Do You Know What the Holes at Spyglass Hill Are Named After?
One of the coolest details about playing Spyglass Hill isn’t just the golf—it’s the story behind each hole name.
When Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed Spyglass Hill, the course was originally going to be called Pebble Beach Pines. Before it opened in 1966, Pebble Beach founder Samuel F.B. Morse renamed it Spyglass Hill, inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure novel Treasure Island. Stevenson spent time on the Monterey Peninsula in 1879, and many believe the dramatic coastline helped inspire the setting for his famous pirate tale. Every hole on the course was then given a name drawn from characters or places in the novel.
Here’s the complete lineup:
● 1 – Treasure Island: The legendary island where Captain Flint’s treasure is buried.
● 2 – Billy Bones: The old pirate whose mysterious sea chest begins the adventure.
● 3 – The Black Spot: A pirate’s mark of doom, signaling judgment or death.
● 4 – Blind Pew: The blind pirate who terrifies everyone despite his disability.
● 5 – Bird Rock: A reference to the seabird-covered coastal rocks surrounding the island.
● 6 – Israel Hands: Captain Flint’s skilled but dangerous former gunner.
● 7 – Indian Village: One of the locations shown on the fictional island.
● 8 – Signal Hill: The high point used to watch for approaching ships.
● 9 – Captain Smollett: The disciplined and courageous captain of the Hispaniola.
● 10 – Captain Flint: The infamous pirate whose hidden treasure drives the entire story.
● 11 – Admiral Benbow: The inn where young Jim Hawkins’ adventure begins.
● 12 – Skeleton Island: The eerie island landmark used for navigation.
● 13 – Tom Morgan: One of Long John Silver’s loyal mutineers.
● 14 – Long John Silver: The unforgettable one-legged pirate and central character of the novel.
● 15 – Jim Hawkins: The young hero and narrator of Treasure Island.
● 16 – Black Dog: The pirate whose visit to Billy Bones sets the plot in motion.
● 17 – Ben Gunn: The marooned sailor who ultimately helps recover the treasure.
● 18 – Spyglass: The towering hill at the center of Treasure Island and the inspiration for the course’s name.
Most golfers walk right past these names without giving them a second thought. But once you know the story, every tee marker becomes part of a pirate adventure. It’s one of those subtle details that makes a round at Spyglass Hill even more memorable—and another reason why it’s one of the most unique golf courses in the world.