Can Spanish Bay rise to the level of Pebble Beach and Spyglass? That’s the goal

The day Spanish Bay opened in 1987, Tom Watson shot a 67 and declared that the links were truly Scottish, he could hear the bagpipers. Pebble Beach Resorts took him literally. For nearly 40 years, a lone microphone has played into the sunset of Spanish Bay’s first tee, creating an atmosphere of romance that the course itself struggles to match, at least compared to its siblings, Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill.

The tee sheet tells the story. Of the three recreational courses on 17-Mile Drive, Spanish Bay has long logged the fewest rounds.

Ownership would like that to change. A little over a year ago, Pebble’s brass announced plans for a renovation led by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, aimed at elevating Spanish Bay to “the pedigree of other championship courses in Del Monte Forest.” The question of the time was as natural as the nearby Monterey coast: What exactly can be done on a course that is blocked by natural boundaries?

Now the answer has come.

On Tuesday, Pebble unveiled details of the project, which will close the course for 13 months starting March 18. Under Hanse and Wagner’s plans, the Spanish Bay course will remain the same but its grounds will be altered in a way that is intended to make them more enjoyable and playable for visitors without lessening the challenge for elite golfers. That’s a fine line to walk, especially on a course where changing lanes wasn’t an option.

“The fairways are set up well,” Hanse told GOLF.com, adding that he and Wagner considered changing them after deciding the current fairway was “more than acceptable” given the heavily protected area.

“By trying to deviate,” said Hanse, “we realized that we were making weird crossovers and risking the job ever getting approved.”

Instead, architects are taking creative alternatives, including expanding the green and fairways, repositioning the tees and relocating several green sites — a move that will make way for a new 3rd tier.

“With our lens, the idea is to create something that is a little more forgiving and connected to the environment,” says Hanse.

To appreciate the goals of Hanse and Wagner, it helps to have some background about Spanish Bay and the context in which the study was born. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., with Watson and Sandy Tatum collaborating, the course was ahead of its time in many ways. An environmentally sensitive structure that includes the restoration of native dunes and considered public walkways, it reflects an ethos and beauty more common to golf links in the British Isles than the American resort golf of the 1980s.

In other respects, however, Spanish Bay is also a product of its era – the era of golf’s hero, full of forced carries and earth-shaking fairways and fairways that are out of bounds. Like TPC Sawgrass, the Stadium Course at PGA West and other prominent courses of its vintage, it symbolizes a time when the loose ball sleeve was firmly accepted as a kind of badge of honor.

As architectural tastes evolved, Spanish Bay held its own, set in a stunning coastal location but also in a highly competitive location.

Some local studies cast long shadows where Spanish Bay never appeared. According to Pebble Beach CEO David Stivers, 100 percent of golfers who live in the area play Pebble Beach Golf Links. Just over 90 percent play Spyglass Hill. Spanish Bay, by comparison, draws just over 80 percent.

The thought that Spanish Bay could use a refresh has been in the air for some time. Time was the pragmatic part. As this course is approaching its 40th anniversary, the irrigation and drainage system had to be improved. As long as ownership was going to deal with infrastructure, it made sense to look at buildings, too.

“We always felt like we had this beautiful canvas with 16 holes facing the ocean,” Stivers said. “People liked this course. It’s a good course. We felt like we could make a really good course.”

Pebble has never closed one of its courses in this long time. Stivers said the resort considered doing the work in phases, closing only a few holes at a time, but decided it made more sense to “bite the bullet” and complete the work in stages.

The most consequential changes will come during the closing parts of the cycle. The current 13th hole, a short par-3 that plays over a ravine, will be removed. Instead, the fairway will go from 12 straight to what is now 14, a par-5 that will be reimagined as two holes: a par-4 followed by a new par-3.

The new par-3 will have a tee near the current 18th green and will play straight along the shore, bringing the ocean directly into the player’s eye.

Another notable change will come to the 8th hole, which will be moved closer to the tee line from the 7th green. The goal, Hanse said, is to make the hole feel like it’s in its surroundings. Instead of looking at the parking lot and passing cars, players will be treated to views of the Pacific.

The 18th hole will also be renovated. Currently a par-5 with a tight left dogleg near the finish, it will play fast and finish close to the pro tee.

That’s the steps of the article. But the everyday experience of the subjects will also change in subtle ways.

Hanse and Wagner plan to expand the greens by nearly 40 percent and widen the fairways by about 30 percent, while repositioning the fairways and adjusting the contours and fairways to create more options off the tee. Inside the green, players will see a little turf that is uneven and heavily mowed, opening up rebound shots.

The scorecard will reflect a broader shift in philosophy, too. From the forwards, Spanish Bay will play about 500 yards shorter, going down to 4,705 yards. From the tips, it will stretch 375 yards in length, to 7,115 yards, with a swing from 72 to 71.

With more ease and greenness, shots will be less likely to get lost in the native’s sensitive environment. But there will also be many of those places to protect. By eliminating the existing 13, Pebble will be able to restore three hectares of protected native areas.

The adjustment will also affect the way people walk the course. Currently, carts are allowed on the interesting roads. Under the redesign, the course will be a cart path only, with a new trail system designed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding area. Hanse and Wagner are also aiming to increase the number of walks between the greens and tees, all in the hope of encouraging more players to stick it out.

From a maintenance perspective, the project will reduce irrigated lawns by 12 percent while also installing improved drainage and irrigation systems.

Changes may continue. Even as the course is being revamped, other aspects of Spanish Bay are also being updated, including the logo and even the name itself.

With either moniker, the goal, Stivers said, is to make Spanish Bay “a must-play” that stands shoulder to shoulder with its famous friends. That desire will be reflected in the prices. When Spanish Bay reopens on April 17 next year, before Pebble Beach hosts the 2027 US Open, green fees will increase from $365 to $550, matching Spyglass Hill’s current price. Entertainment times are already available on the resort’s website.

For Hanse, the project represents not only a challenge but a rare opportunity.

“It’s a dream,” he said, noting that there are few opportunities to work on the California coast.

Of course, that right comes with a pressure of expectation

Spanish Bay finally feels like Pebble and Spyglass?

“I like our chances,” said Hanse.