverly painted cement, installed in 1997 to prevent erosion.
• The celebrated 19th hole, the Tap Room, was opened in 1933 to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition.