Winter 2025

122 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 5 The House That Bing Built A Youth Center for Carmel Since 1949 B Y M I CHA E L CHAT F I E LD U pon entering the upper level of the Carmel Youth Center (CYC), one is greeted by a large black and white portrait of a smiling man sporting a jaunty bow tie. Being more attuned to the music of Drake and Taylor Swift, the kids who visit CYC will be forgiven if they have no idea who that gentleman was, but their grandparents are sure to know. His name was Bing Crosby, one of the most famous and popular singers and actors of the 20th century. And without him, the center would not exist. Crosby was a man of many passions, but golf was very high on his list. What began as a way to get together with his buddies in Rancho Santa Fe to play golf and have a clambake evolved into the Bing Crosby National Pro- Amateur (now the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am), played for the first time at Pebble Beach in 1947. But the Crosby was more than just a golf tourna- ment. It was a means of generating income for charities.With those funds, the crooner set up more than 150 youth centers nationwide, including the CYC, which welcomed Carmel area youth for the first time in 1949. Now in its 76th year, the Carmel Youth Center is entering an exciting new chapter serving the young people of the Monterey Peninsula under dynamic new leadership, including Board Member Eric Thain (upper right). Photo: Kelli Uldall Photos: Courtesy of Carmel Youth Center Photo: Kelli Uldall Photo: Kelli Uldall