WHEN TIGER WOODS won the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by a record-setting 15 shots, he may have come as close to anyone ever has to playing a perfect tournament. Yet despite that dominating performance, he still tweaked his swing numerous times over the ensuing years while winning 10 more major championships. Not resting on his considerable laurels certainly paid off. The same thinking inspired recent changes at Pebble Beach Resorts. With the completion of projects that have enhanced guest rooms, public areas and restaurants, plus the preparations well underway to host a seventh U.S. Open in 2027, a new chapter has begun at one of the world’s most celebrated golf destinations.

THE LODGE TRANSFORMED

If you had to pick one day to travel back in time to Pebble Beach, February 22, 1919, would be a very good choice. On that winter’s day, both Pebble Beach GL and The Lodge at Pebble Beach opened. Both have certainly evolved since then, but over the past two years, that’s been especially true when it comes to The Lodge.

“The Lodge is more than a 100-year-old building, so it was time to kind of take a look at it from top to bottom,” said Caroline MacDonald, executive vice president and coo, Pebble Beach Resorts. “What do we want to do with the space?”

The answer was plenty, starting at the very spot where the guest experience begins: the arrival courtyard. New Italian pavers were installed on the ground there to define the transition into that area, and 140-year-old olive trees now flank the front entry door, which in itself was made wider. “It just feels like a grander arrival space,” said MacDonald.

Once inside, guests will see new cases holding various golf-related memorabilia from the U.S. Opens and AT&T Pro-Ams played here over the years, while the outdoor terrace bar’s dining area was expanded considerably. “It’s spectacular, and it’s a spot people want to be,” said MacDonald. “That has been a really popular change.”

The greatest transformation of all, though, is found at Stillwater Restaurant. “Historically, the bar was facing the back wall, so your back was facing the ocean,” MacDonald said. “That has been completely transformed, with the bar moved to the center of the room. Now the bar seats are facing the ocean, so it’s front and center when you walk in. It wasn’t necessarily the kind of a place where you saw people gathering in the past, but now every bar seat is full. There are fantastic views to 18 and the ocean beyond.”

The wraparound main dining room features floor-to-ceiling windows, while vaulted ceilings with soft brick arches and a glass-enclosed wine room add to the ambiance. A private dining room now features a suspended ceramic school-of-fish sculpture handcast in England.

The one area in Stillwater in need of the most functional space has also been elevated to a state-of-the-art level. “The kitchen is pretty spectacular,” said MacDonald. “It’s an impressive facility the way that it’s been rebuilt, and it allows our team to not only generate additional food with a capacity expansion, but also deliver great service.”

“Where we made bigger moves, it was really intentional to say it needs to be new and feel fresh, but not look too different…” —CAROLINE MACDONALD

Heading that culinary team are Executive Chef Benjamin Brown and Chef de Cuisine Alex Ramirez. The duo has refreshed the Stillwater culinary offerings by incorporating products from the region’s farms and fisheries.

An equal amount of thought went into changes at The Tap Room, which reopened last October. The quintessential 19th hole, which got its name in 1950 after long being known as the Monkeyshines Room (due to some colorful paintings featuring playful monkeys in various stages of repose), has long been a favored stop for golfers, celebrities, guests and locals.

“It retains its DNA, with the dark wood walls and all of the golf memorabilia,” said MacDonald. “While we really took it down to the studs and rebuilt it, it still retains that original historic feel.”

The new addition there is the Champions Room, a private dining space for groups of up to 24 (but open to the public when not booked). That’s also where you will find the wedge Tom Watson used for his iconic chip-in birdie on the 17th green en route to winning the 1982 U.S. Open.

The final phase of the resort’s room restoration program is scheduled to be completed in early 2026, the last piece of a thorough renovation of The Lodge.

“One of our values that we talk about day-in and day-out, in everything from the service we provide to the facilities experience, is this idea that we need to keep improving.” —CAROLINE MACDONALD

“Where we made bigger moves, it was really intentional to say it needs to be new and feel fresh, but not look too different, like The Tap Room,” said MacDonald. “Then with Stillwater, we took more risks and really made larger changes to that space. I think that has been well-received.”

ABUNDANCE OF GOLF

When the USGA announced in 2024 that a handful of courses would serve as anchor sites for future championships, the reason was straightforward. “This is about putting our stake in the ground and establishing a foundation, partnering with what we think of as the cathedrals of the game in America,” John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer, told Golf Digest.

Pebble Beach GL naturally made that exclusive list, and the U.S. Open comes back in 2027 (it returns to Southern California in 2031 at The Riviera CC and in 2039 at The Los Angeles CC). But that’s not all. In 2030, Pebble Beach will make even more history by becoming the first venue to ever host the U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Senior Women’s Open over consecutive weeks. Those championships will be played at Spyglass Hill GC, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in March 2026.

That same month, course architect Gil Hanse is set to begin transforming The Links at Spanish Bay, which opened in 1987. Hanse is a familiar name in Southern California thanks to some of his recent high-profile projects in the region, including renovations at The Los Angeles CC in advance of the 2023 U.S. Open and at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, the current site of the women’s and men’s NCAA Division I Golf Championships.

Elsewhere in the Pebble Beach Resorts golf portfolio, The Hay at Pebble Beach continues to thrive five years after it was thoroughly renovated by Tiger Woods. The short course has nine holes ranging in length from 47 yards to 106 yards.

Located right across the street from The Lodge, it’s the venue for such events as Tiger’s own TGR Foundation each October, as well as an annual 100-Hole-Hike supporting Youth on Course, a Monterey-based organization that provides members with very affordable access to golf courses, including playing The Hay for just $5 (ages 13-18; kids 12 and under can play for free).

While it may be overshadowed by its more famous golf neighbors, the Resort’s Del Monte GC — six miles east of Pebble Beach — pre-dates them all. Its first nine holes opened in 1897 and were joined by nine more in 1903. Playing conditions at Del Monte have been seriously elevated recently thanks to the efforts of superintendent Michael Knoll and his agronomy team, so much so that he was named 2025 Superintendent of the Year by the Northern California PGA.

Even with this new chapter at Pebble Beach complete, there’s still much more to come. Pebble Beach GL will host the 2032, 2037 and 2044 U.S. Open Championships, as well as the 2035, 2040 and 2048 U.S. Women’s Opens.

“One of our values that we talk about day-in and day-out, in everything from the service we provide to the facilities experience, is this idea that we need to keep improving,” said MacDonald. “That’s one thing that’s underpinning everything we do and what we think about. We’re always thinking about our improvements here, and how do we continue to get better.”