The Links at Spanish Bay
Played Spanish Bay in 2002 as part of our Vegas-Pebble Coattails Gary Tour. Coattails Gary is our high-rolling buddy who set up some fantastic trips where he gets the best-of-the-best experiences delivered and we just ride his coattails. I think we played Spanish Bay twice on this trip but it was very long ago. I do remember the one morning was foggy but I also remember sun so it may have come out later or we played it twice. Either way, the only real memories I have are the views are fantastic and the course is tough. You can find it in the scrapbook here.
I was only really starting to golf more than once in a while then. I wasn’t traveling as much yet and hadn’t joined a club so the toughness of Spanish Bay may be in the fact that I was primarily playing Philly-area munis about 15 to 20 times a year. Sad thing is I hit an 89 on Pebble that trip and am still happy when I get an 89. Golf sucks!
I’d be lying if I told you I remember a lot of details about the course. I do remember the first – a par five heading out to the ocean. Really pretty golf hole and a great opener. And I remember the last which was another par five where your approach was over some dunes to a green tucked off to the left of the fairway. I also remember the first of our group sitting by our approach shots heckling but don’t remember how I did. I looked for the scorecard which I keep in a drawer but since I don’t have them in any order I couldn’t find it. I have over 600 cards in there! Maybe I’ll alphabetize them when I get the time. Of course this site/blog thing is a time suck so who knows when that will be.
I know we went to the Hog’s Breath Inn in Carmel one night but not sure we just did that for drinks or whether we ate there too. I was also back here on a non-golf work trip (imagine the dedication that took). Casanova back in Carmel was really good that time and we also ate in Monterey at the Fisherman’s Grotto but don’t remember much about it.
If you have any comments on the photos like, “Hey, that’s Spyglass or Pebble not Spanish Bay,” I don’t care. These were all mixed in together. Any comments on the statue picture, then “Hey I thought she was of age.” Look at the face on the old guy statue though. – classic. The bagpiper was a cool thing.
Golf Scrapbook 