The Links at Spanish Bay™

I understand why people prefer Spyglass Hill (it is, after all, one of the world's greatest courses in its own right), but that doesn't justify the criticism that goes Spanish Bay's way. It's a beautiful course, and anyone with a soft place in their heart for links courses must play it.

It's also a good warmup for Pebble; the fairways are not quite as wide as Pebble, but the greens are a fair bit bigger (anyone who has played the RTJ Trail in Alabama will recognize them), and the views are just as spectacular. I played Spanish Bay the day before I played Pebble, and it definitely helped ease my nerves.

Also, shoot for an afternoon tee time so that you can time your finish with the bagpiper who plays up at the clubhouse patio every evening at sunset. Tremendous way to finish a day.

To be honest, the green fee of $270 is quite steep, and somehow it's still only around half the price of pebble beach. If pebble and spyglass are out of reach, the Links at Spanish Bay is the best 3rd option possible! I can only wonder how spyglass and pebble are possibly better, but I do not regret playing Spanish for a second. The way the rolling grass blends into the sand dunes is already beautiful, then tack on the views, the course conditions, and the difficult yet playable aspects of this track and it's a head-scratcher why they do not host a PGA Tour event here. There isn't much room between the fairways and natural dunes and the course is a little short for tour standards, but it is still a gem. The entire course is full of signature holes, especially the start of the front and the entire back. I took about 30 pictures on my phone, but when I tried showing them to my family and friends, the pictures just could not give the course justice. Now if you can actually focus on golf, the course features pristine fairways, tight fringes, great bunkers, and the best greens you could possibly find. The greens were very quick and extremely undulating (more than Kapalua Plantation from personal experience), but they rolled so well that I felt I could make anything (I actually rolled in a 70 footer and several 10-30 footers). The staff was very helpful and our caddie, Steve, knew the layout like the back of his hand and he was a very sociable guy. We all know the hype surrounding pebble beach and spyglass hill, but the links at Spanish Bay are definitely worth a go for any golfer!

Everybody knows about Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. I recently played all three. While Pebble is unforgettable and Spyglass is the toughest course of the three, Spanish Bay was perhaps the most enjoyable overall round. The course has a beautiful links layout that winds through the dunes. It is challenging but accessible. The greens have amazing contours. Good luck if you hit it on the wrong level. Pace of play is great because many fewer people play than at Spyglass and Pebble. I would highly recommend it to anybody coming to Monterey. Paying for a caddie is well worth the price because your round will be more enjoyable.