i have being seeing many reasonably priced hotels in santa cruz and monterey and carmel by the
sea and was wondering what area would be the most interesting for a 3 night stay with golf and
sightseeing

thanks for any suggestions

It depends on which course you want to be closer to. If you want to be near Pebble there are several hotels & motels in Monterey and Pacific Grove. If you want to be near Pasatiempo there should be plenty available in Santa Cruz. While your down there take the 17 Mile drive to check things out. The views are spectacular. You can also have drinks in the afternoon at Spanish Bay. Later in the day they have a bagpipe player walk around the course bringing the golfers in. For restaurants you can eat at Pebble or Spanish Bay, Roy's is good. In and around Pacific Grove and Monterey are The Rio Grille, Montrio, and Joe Rombi's. I haven't eaten at them but they were recommended to me from a friend who lives down there.
I live in the SF Bay area and head down to Monterey about three or four times a year. Usually to play Poppy Hills or Bayonet but I have played all the big courses also.
Have a Great Trip!
Thomas

If you are like me, a golf trip usually means different, less nice accomodations than a trip with my wife or friends and depending on your circumstance.

We took my dad to Carmel earlier this year and stayed at the Lodge. It was worth the money but that was a special situation. On Monterey, the scenery is so good, I'd recommend trying to find something in the area although the things will be more expensive.... a choice like the Tickle Pink is pretty cool if your spouse is along.
Go to Fodors.com or TripAdvisory.com and hit the forums there. Use the search function to check suggestions or post the question there....I've found both to be great in terms of reliability and honesty by the posters. I think Pacificgrove.org is another site with choices in the area.

One other alternative is to stay at the Hilton in Scotts Valley...the hotel is fine, the breakfast is free and its one exit from Pasatiempo. Not much on culture or scenery but our American Express miles covered the reasonable cost of the hotel.

Restaurants....Casanova in Carmel is great. Hogs Breathe just south of Santa Cruq is sort of neat and the food is good and more reasonably priced. The Forge in the Forest is outdoor eating in Carmel and they have a great lunch. They used to have a dog section with a menu as well.

In Seaside, the Little Chicken House (I think is the name). Its BBQ but great. In Santa Cruz, Gariellas was great. The boardwalk is sorta cool to visit but I would not want to stay near there. Lighthouse point is sorta neat for the surfing.