Gil Hanse will renovate the Links At Spanish Bay (pictured above) in a year-long project that will begin March 2026 and end in the spring of 2027. That puts its reopening just ahead of the 2027 US Open at Pebble Beach.
Gil Hanse discusses Oakland Hills South on the veranda of the clubhouse.
Among other projects, Hanse renovated the famed South Course at Oakland Hills.
I rather liked what Hanse did with Oakland Hills South. I was fortunate to be able to play it once (and would leap at the chance to do so again), and found it to be friendly to bogey golfers like myself even as it obviously presents challenges to the world’s best. I also saw it in play at the US Junior Amateur.
Hanse will no doubt do a similar thing at Spanish Bay — making it playable for hackers, while challenging the best from the tips.
According to the Pebble Beach Company, “Hanse’s guiding tenets will be to transform Spanish Bay from an 1980s-era Scottish-inspired links to a modern California Coastal masterpiece while remaining within the existing development footprint. The renovation will also further enhance the golf course’s environmental standing and upgrade its infrastructure for the next generation. “
The original Spanish Bay design was done by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. in collaboration with Tom Watson and Sandy Tatum.
Pebble Beach Company manages Spanish Bay. Other golf properties owned by the company include: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, Del Monte, and The Hay.
The full press release is below:
Pebble Beach Company Announces Timeline for Gil Hanse Led Renovation of The Links at Spanish Bay
PEBBLE BEACH, CALIF. (January 13, 2025) – Pebble Beach Company has unveiled the timeline for its highly-anticipated renovation of The Links at Spanish Bay. The golf course will close on March 18, 2026, and reopen in the Spring of 2027, a few months before the U.S. Open will be contested at Pebble Beach Golf Links for the seventh time.
During the closure, Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner, and Hanse Golf Course Design (“HGCD”) will lead the construction process with the goal to elevate the 40-year-old course to the pedigree of the other championship courses in the Del Monte Forest. Hanse’s guiding tenets will be to transform Spanish Bay from an 1980s-era Scottish-inspired links to a modern California Coastal masterpiece while remaining within the existing development footprint. The renovation will also further enhance the golf course’s environmental standing and upgrade its infrastructure for the next generation.
“Working with Pebble Beach Company in a world-class setting like this is a can’t miss opportunity for our team,” said Hanse, President and Lead Designer of HGCD. “Golf on the Monterey Peninsula is an unrivaled experience, and we are thrilled at the opportunity to put our stamp on one of the most spectacular backdrops in the world.”
With a portfolio that includes highly-acclaimed courses at Ladera and Lake Merced – which won awards in 2023 for Best New Private and Best Transformation, respectively – in addition to Los Angeles CC (North), Ohoopee Match Club, PGA Frisco (East), and many others, HGCD brings a proven track record to North America’s No. 1 golf resort.
“The focus of this project is to further enhance the golf experience at Pebble Beach Resorts,” added David Stivers, CEO of Pebble Beach Company. “Partnering with Gil, Jim, and their team gives us the utmost confidence that Spanish Bay will be a ‘must play’ on par with its fellow courses.”
Also included in the project scope is a reconstruction of the iconic Spanish Bay boardwalk, which had been damaged in recent storms. The boardwalk provides public coastal access and majestic views between the golf course and beach. That project will begin in the Spring of 2025.
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