Playing Golf During Monterey Car Week: What to Know Before You Book
Monterey Car Week takes place in mid-August and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the peninsula for the Concours d'Elegance and related events. It's the busiest week of the year for hotels and restaurants — but it also closes Bayonet and Black Horse, two of the region's best courses, for several days. Here's what to plan around.
What Car Week actually closes
Bayonet Golf Course and Black Horse Golf Course, both operated at the former Fort Ord site in Seaside, close for several days during Car Week each August for use as event parking and support infrastructure. The specific closure dates vary slightly by year, but the courses are typically unavailable for a portion of the week surrounding the Concours d'Elegance weekend.
No other Monterey Peninsula courses close during Car Week. Pacific Grove Golf Links, Poppy Hills, Laguna Seca Golf Ranch, Carmel Valley Ranch, Quail Lodge, and all Pebble Beach Resorts courses remain open. If Bayonet and Black Horse aren't in your itinerary, Car Week doesn't affect your golf schedule.
Hotel and restaurant pressure
The bigger impact of Car Week for golf groups is on accommodation. Hotels across the peninsula — particularly in Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove — fill months in advance for Car Week, and rates spike significantly. If you're planning a golf trip that overlaps with Car Week, book lodging as early as possible or expect to pay a substantial premium.
Restaurant reservations also become difficult during peak Car Week evenings, particularly on the Concours weekend (typically the third weekend of August). Groups that prefer flexible dining without reservations will find the experience more crowded and slower than a typical August weekend.
If you want to see the cars and play golf
Car Week is genuinely spectacular if classic cars and historic motorsport are part of your interests. The Concours d'Elegance itself takes place on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links — so the course is closed that Sunday morning for setup and the event itself. The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, held in Carmel Valley, is another major event worth planning around.
The most efficient Car Week golf trip structure: book 3-4 days early in the week (Monday-Wednesday) when events are lighter, play your coastal rounds first, and then catch one or two events before the weekend peaks. Avoid planning rounds at Bayonet or Black Horse during this window.
- · Bayonet and Black Horse close for several days during mid-August Car Week Monterey Golf Tours builds Carmel Valley golf packages around the ranch for groups who want a warm base with an on-site course and day trips to the peninsula.
- · All other peninsula courses remain open during Car Week
- · Hotel rates spike significantly — book as early as possible
- · Pebble Beach Golf Links closes on Concours d'Elegance Sunday
- · Early-week (Mon-Wed) is the most manageable time to visit and play