Spyglass Hill vs Spanish Bay
Two of the great public courses of the Pebble Beach resort on the Monterey Peninsula, and a real choice for a bucket list round. Spyglass Hill is the brutal, beautiful Robert Trent Jones Senior test, one of the hardest courses in America. The Links at Spanish Bay is the gentler true links by Watson, Tatum and Jones Junior, now reborn under Gil Hanse. Here is the honest head to head, verdict first.
Photograph: Spyglass Hill Golf Course, via Google
The verdict
For the better course and the round to play now, Spyglass Hill wins. The Robert Trent Jones Senior design from 1966 opens with five of the most photographed and demanding holes in golf, tumbling through the dunes within sight of the Pacific, before climbing into the Del Monte Forest for a relentless stretch of long, tree lined par 4s. It is regularly rated among the toughest courses in the United States and is a host venue for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and crucially it is open to the public without a resort stay, with tee times bookable up to three months ahead. Of the two, it is the greater test and the safer bet for a 2026 trip.
The Links at Spanish Bay is the more relaxed and romantic round, a true links by Robert Trent Jones Junior, Tom Watson and Sandy Tatum that opened in 1987, running along the dunes and finishing to the skirl of a lone bagpiper at sunset. But it began a comprehensive Gil Hanse renovation in March 2026, expected to take around thirteen months, so it is closed into 2027 and will reopen as a redesign. For now, plan a Monterey trip around Spyglass Hill and Pebble Beach, and keep an eye on Spanish Bay's reopening for the future. Pick Spyglass for the championship test you can play today. Pick Spanish Bay when the new Hanse links opens, for atmosphere over difficulty.
Head to head
| Spyglass Hill | The Links at Spanish Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Designer | Robert Trent Jones Senior, opened 1966 | RTJ Junior, Tom Watson and Sandy Tatum, opened 1987 |
| Style | Dunes start then a forest test; par 72 | True coastal links; par 72, about 6,821 yards |
| Difficulty | Among the hardest courses in the United States | Gentler and more atmospheric, wind dependent |
| Status in 2026 | Open and playable | Closed for a Gil Hanse renovation, into 2027 |
| Indicative green fee | Around 525 dollars plus cart, 2026 (confirm) | Not available during renovation (confirm reopening) |
| Access | Public; no resort stay required, book up to 3 months ahead | Resort course; check access on reopening |
| Tournament pedigree | AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am host course | Has hosted amateur and professional events |
| Best for | The serious player chasing a great championship test | Atmosphere, a relaxed links round, the bagpiper finish |
Course facts verified June 2026 from Pebble Beach Resorts and recognized golf sources. Spyglass Hill is a Robert Trent Jones Senior design from 1966; The Links at Spanish Bay began a Gil Hanse renovation in March 2026 and is expected to be closed into 2027. The indicative Spyglass Hill green fee is for 2026 and changes by season and year, so always confirm rates, access and current course status directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Who should pick which
Pick Spyglass Hill if
You want the better course and a round you can play today. Spyglass Hill is a Robert Trent Jones Senior masterpiece from 1966, its first five holes plunging through the dunes by the ocean before a long, demanding climb into the pines of the Del Monte Forest. It is one of the hardest tests in the country, a perennial AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am host, and open to the public without a resort stay, with tee times bookable up to three months ahead. For the serious golfer who wants a genuine championship examination on the Monterey Peninsula, this is the one.
Pick Spanish Bay if
You want atmosphere over difficulty and you are planning further ahead. The Links at Spanish Bay is a true coastal links by Robert Trent Jones Junior, Tom Watson and Sandy Tatum, running through the dunes with the Pacific alongside and a lone bagpiper closing the day at sunset. It is the gentler, more romantic round of the two, but it is closed for a comprehensive Gil Hanse renovation that began in March 2026 and is set to run around thirteen months, so it will reopen as a redesign into 2027. Hold it for a future trip and confirm the reopening before you plan around it.
Plan your Monterey Peninsula golf trip
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Spyglass Hill vs Spanish Bay questions
Is Spyglass Hill or Spanish Bay the harder course?
Spyglass Hill is significantly harder. The Robert Trent Jones Senior design from 1966 is regularly rated among the toughest courses in the United States, with a brutal opening stretch by the dunes and a long climb through the Del Monte Forest, and it is a host course for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The Links at Spanish Bay, a true links by Robert Trent Jones Junior, Tom Watson and Sandy Tatum, is the gentler, more atmospheric round of the two. Always confirm tee times and current course status before booking.
Is The Links at Spanish Bay open?
The Links at Spanish Bay began a comprehensive renovation by architect Gil Hanse in March 2026, with the work scheduled to take around thirteen months, so the course is expected to be closed into 2027 before reopening as a redesign. Spyglass Hill remains open and playable. Anyone planning a Monterey Peninsula trip should confirm the latest reopening date and course status directly before booking.
Do you have to stay at Pebble Beach to play Spyglass Hill?
No. Unlike Pebble Beach Golf Links, you do not have to be a resort guest to play Spyglass Hill, and you can reserve a tee time up to three months in advance whether or not you are staying on property, paying the green fee plus a per player cart fee. Resort guests at The Lodge at Pebble Beach or The Inn at Spanish Bay get priority access. Green fees are indicative for 2026, so always confirm directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, designers and 2026 course status verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.