Spyglass Hill
Spyglass Hill in Pebble Beach, California is 6,862 yards from the longest tees. The course has a slope rating of 148 and one of the most scenic settings in the continental US. Each hole is named after a character in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. The myth is that Stevenson wandered through the area when writing Treasure Island. Let’s get to the course.
The first hole, named Treasure Island, is a 595 yard Par 5 that turns sharply to the left and runs downhill as you approach the green. The view from the tee is pretty dramatic with the fairway bordered by trees and the bay in the distance. Given the distance and the scenic distractions, give yourself a big pat on the back for a par here.
The 4th hole, called Blind Pew is a 370 yard, Par 4 that leads to the most photographed green on the course. The green is oblong and multi-tiered and surrounded by ice plant and set in a sand dune very close to the bay. If you remember your Treasure Island characters, Blind Pew was a blind, ex-pirate and not a particularly happy character. That may tell you something about the fourth hole – or maybe not.
The 6th, Israel Hands, is a 446 yard, Par 4. Starting at the sixth hole, the course changes dramatically as it heads up and away from the bay into the Del Monte forest. The fairway is a slight dogleg right with a pair of bunkers just at the turn at about 200 yards from the tee. Israel Hands was a real pirate and a fictional character in Treasure Island but that knowledge probably won’t help you much on the sixth. If you don’t suffer too much getting there, you will appreciate the view from behind the green. Be sure to take a minute to look.
The 8th, called Signal Hill, is listed at 399 yards but plays much longer because of the uphill terrain. There’s only one bunker on the the hole and it’s just to the front-right of the green. The fairway is narrow so there’s not much room for error. The hole is aptly named.
The 14th or Long John Silver is a 560 yard Par 5 with double dogleg. The fairway swings right first, then left as you approach the green. Once you get there, all you have to worry about is a pond on the right side of the green and a bunker or two behind and on the left. The green is very shallow and very wide, which doesn’t make your approach any easier. So don’t be fooled! This is Long John Silver you’re dealing with.
What else could possibly follow Long John Silver but Jim Hawkins? The 15th is the shortest hole on the course but most say it is definitely not the easiest. There’s another pond on the right of the green and if you miss the green to the left, you’re rolling down a very steep hill. It’s a very pretty hole, but precision is called for.
Spyglass, the 18th, calls for a slight draw off the tee, otherwise you may land right in the fairway bunker that is pretty much a straight line off the tee. The 18th is a 408 yard Par 4 that is fairly straight all the way. You’ll be aiming at an elevated 2 level green so once again, land your ball precisely or you’ll be rolling off the green into some trouble.
Now that you’ve survived Spyglass Hill, if you have the time, play some of the other courses on the Monterey Peninsula while you’re there. There’s Pebble Beach and the Links at Spanish Bay and enough other natural beauty in the area to keep you busy for days.
Pete Cullen runs Great Web Resources. For more information about other great courses and golf equipment please visit http://Great-Web-Resources.com/gpage33.html
