Pebble Beach
ABOVE : Hole 15 at Carnoustie Championship
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COURSES , BIGSTOCK posting the only under-par score ( -12 ) to win by 15 strokes in one of golf ’ s most famous routs .
Spyglass Hill was once described by Sports Illustrated as “ Pine Valley-by-the-Sea meets Augusta National .” It ’ s one of the best courses in the nation not to have hosted a major championship , but it is part of the rotation for the PGA Tour ’ s annual stop to Pebble . The first five holes at Spyglass Hill wander along the ocean before the course meanders into the Del Monte Forest . Robert Trent Jones Sr . said the fourth hole at Spyglass , “ Blind Pew ,” is his favorite par-4 he ’ s ever designed . You can get a small taste of that hole in Virginia at member club Cutalong at Lake Anna , where the first green was inspired by the fourth green at Spyglass .
Lesser known , The Links at Spanish Bay was designed by Jones , Tom Watson and Sandy Tatum , who teamed up to artfully craft a distinctly Scottish look . Links golf and seaside views await players at Spanish Bay , where ocean breezes can play an outsized role on many holes . One of the best tee shots is on the par-3 8th , a 158-yard hole that offers picturesque views of Point Joe and the Restless Sea .
SCOTLAND ( May 17-24 )
The courses : Kittocks Course ( Fairmont Resort St Andrews ), Dumbarnie Links , The Championship Course at Carnoustie Golf Links , Torrance Course ( Fairmont Resort ), Balcomie Links ( Crail Golfing Society ), West Links at North Berwick Golf Club , No . 1 Course at Gullane Golf Club . The lowdown : Scotland Golf Tours is running this trip in conjunction with the VSGA . Participants enjoy four nights at the Fairmont Resort in St Andrews and three nights at Malmaison in Edinburg . The trip includes three group dinners and breakfast each day .
The star of the trip is The Championship Course at Carnoustie , a current part of the Open Championship rota . Francesco Molinari earned Champion Golfer of the Year honors there in 2018 , and
it was the site of the famous Jean Van De Velde collapse in 1999 , which went down in lore as “ The Carnage at Carnoustie .”
Not to be outdone , though , is The West Links at North Berwick , rated as Scotland ’ s fifth best golf course . Located on the Firth of Forth with stunning sea views across Craigleith Island and Bass Rock , this course features one of the world ' s most famous holes : Redan , the 190-yard par-3 15th .
Three other courses on the trip crack the top 100 of Scotland ’ s greatest courses , including Dumbarnie ( No . 17 ), No . 1 at Gullane ( No . 22 ) and Balcomie ( No . 61 ). It ’ s a truly magical tour of the home of golf .
➽ PIQUED YOUR INTEREST ?
Visit vsga . org / member-trips to stay updated on additional trips that may become available throughout the year and to get a first crack at registering for a 2026 trip . But don ’ t give up on 2025 yet ! There may be another trip coming next fall . Keep checking VSGA . org for details . vsga . org N OVEMBER / D ECEMBER 2024 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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