The Links at Spanish Bay

2700 17 Mile Drive,

Pebble Beach, California 93953

  • Office

    +1 (800) 654 9300
  • Pro shop

    +1 (831) 647 7495
  • Fax

    +1 (831) 644 7960
  • Golf pro

    Rich Cosand (Head Professional)
  • Academy

    Pebble Beach Golf Academy.

About the course

  • The Course:

    18 holes. Seaside links. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.

  • Surroundings:

    Coastal duneland and residential.

  • Designer:

    Robert Trent Jones Jr, with Tom Watson & Frank "Sandy" Tatum.

Back
tees
Club
tees
Front
tees
Yards
6821
6043
5332
Par
72
72
72
SSS or slope
74.1
70.3
72.1

At the same location:

Pebble Beach Resorts own and operate four 18-hole championship golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Links at Spanish Bay, Spyglass Hill and Del Monte. (See separate Where2Golf.com entries for each of these courses).

In addition, and across the street from Pebble Beach Golf Links, is the wonderful 9-hole The Hay par-3 course.

Location

Latitude:

36.611997

Longitude:

-121.941698

How to get there:

5 miles N of Carmel-By-The-Sea

From Hwy 1 (Cabrillo Highway) just north of Carmel-by-the-Sea, take exit 399A and follow the 68-West direction Pebble Beach / Pacific Grove. After approx 2 miles turn left onto SFB Morse Drive. After gatehouse, follow SFB Morse Drive. After o.7 miles turn right and head north on Congress Road. Follow Congress Road to The Spanish Bay Inn and Links.

The Links at Spanish Bay

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.

Est. 1987

The Links at Spanish Bay (a Pebble Beach Resorts property) was laid out by Robert Trent Jones Jr, who worked on the project with Tom Watson and Sandy Tatum. Adjoining the course to the south is the Dunes course of Monterey Peninsula Country Club, redesigned by Jones's younger brother Rees. South of that is Spyglass Hill, a course designed by their father Robert Trent Jones Sr.

The DNA of Spanish Bay comes directly from the great links courses of Britain and Ireland. Occupying a prime ocean facing position, these windswept sand dunes provide the opportunity to test your skills on an authentic Californian links layout. For most of your journey the excellently crafted holes are accompanied by wonderful Pacific Ocean vistas.

The front-nine and closing five-hole stretch on the back-nine weave their way between the sand dunes, where many fabulous and aptly named holes offer an excellent golfing test. The par-4 2nd (Straight and Narrow) demands accuracy from tee to green, while the par-3 8th (Marsh Corner) provides spectacular views along the coast and out to sea.

On this gently undulating coastal terrain, thick grassy rough and bushes lie in wait for anything hit too far offline. Bunkers of every imaginable shape and size provide serious defences around the large, sloping greens.

From the snaking par-5 10th to the testing par-3 13th you move away from the seashore. In this more tree-lined environment, you'll loop around the back of the hotel and into an area of new condominiums. Apart from this short detour away from the dunes and the ocean, Spanish Bay is as authentic a links golf course as you'll find on the western seaboard.

Stay&Play at Spanish Bay: luxury onsite accommodation available, see Where2Stay section below.

List of courses: Monterey / Carmel

Visitors

Who can play and when?

Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.

Must book in advance. Guests staying at the Lodge at Pebble Beach and the Inn at Spanish Bay can book up to 18 months in advance; 12 months if staying at Casa Palmero. Non-resort guests can book 2 months in advance.

Green fees

Visitor fee, 18-holes (for year commencing April 1, 2024): $350 (all days). Golf cart included if a Pebble Beach Resort guest.

Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2024].

Other information

Walking permitted. Golf carts available to rent. Caddies available (if pre-booked).

Practice facilities

Limited

Did you know?

On the Monterey Peninsula three (almost) adjoining golf courses have benefitted from the design skills of the renowned Jones family of golf architects. At the southern end of the "chain" is Spyglass Hill, designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr. Above it sits the Dunes course of the private Monterey Peninsula Country Club, redesigned by Jones's son Rees Jones in 1998. Rees's elder brother, RTJ Jr, designed the Links at Spanish Bay, which sits to the north of MPCC.

Between the seashore and the Monterey Peninsula's Del Monte forest, an area of sandy duneland offered ideal terrain on which to develop The Links at Spanish Bay. The natural sand hills reflected the origins of golf itself.

In Scotland the word "links" was applied to golf courses that occupied the sandy wasteland "linking" the seashore with terrain that could be farmed, forested or built on. Often characterised by undulating sand dunes, this "links" land supported the growth of salt-resistant grasses, and was generally only fit for grazing hardy animals, and of course, playing the game of golf!

Published ranking

California's 32nd best course in California (Golf Digest, 2023/24).
USA's 48th best public access course (Golf Digest, 2023).

Where2Stay

  • The Inn at Spanish Bay5-star

    2700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, CA 93953

    +1 (831) 647 7500

    Visit website

    Located between Del Monte Forest and the Pacific shore, among groves of tall Monterey pines, The Inn at Spanish Bay offers 269 luxury guest rooms and suites for golf enthusiasts and relaxation seekers alike. Many rooms have ocean and golf course views.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      The Links at Spanish Bay

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Pebble Beach Golf Links; Cypress Point Club (private); Poppy Hills; Spyglass Hill; Monterey Peninsula CC (private); Pacific Grove.

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Del Monte Golf Course; Bayonet; Black Horse; The Preserve (private); Quail Lodge; Carmel Valley Ranch

  • The Lodge at Pebble Beach5-star

    1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, CA 93953

    +1 (831) 647 7500

    Visit website

    The Lodge at Pebble Beach, right alongside the 18th green of the Pebble Beach Golf Links, allows guests to relax in an environment of attentive hospitality, stately architecture and a glorious oceanside setting. You can indulge in excellent dining, spacious guest rooms, excellent shops and enjoy four championship golf courses, tennis, equestrian and hiking trails, and much more.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      Pebble Beach Golf Links

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Cypress Point Club (private); Poppy Hills; Spyglass Hill; Monterey Peninsula CC (private); The Links at Spanish Bay.

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Del Monte Golf Course; The Preserve (private); Carmel Valley Ranch; Quail Lodge; Pacific Grove; Bayonet; Black Horse.

Find a course

Or

Tournaments

124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.

79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).

Who's Who

Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.

Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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