Winds reaching 78 mph ripped apart a 100-foot-by-50 foot hospitality structure at the Pebble Beach Golf Links. The storm also caused minor damage to some sky suites, knocked down a tree near the No. 17 tee and tore apart the giant video screen along the 18th green, but the courses were unharmed.
Pebble Beach absorbed a strong lashing over the weekend of February 2-3, as a storm with high winds destroyed one hospitality structure and caused extensive damage ahead of the AT&T Pro-Am, which begins February 7, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Winds reaching 78 mph roared through the course on February 2 at about 3 a.m., according to tournament director Steve John, and ripped apart ” The View presented by Grey Goose”—a 100-foot-by-50 foot hospitality structure located between the Nos. 6 and 8 fairways at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Chronicle reported.
“Hurricane-like winds destroyed one hospitality venue and rattled most others,” John said via text message Monday morning. “But all will be back to 100 percent in time for the first round. Luckily, no one was injured. The Clambake will go on as planned.”
Golf Channel’s Randall Mell posted a video on Twitter, showing the extent of the damage to the venue on the left side of the No. 6 fairway.
“It was absolutely leveled,” John told the Golf Channel on Sunday. “An eight-inch steel beam was bent 45 degrees. It looked like a tornado came through, the way it hit that structure but then left a concession tent standing just 50 feet away.”
The storm also caused minor damage to some sky suites, knocked down a tree near the No. 17 tee and tore apart the giant video screen along the 18th green, according to Golf Channel.
John said the downed tree was removed on February 3 and workers were busy rebuilding The View on the morning of February 4, The Chronicle reported. The courses themselves—Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course—were not damaged in the storm, he told The Chronicle.
Tournament officials closed February 4th’s practice round to the general public, given the clean-up required, The Chronicle reported.
Rain and winds about 20 mph are forecast for Pebble Beach on February 5, according to weather.com. It’s expected to be partly cloudy and dry for the opening round on February 7, with a chance of rain again on Friday afternoon, February 8, The Chronicle reported.
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