The Links Resort at Spanish Bay has never been as attractive as other resorts on 17-Mile Drive.
Pebble Beach Company
The Links in the Gulf of Spainat Pebble Beach, was conceived as a Scottish-inspired course and the culmination of a journey to the old country on the California coast.
In keeping with this theme, a bagpiper plays on the 18th green at sunset. It’s the right touch. But second fiddle would also make sense. Of the three golf courses along 17-mile Drive (Pebble Beach Golf Links AND Telescope are the other two), the Gulf of Spain is rarely the first choice.
Pebble Beach Resorts would like to see that change. In late 2023, the owner announced plans to bring Spanish Bay in line with its siblings through a renovation by architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner. At that time, the schedule for this work was up in the air. It’s not anymore. The schedule was revealed last week. The course will close on March 18, 2026 and reopen next spring in advance of the 2027 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
“Working with Gil, Jim and their team gives us complete confidence that Spanish Bay will be a must-see on par with other golf courses,” said David Stivers, CEO of Pebble Beach Company, in a statement accompanying the news.
Hanse and Wagner are no strangers to major projects. In addition to their original work, which includes, among others: Top 100 of GOLF magazine courses such as Ohoopee Match Club in Georgia and CapRock Ranch in Nebraska have become a popular duo for renovating and restoring famous brands. In California alone, they organized replays at Los Angeles Country Club, Olympic Club and Lake Merced Golf Club, among others.
In the Gulf of Spain, they were given a picturesque canvas along a heavily protected coastline. Designed by the trio of Robert Trent Jones Jr., Tom Watson and Sandy Tatum, and first opened for play in 1987, Spanish Bay was built to both restore and protect native sand dunes that had been lost for decades. The current route runs through these dunes, then heads into the Del Monte Forest before returning to the coast towards the end.
The work of Hanse and Wagner will remain in its original trace of development. Additionally, few details of their plans were revealed. However, in a video released by Pebble Beach, Hanse called the course’s potential “astonishing” and said he expected the project to change both the playability and appearance of the course. For its part, Pebble Beach Company said it expects Spanish Bay to transform from a “1980s-era, Scottish-inspired course into a modern California masterpiece.”
Even before Hanse and Wagner start digging, other work will begin on Spanish Bay, including rebuilding public sidewalks on the property that were damaged during recent storms. This part of the project will begin this spring, and work on the course will begin early next year. Until then, a bagpiper will play every evening at sunset.
