NCG’s new Scottish Top 100 has, predictably, stirred debate. The Old Course at St Andrews at No.1 has drawn criticism, not because it isn’t respected, but because some argue it isn’t even the best course in Fife. Too easy. Too flat. Too reliant on history.
I don’t agree, but I understand the argument.
Interestingly, that charge – “great history, but not the strongest layout” – is much closer to how I feel about Pebble Beach than how I feel about the Old.
Every golfing nation has its grand old lady. In Scotland, it’s the Old Course. In America, it’s Pebble Beach. They’re more than golf courses; they’re cultural institutions. That makes ranking them complicated.
The criticism of St Andrews usually centres on difficulty and visual drama. Compared to Kingsbarns’ theatre or Carnoustie’s brute resistance, the Old can appear understated. On a calm day, it can even feel generous – wide fairways, little obvious intimidation.
But architecturally, it stands up. Its influence on designers like Alister MacKenzie is well documented. The ideas travel.
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Pebble Beach: Spectacle and Gaps
Pebble Beach feels different.
Its reputation leans heavily, and understandably, on the ocean stretch. The 7th, 8th and 18th are among the most recognisable holes in the game. Few courses can match that drama.
But Pebble isn’t eighteen holes of coastal theatre.
A sizeable inland portion feels more conventional. Solid, yes. Enjoyable. But not especially distinctive. The small greens create difficulty through precision, yet small targets don’t automatically equal strategic richness. Much of the challenge is execution-based rather than choice-based.
It’s also far less forgiving than St Andrews. Forced carries, tighter corridors, the Pacific effectively acting as out of bounds. Pebble doesn’t invite the average golfer in the same way.
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When people argue the Old is overrated because it isn’t the sternest test in Fife, they may be confusing difficulty with depth. When people suggest Pebble might not be the strongest course on the Monterey Peninsula, the argument feels more persuasive.
Cypress Point, just along the coast, flows more cohesively and offers greater strategic variety. Pebble has moments of genius. Cypress feels more complete.
Treasure vs Template
The Old Course’s status isn’t built on sentiment alone; its ideas shaped the game. Pebble’s status, by contrast, is built largely on moments, unforgettable ones certainly, but moments nonetheless.
Both deserve reverence. Both are woven into golfing history.
But being a national treasure isn’t the same as being architecturally untouchable.
That distinction feels clearer at Pebble than it does at St Andrews.
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