Spyglass Hill Golf Course is one of the great bucket-list rounds on the Monterey Peninsula and a superb addition to any Pebble Beach golf holiday. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and opened in 1966, the course sits within the wider Pebble Beach Resorts collection, alongside Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Links at Spanish Bay and Del Monte Golf Course. For UK golfers travelling to California, it works perfectly as part of a once-in-a-lifetime Monterey golf itinerary.

The course is an 18-hole, par-72 layout measuring around 7,000 yards from the back tees, but Spyglass is not just about length. It is widely regarded as one of the toughest public courses in America, with Golf Digest featuring it in its America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses rankings.

What makes Spyglass Hill so memorable is the change in character throughout the round. The opening holes run through dramatic coastal duneland with views towards the Pacific, before the course moves inland through the pine and cypress trees of Del Monte Forest. It feels like two different golf courses in one, which is exactly why so many golfers talk about it long after they leave.

The 4th hole, “Blind Pew”, is the famous standout: a demanding par four with a narrow green set between the dunes, described by Robert Trent Jones Sr. as his favourite par four. For golfers who want championship quality, scenery and a proper test, Spyglass Hill is essential on a Pebble Beach golf break.