Staying at Pelican Hill feels like retreating to your own coastal estate. Guests choose between spacious Bungalows and multi-bedroom Villas, all featuring vaulted wood-beamed ceilings and limestone fireplaces that crackle as evening falls. The decor is a masterclass in Californian-Italian fusion, with earthy golds and camels providing a warm backdrop to deep soaking tubs and private terraces.
Bungalows offer generous living spaces with separate sleeping and sitting areas, perfect for couples or individuals who want resort amenities without sacrificing privacy. Each features hand-applied Italian plaster walls, marble bathrooms with separate showers and soaking tubs, and private terraces that frame views of the fairways or ocean beyond. The layout gives you room to spread out after a round without feeling like you're in a standard hotel room, and the attention to detail, from the quality of the linens to the way the natural light fills the space, is immediately noticeable.
The Villas take luxury to another level entirely. These multi-bedroom residences come with gourmet kitchens, private garages, and enough space to host your own get-together after the round without ever setting foot in a public area. Butler service is available if you want every detail handled, from unpacking your clubs to arranging private chef dinners on your terrace. It's the kind of setup that works brilliantly for groups who want the camaraderie of staying together but still value their own space, and the villa layout means you can have breakfast on your terrace, head straight to the first tee, and return to your own pool without navigating a single corridor.
The resort's dining scene moves seamlessly from casual to refined. The Pelican Grill & Bar serves as the social heart for golfers, where wood-fired pizzas and butcher-cut steaks are enjoyed on a heated terrace overlooking the fairways. It's the natural gathering spot after your round, with craft cocktails and an extensive wine list that leans heavily on California's finest producers. The atmosphere is relaxed enough that you can turn up in your golf gear, but the quality of the food and service is several notches above typical clubhouse fare.
The Coliseum Pool & Grill offers fresh pasta and seasonal salads beside the shimmering mosaic pool. The menu here is lighter, Mediterranean-inspired, and designed for long, lazy afternoons when the only decision you need to make is whether to order another glass of rosé. It's where you'll find couples and groups who've decided to take a day off the course, and the poolside cabanas make it easy to settle in for the duration.
As evening approaches, the Great Room becomes the place for live music and artisanal sips, with a wrap-around bar that provides the perfect vantage point for sunset over the Pacific. The atmosphere shifts from day to night with ease, and the crowd tends toward well-travelled guests who appreciate quality without pretension. If you're lucky and the conditions are right, you might catch the "green flash" just as the sun dips below the horizon, a California coastal phenomenon that's become something of a ritual for regulars.
Beyond dining, the Spa at Pelican Hill is a 23,000-square-foot wellness cathedral. Entry is through a 28-foot Palladian rotunda, leading to the Acqua Colonnades where guests can move between herbal steam rooms, saunas, and saltwater Roman soaking tubs. Treatments range from deep-tissue sports massage to signature facials using locally sourced botanicals, and the therapists are skilled at working out the kinks from a few too many rounds on firm coastal turf.
The fitness centre offers everything from power yoga to sound bath meditation, along with a full complement of cardio and strength equipment. Of course, no stay is complete without a dip in the Coliseum Pool, a geometric marvel inspired by ancient Rome where private cabanas and attentive poolside service make it easy to lose an entire afternoon. The pool itself is a stunning piece of architecture, with a circular design and mosaic tilework that catches the light beautifully, and the surrounding loungers and daybeds are spaced generously enough that it never feels crowded.
Who is this for?
A seeker of ultimate privacy who appreciates the finer details, from hand-applied Italian plaster to personal butler service in a gated villa, and values a resort where you can go days without seeing the same face twice.
A shot-maker who relishes 36 holes of Fazio-designed perfection where coastal winds and fast-running bentgrass greens demand total focus, and who wants the option to replay both courses to dial in their strategy.
A sun-lover who enjoys idling away afternoons in a private poolside cabana followed by sunset cocktails overlooking the Pacific, with the flexibility to mix serious golf with serious relaxation.
If Pelican Hill is on your shortlist, we can build it into a tailored USA golf holiday with tee times, accommodation and logistics handled.
