Pebble Beach’s famed Tap Room reopens with historic exhibits

We remember the moment and the man. But what about the club itself?

On the afternoon of June 20, 1982, Tom Watson stood next to the 17th green Pebble beachtied for the US Open lead, with his ball rooted in the rough, about 16 feet from the pin. What happened next—a cut sand wedge that checked, bounced and fell for birdie—became part of sporting lore.

More than four decades later, that very club – 56 degrees Wilson The Dyna Power wedge that Watson adopted after ’81 US Open champion David Graham abandoned it – has found a fitting new home, displayed behind glass in the newly opened Tap Room at Pebble Beach, one of the game’s most famous watering holes.

The renovation, completed this fall, is less a reinvention than a respectful refresh of a place that first opened in 1949. Deep green walls and leather booths still define the look, just as post-round chatter still fills the atmosphere. The updates come in the details, including a new bar (the original cherry wood bar was removed during the redo and repurposed into custom fixtures) and a private dining space called the Champions Room, where a trove of golf memorabilia hangs on the walls — anchored by Watson’s wedge and rounded out by rare photos, postcards and other memorabilia from the Five’s life.

The menu stays true to form, with a penchant for smartly executed steakhouses and a bar program built around bourbons and craft beers.

The drink is top shelf. The sand wedge hangs closer to eye level, meant to be seen, not touched. Of course, it also serves as a conversation piece. Before Watson hit, his caddy, Bruce Edwards, told him to get closer.

“Get it close?” Watson replied. “Damn it, I’ll make it.”

Watson was mostly talking to himself, he later admitted. But this is golf. As much as the shots we hit, it’s about the stories we tell—to ourselves, to our friends, and to anyone else who will listen—after the rounds we’re unlikely to forget.

3 things I’m thinking

Wedge location: I’m curious about Watson’s wedge. How long did he keep it in his bag after his big win at the US Open? Did he use it on his way to any old tournament titles? Where did she go when he was done with her? But Watson’s team did not get back to us before this dispatch went to press. For now, all I can say for sure is that before it hit Pebble Beach, the wedge had a home at another big-name resort: It was on display at the Greenbrier in West Virginia, which isn’t shy about its memories, most of which are related to local hero Sam Snead.

Bad Parenting, Good Golf: Last time I played Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Beach, California, my daughter, Scarlett, had just been born. I don’t remember how I managed to sneak out with a toddler in the house. But I remember my wife was not happy. Fortunately, she’s had some time to get over it, as that brazen display of parental neglect took place more than 20 years ago. I haven’t set foot on Pelican Hill since. But soon I will have a good reason to return. For the first time in, yes, 20 years, both Tom Fazio courses at Pelican Hill — North and South — are getting a refresh. Brian Curley is handling the work, which has just begun and will unfold in nine-hole phases, ensuring 27 holes remain open throughout the project. The improvements, which will focus on bunker restoration, tee alignment and changes to the green surrounds, are expected to be completed by the end of 2026. That gives me plenty of time to think of a good excuse to tell my wife.