Monterey Peninsula Shore Course gets chance to shine

Monterey Peninsula Shore Course gets chance to shine

It'll be Monterey Peninsula Country Club, the newest addition to the tournament's three-course rotation. It helps that MPCC's Shore Course arrived with low expectations--it replaces Poppy Hills, whose snide nicknames since becoming part of the tournament in 1991 have included Sloppy Hills and Unpopular Hills. Poppy Hills, in turn, faced great expectations as a replacement for Cypress Point, one of the world's most stunning oceanside tracks.

Designer Mike Strantz updated MPCC to give it more ocean views--all but four holes have a view of the Pacific--and a more dynamic layout. Strantz died in 2005 after a battle with cancer, a year after his remodeling was completed.

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The Shore Course will be a frequent subject of stories this week and, if we're lucky, the source of a lot of scenic camera shots for those of us buried under heavy snow in the East. Bob Harig of ESPN.com was ahead of the curve as he collected raves about the Shore Course:

Steve Elkington was stunned that he knew nothing about the venue before seeing it this week and called it among his "top-10 in the world." That's high praise for a venue that is in such close proximity to a couple of other gems such as Pebble Beach and Cypress Point.

The question remains how much we will get to see it with our golf irons. Most of the tournament coverage is based at Pebble Beach, meaning the golf played at Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula typically gets passed over. But from all indications, ignoring the new venue would be a mistake.

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