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Bart Bradley

  • Karma: +0/-0
A recent trip return trip to the Monterey Peninsula reminded me of the mesmerizing quality of the first holes at Spyglass Hill.  I cannot think of another public course in the US that starts more strongly.

Please check out an essay I wrote about my return to Spyglass on my blog:  http://www.bradleygolftravel.blogspot.com/


#1  A downhill long sweeping dogleg left par 5 that takes the player from the clubhouse down to the sandy dunes

tee shot:



sweeping downhill:



#1 green:



#2 A short quirky par 4 with a blind wedge approach shot:

tee shot:



a view back down the hole:



#3 A charming short downhill par 3 playing directly towards the water and into the wind:



My son lining up the birdie putt that he soon drained!!: (looking back toward the tee)

 

#4  Another quirky short par 4 with a very, very tiny green sitting between 2 dunes:

my son prepared to hit the tee shot:



the approach to the tiny sliver of a green:



close-up of the boomerang shaped green:



#5 Mid length par 3 (site of the dreaded ice plant incident -- check out my blog to hear the whole story)




Okay, what say you?  Is there a better starting 5 (pun intentional in honor of tonight’s NBA finals game) among US public courses? 

Bart

Andy Troeger

Bart,
I haven't played everything, but Spyglass has the best first five holes of any public I've played. Only ones that really challenge it in my mind are Chambers Bay, Black Mesa, and Pacific Dunes. The thing with Spyglass is that all five holes in that stretch are really good, and all of those others have at least one that I wouldn't put all the way to the "great" level as an individual hole.

Even if you take into account the US private clubs, there aren't many that can keep up with the Spyglass start. Pine Valley does, and perhaps Crystal Downs. I can't think of anywhere else that I've seen.

cary lichtenstein

  • Karma: +0/-0
I agree, always did
Live Jupiter, Fl, was  4 handicap, played top 100 US, top 75 World. Great memories, no longer play, 4 back surgeries. I don't miss a lot of things about golf, life is simpler with out it. I miss my 60 degree wedge shots, don't miss nasty weather, icing, back spasms. Last course I played was Augusta

Bob_Huntley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Bart,

You are so right, but everything thereafter is a bit of a let down.

A friend of mine sold that house at the back of the 5th green, fully furnished for 750K many years ago, it boggles the mind what it would go for today.


Bob

Adam Clayman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Bob. A small point of contention.8, 9,11 and 14 are no let downs. 16 was at one time great too.
"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

Ian Andrew

I guess I'll remain that odd duck who just doesn't love Spyglass.
I really like the 3rd through 5th, but still don't see the 1st or 2nd being great holes.

I look at the opening five at Bethpage Black and see a much better set of holes.
I'd take the opening five at Pinehurst too.

Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
I think it is a fabulous opening stretch but I didn't love #2.

Despite the fact that it is my least favorite course at Bandon, I think I'd actually take Bandon Trails opening stretch over Spyglass.  I think that Old Macdonald has to be in the conversation going forward. Pacific Dunes is right there with it too. Bandon Dunes has the "worst" opening stretch at the resort in my opinion and it is pretty darn good!

Sean Leary

  • Karma: +0/-0
Did the 4th green used to be bigger? It seems to get a little smaller every time I see it. I think the green is a tad too small, imo.

Kris Shreiner

  • Karma: +0/-0
As someone who caddied year-round, full-time at Spyglass for 11 1/2 wonderful years, these pictures convey a lush, sadly altered version of what the course once was. It is a least 2-3 shots easier than it used to be and several outstanding features were eliminated from the routing with all the "changes" in the late 90's. An awesome, natural bunker that guarded the carry to the green on number two was totally multilated and the replacement is as bland as it gets. Rather than do the occasional grooming to keep it playable, they destroyed it to make it "fairer."

Hole number four's picture is an example of how far off... the current presentation has become! That hole is suppossed to have a tightly mown apron approach and the right bank generally was shortish cut as well to allow running shots and multiple options for the second shot. What is shown there is strictly "hit and sit" golf at its worst.

Mr. Woods didn't break par at Spyglass the first 5 times he played it in competition. That, also with the ball in his hand a couple of those rounds that AT&T wet weather had lift, clean and cheat conditions.

Spyglass Hill, properly presently with firmness and non-beastly rough, is a demanding, superb test. It is a course that is hard to get comfortable on, as danger lurks on every hole. Some seem to rave about the first five and then feel the rest of the course is less than. Well that opening five is pretty stout...it blows away any other opening on the Peninsula and with all repect to Cyp and PB, the players know that the Glass razored up, is all you can eat. Even on windy days, though somewhat more sheltered than Cyp or PB, it is still very difficult to control your ball flight around that track.

Bob,

When the wind is out of the Northwest(which is often), the stench from Bird Rock that wafts by that house on #5 is enough to drive one from that home to Seaside!

Cheers,
Kris 8)

"I said in a talk at the Dunhill Tournament in St. Andrews a few years back that I thought any of the caddies I'd had that week would probably make a good golf course architect. We all want to ask golfers of all abilities to get more out of their games -caddies do that for a living." T.Doak

Kris Shreiner

  • Karma: +0/-0
Brian,

I'm glad you got it playing firm and the in last few years they have greatly improved the drainage and backed the off excessive watering. The upper portion of the course, 6-18, has far more clay and compacted soil layers under the turf and Trent Jones Sr. had a spartan budget when he originally built the course, hence the meager ability for the holes to drain formerly.

Spyglass had a super in the early 90's that I remember cut the water way back heading into October. In that way, the course was as dry as possible heading into the rainy season and until the Winter monsoons struck, even with the poor drainage that exists then, the course was fairly playable.

No successive superintendent managed Spyglass as well until Andy Dalhammer came along, and he was a local who knew his ground and is now Head Superintendent at Pebble Beach. He also benefitted from those drainage improvement projects, but his understanding of how to have the course ready for absorbing the rainfall was the key. I will say that the last several AT&T's have found the course playing consistently firmer than had been the case in the past.

As Spyglass Hill is North of $250.00 to play, "privileged" public is about as close as one could claim on that score. With that tariff, conditioning should be a non-issue, but proper presentation generally relies as much on knowledge as it does budget.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2011, 03:20:37 PM by Kris Shreiner »
"I said in a talk at the Dunhill Tournament in St. Andrews a few years back that I thought any of the caddies I'd had that week would probably make a good golf course architect. We all want to ask golfers of all abilities to get more out of their games -caddies do that for a living." T.Doak

Adam Clayman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Kris, How much can the super really be blamed? Management is pulling the strings, aren't they?
"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

Terry Lavin

  • Karma: +0/-0
The first five holes are incredibly exciting, demanding and fun.  The visual thrill is hard to top.  I'd suggest that the contrast of the remaining holes, switchback alpine-like holes, is just so jarring that it seems like you're playing two different courses.  I'm sure that the property didn't yield a more congruent routing.  Don't get me wrong, I like the entire course, but the transition is sort of jarring.  Having said that, Pacific Dunes and Bandon Trails are just as good and you don't feel like you've been transported to a different area code when you get to the sixth tee.
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
To answer your question, given now that Fossil Trace tees most groups off of 10 because it gives the customer the best bank for the buck, their first five holes are a more diverse interesting set.  I've seen those Spyglass holes on other better privates, no where, no how does any other course compare to the first five at Fossil Trace.  Given that 10-14 are the first five of course.

Gary Slatter

  • Karma: +0/-0
I enjoyed all 18 holes the several times I was lucky enough to play Spyglass.   From the pictures I was a bit annoyed to see the changes in grass heights from what I remembered - as Kris pointed out. 

Getting back to the first five holes - very good start.
Gary Slatter
gary.slatter@raffles.com

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Two more notes for Fossil Trace.  I will trade a view of the mountains and 5,700 feet of ball busting elevation over an ocean view for the 300 yd drives if nothing else.  While the ocean can bring a man closer to the sense of the power of God, 20% added distance off the tee makes your feet wet.  Also, the fee was only $75 which includes cart.

Kalen Braley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Did the 4th green used to be bigger? It seems to get a little smaller every time I see it. I think the green is a tad too small, imo.

+1 

Maybe it was just the picture being compressed, but the green looked maybe 5 yards wide?  That seems ridiculous.

Tim Leahy

  • Karma: +0/-0
I would love to see a major held on Spyglass, even if it was a woman's major or an amateur.
I love golf, the fightin irish, and beautiful women depending on the season and availability.

Mark McKeever

  • Karma: +0/-0
Did the 4th green used to be bigger? It seems to get a little smaller every time I see it. I think the green is a tad too small, imo.

+1 

Maybe it was just the picture being compressed, but the green looked maybe 5 yards wide?  That seems ridiculous.


It could be cool if they mowed it a bit up the side of each dune giving it a punchbowl look.

Mark
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

Kris Shreiner

  • Karma: +0/-0
Adam,

No doubt the supers have to answer to higher authority there, but presentation was never mandated with that heavy a hand from on high, though that certainly could have changed. The supers didn't make the calls on the architecture changes...on that score they had little input.

The overwatering was my main contention regarding what the supers input was. These are just my obervations from time spent there.

Mark M.,

The # 4 green surface, properly presented, has slightly more width and a more tightly mown collar, especially at the entrance opening, which offered better options for shotmaking coming in to what is already a challenging approach. What that picture depicts robs the hole of most of its joy...a super cool shot... into as unique a green as you'll find anywhere!
« Last Edit: June 13, 2011, 05:33:22 PM by Kris Shreiner »
"I said in a talk at the Dunhill Tournament in St. Andrews a few years back that I thought any of the caddies I'd had that week would probably make a good golf course architect. We all want to ask golfers of all abilities to get more out of their games -caddies do that for a living." T.Doak

Brian Curley

  • Karma: +0/-0
I grew up just through the trees (imagine #12 a par 4 , that was my house) and love the place . My first job was cart boy/range picker/ caddie . I have lots of great memories of the course  and the photos are a great reminder.

I love #4 but it looks much easier today- there was MUCH more sand and iceplant closer to the green than now and I remember the green was only about  7 paces wide in 1977 so it was always very narrow.

Unlike Pebble and Cypress , Spyglass has returning nines and it is my main complaint. I think the course would have been much better as a continuous 18 but the NCGA was involved early on and wanted to host events and needed the returning nines . As a result, the clubhouse looks to the woods rather than the ocean. Pete Dye told me once the best view on the Monterey Peninsula was from the  Member's  Clubhouse kitchen.

Awesome , tough course.

When I was about 13 I saw a picture  in the grill of  some  guy named Robert Trent Jones who designed the course. That's when I first thought  "I could do that"  and  made up my mind I would  someday do the same for a living.

Kris Shreiner

  • Karma: +0/-0
Brian C,

Illuminating post! You're dead on with #4 being easier today. They stripped out most of the ice plant and turfed some of the sandy waste. That's why that tighter mown approach was so key in the past...you needed pin-piont accuracy if you chose to put it deeper into that narrow green or you could make double or worse in a heartbeat!

My call into that green always was whatever it was playing yardage-wise to the right front edge of the green. One of the real card wrecker, short par fours of all time, especially for greedy pros.  ;D
"I said in a talk at the Dunhill Tournament in St. Andrews a few years back that I thought any of the caddies I'd had that week would probably make a good golf course architect. We all want to ask golfers of all abilities to get more out of their games -caddies do that for a living." T.Doak

Terry Lavin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Brian C,

Illuminating post! You're dead on with #4 being easier today. They stripped out most of the ice plant and turfed some of the sandy waste. That's why that tighter mown approach was so key in the past...you needed pin-piont accuracy if you chose to put it deeper into that narrow green or you could make double or worse in a heartbeat!


I, for one, will applaud the stripping or thinning of the iceplant.  That is one noxious plant.
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

Bart Bradley

  • Karma: +0/-0
A couple more of my best photos (best of the rest):

The approach on 9:



The approach on 11:



The 17th:



Thanks for all the good input, enjoy.

Bart

paul cowley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Brian....I didn't know we were that close early on. I was a greenskeeper for a short time at SGH in the early 70's before moving over to PB. My first job there was removing the pampas grass from everywhere, as it was beginning to take over tees etc.

The course had only opened 5 yrs or so before and was much more wasty and rugged. The first 5 holes were probably similar to Cypress in look and feel when Cypress first opened. Grass grows.
paul cowley...golf course architect/asgca

Sean Leary

  • Karma: +0/-0
A couple more of my best photos (best of the rest):

The approach on 9:



The approach on 11:



The 17th:



Thanks for all the good input, enjoy.

Bart

Sorry you got a lousy weather day....

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