The Links at Spanish Bay

The Links at Spanish Bay opened in 1987, born from an unusual three-way collaboration between architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., five-time Open Championship winner Tom Watson, and former USGA president Sandy Tatum. The trio shared a passion for Scottish links golf and set out to create an authentic links experience on the Monterey Peninsula.

The course was built on a former sand mining site at the northern end of the 17-Mile Drive. As part of the project, the developers restored native sand dune habitat and replanted coastal vegetation, making it one of the earliest environmentally restorative golf projects in America. The restored dunes now support native species and provide the rolling, windswept terrain that gives the course its Scottish character.

Spanish Bay is perhaps best known for its sunset bagpiper tradition, where a lone piper in full Highland regalia plays along the course at dusk each evening. The course is part of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am rotation and offers a distinctly different experience from the other Pebble Beach Resorts courses. In 2026, a major redesign by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner was announced.

Spanish Bay delivers the closest experience to Scottish links golf available in California. The fescue fairways provide firm, fast conditions that encourage bump-and-run shots. Pot bunkers dot the landscape, and the routing takes full advantage of the coastal setting with ocean views on numerous holes.

At 6,821 yards from the tips, the yardage is modest, but the ever-present coastal winds make the course play significantly longer. The restored sand dunes create undulating terrain that provides uneven lies and tests creative shotmaking. The evening bagpiper adds a memorable touch to the experience.

Embrace the ground game at Spanish Bay. The firm fescue fairways reward low running shots, and bump-and-run approaches are often more effective than high pitch shots, especially when the wind is blowing. Bring your links imagination and think creatively about how to use the terrain.

Wind is the primary defense. Check conditions before each shot and be prepared to adjust club selection by two or three clubs on exposed holes. The pot bunkers are penal, so aim away from them rather than trying to carry them.