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The long-awaited new routing for The Links at Spanish Bay includes a new par 3 and lots of cosmetic changes to one of California's most beautiful ocean-front courses.
Architect Gil Hanse will transform the 6,740-yard course once it closes March 17, wrapping up the project in time to reopen April 17, 2027, before the U.S. Open returns to Pebble Beach Golf Links for the seventh time next June. Although the new layout will stretch 375 yards longer from the tips to 7,115 yards, the par will drop from 72 to 71.
“Working on a project like this is a golf course architect’s dream,” said Hanse, President and Lead Designer of HGCD. “The Spanish Bay site is one of the best we’ve seen for golf, one where all your senses are stimulated by the crashing Pacific surf.”
What's in store for the new Links at Spanish Bay
The changes by Hanse and his team will address many of the criticisms that have followed the Robert Trent Jones Jr., Sandy Tatum and Tom Watson design since it opened in 1987, most notably playability off the tee and around the greens. The site can get windy, giving players cross breezes that can feel relentless on such a target-oriented playground.
The highlights of the changes include:
* Relocating several green sites, including the current 14th and 18th holes, creating room for an entirely new par 3 - the 185-yard 14th - that will replace the current 124-yard 13th hole, an unforgiving shot that played directly into the sun in the afternoon.
* Expanding putting greens by 40% and completely resurfacing them to provide smoother, more receptive targets and variety for hole locations. Some of the current greens are simply too topsy-turvy to be enjoyable.
* Replacing the rough around the greens with low-cut turf to offer more recovery options. Putter will likely be many a player's new best friend.
* Widening fairways by 30%, repositioning fairway bunkers and adjusting contours to make the playing corridors more forgiving and strategic.
* Repositioning and redesigning tee complexes to open sightlines to the ocean and reduce forced carries. New forward tees will be 500 yards shorter (4,705 total). For example, the new 18th hole will no longer require a forced carry to reach the green, a hazard that ended many rounds with frustration.
* Redesigning the cart path system to better blend into the landscape.
Pebble Beach released a hole-by-hole yardage comparison just for context on all the forthcoming changes.
The Links at Spanish Bay has always been the third wheel at the resort behind the terrific twosome of Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. Could these changes help close the gap? I took mental notes the last time I played it and said goodbye in 2024 (read the article below). I'm confident the new Links at Spanish Bay will be significantly better, but just how much remains to be seen.
Sustainability had to be a key component on such an environmentally sensitive site. The California Coastal Commission is known for being hard to please, but Spanish Bay's new layout will feature improved new drainage and irrigation systems, plus 12% less irrigated turf and three more acres of native habitat.
“We are highly confident in the HGCD team and their ability to transform Spanish Bay into a ‘must play’ course for any golfer visiting Pebble Beach," said David Stivers, CEO of the Pebble Beach Company. "We have seen a brilliant vision emerge from the planning stages and look forward to watching it take shape over the coming year.”
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