Renovations to Spyglass #2 — updated with photo

[Matt_Cohn]

From Pebble Beach's Facebook page: "We recently finished renovations on the 2nd hole using early course imagery to restore the look."

No pictures were provided. Does anyone have more information?

[Adam Clayman]

One can only hope this isn't more corporate B.S. speak. #2 "Billy Bones" is my personal favorite hole on the course. The fairway contours determine everything, depending on where your ball comes to rest. Lots of counter intuition and experience are required to walk off with a good score. While only 310ish, She's probably gotten to be an even more tempting harlot than I knew in my younger days.

As I recall, the fronting natural dune sand hazard, that protects the green, front and right side, was made to look like an Arnie Palmer Floridian bunker, several years ago, for playability purposes.

A reversal in the gca mindset, that has persisted at the PB Co., would be a welcomed change.

Considering how different Spyglass looks from it's opening (early Pebble faux dunesy) it would be odd to to this to one hole

[Matthew Petersen]

I suspect you're right about the change Adam. In this photos gallery (http://www.pebblebeach.com/golf/spyglass-hill-golf-course/photo-gallery)  the 12th picture shows a view from the tee of #2. In that view, the dune on the left comes in and even seems to possibly blend in with the bunker. This would be in contrast to what I have in photos from a visit two years ago in which the dune is much lower and there was a defined stripe of grass between the dune and the bunker.

Great hole.

[Matt_Cohn]

Again, I repeat their words: "We recently finished renovations on the 2nd hole using early course imagery to restore the look."

Before:


After:


Some "early course imagery" I dug up from 1970:


Spyglass will never be easy or typical, but it becomes increasingly neutered each year, and I think that's sad.

[Gary Sato]

This is more a function of Tom Fazio and Arnold Palmer imposing their will on a clean polished look. 

[Tim Gavrich]

Is this the first recorded instance of a high-profile golf course trolling the golfing public? "Early course imagery"--that's hilarious!

[Rich Goodale]

I first played Spyglass in 1976 (~25-30 times after that and last, alas, in 1987), and neither the Before nor After pictures look anything like the 2nd hole that I played and loved.  The 1970 picture is close to what I remember, with the huge rough and ready bunker extending across the front of the green.  Sic transit gloria....

Rich

[Adam Clayman]

This is a joke right? That is the most hideous interpretation I have ever seen.

Corporate B.S. speak has been taken to a new level.

Not since the pro at Banff told us that the contours of their original 18th green hadn't been altered, have I heard such a whopper of an untruth. He must not have known there was a picture of the original green hanging on the wall in the same room. Or, he thought our gca group were a bunch of normal stupid people.

[Brian Curley]

I grew up just  through the woods...imagine #7 as a par 6 .

First job was a caddy and cart boy at Spyglass. Also used to forecaddie for the NCGA events when there was fog ( which was most always ) .The prop, Frank Thacker ( who was about the meanest SOB I have ever met )  would have me  , about 15 yrs old at the time ,stand on that mound on 2 and wait for balls to land in front of me and put flags in the soggy turf where balls would plug ( being Spyglass in the mid-70's, that being about half...) . Almost took it in the face  a few times when someone would hit driver. Can you imagine the liability if you sent a kid out to do that today?

Anyway, it was a sea of footprint -infested sand between the end of the fairway and the green....that is what made the hole. I am sure that over the years they wanted a stretch of turf  as it was certainly a popular spot for second shots and they wanted to avoid the footprints . But the figure 8 bunker shown in the recent photo should at least be a  nasty transition bunker from the right dune with a lot of fall through it.  What is shown is quite sad.  Also, I loved the ice plant .!!!!

On another occasion during some hideously cold Crosby, I was the forecaddie inside the turn on #4, helping to find balls that found the ice plant off the tee. I had started a small bonfire to keep warm and saw two marshals coming at me between groups.......thinking they were there to extinguish my fire they instead huddled up and threw more wood on it.

[Bob_Huntley]

Brian,

I thought that Frank Thacker was beloved by all.

Bob