The $495 green fee at Pebble Beach Golf Course, the two-night-minimum hotel stay (which can run $700 per night) required to make advance tee times is often too much to bear.

Well, here’s a way to get around both, but you won’t find this unadvertised deal on the Pebble Beach Resorts website. It’s an offer to play its Spyglass Hill and Links at Spanish Bay courses at 50 percent discounts, and its Pebble Beach Golf Course for 30 percent off — all without required hotels stays.

Here's how you can do it:

From now until January 31, 2009, the Pebble Beach golf courses above are offering these amazing rates to members of the Northern California Golf Association (NCGA.org) and any resident of Northern California.

Now, before you reply to me with an angry email, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

First, Pebble Beach golf courses enjoy an average high temperature of 60°F (15.5 °C) in December and January. While average precipitation is highest then, too, about 20 days of each month are dry.

Second, any member of a recognized state or regional golf association in the US and Canada can join the NCGA for $25. And, in addition to this special offer on Pebble Beach golf courses, NCGA members can play Poppy Hills (one of the other courses used for the PGA Tour's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am) for $55-$70, instead of the regular $200. There is a long list of other benefits, too, which you can find here.

Finally, and perhaps most important of all, someone I know called the Pebble Beach Resorts reservation number (800) 654-9300, inquired about "special rates on Pebble Beach golf courses until the end of January," and had no problem starting the reservation process...without being asked about membership or residency. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions about that.

Here's a breakdown of the savings being offered on these Pebble Beach golf courses (all are non-guest prices). Remember, you'll save even more by not being required to stay at the comfortable, but expensive, Pebble Beach Resort:

Golf Course Regular Price With Cart Special Price With Cart

Pebble Beach Golf Links $530 $375

Spyglass Hill $365 $185

Links at Spanish Bay $295 $135

These rates are based on availability (the only official blackout dates are January 16, 17 and 18), and at these prices, I imagine availability will diminish fast. So, if you want to play these Pebble Beach golf courses at what might be the lowest prices all year, my advice is to call sooner than later.

GolfVacationInsider.com