Can You Play Spanish Bay on FSX Play?

The Links at Spanish Bay is the forgotten third course at Pebble Beach Resort. Everyone obsesses over Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill, but Spanish Bay might actually be the most fun of the three. And yes, it is available on FSX Play.

What Is Spanish Bay?

The Links at Spanish Bay opened in 1987 on the Monterey Peninsula, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Tom Watson, and Frank “Sandy” Tatum. It sits right on 17-Mile Drive, hugging the Pacific coastline with dunes, native ice plant, and the kind of firm, fast running conditions that make you feel like you are playing in Scotland. It is ranked number 35 in the Golf Digest America’s 100 Greatest courses and consistently makes top-100 lists worldwide.

The course is a deliberate tribute to Scottish links golf. You do not fire at pins here. You run the ball in, play bump-and-run approaches, and read the ground game. The 8th hole is a par 3 that plays straight into the ocean wind. The 16th through 18th finish along the water with the sun setting over the Pacific. It is a masterpiece.

Spanish Bay on FSX Play: Quality Assessment

Foresight Sports offers Spanish Bay as an official FSX Play course, reproduced in 4K resolution. The FSX Play version is the same engine used for the Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill courses, so you get the same level of detail: accurate elevation changes, real bunker placements, and the proper coastal texture.

The simulation captures the firm, fast conditions that define Spanish Bay. The fairways play tight. The ocean wind effect is present. The dunes and ice plant are rendered with enough detail that you can pick out the specific contours that make the course so challenging. Community reviews on the FSX Play course library rate it 4.25 out of 5, with the graphics and course reproduction scoring the highest marks.

The one downside is that the FSX Play version does not include the bagpiper who plays at sunset on the real course. That is a minor loss.

How to Access Spanish Bay on FSX Play

You can purchase Spanish Bay as a standalone course or as part of the Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay bundle from the Foresight Sports store. The bundle is the better value if you do not already own Spyglass Hill.

The course works on the FSX Play and FSX 2020 engines. If you purchased it for FSX 2020, you can download the FSX Play version for free. You need a compatible Foresight launch monitor: GC2, GC3, GC3S, GCQuad, QuadMAX, Falcon, GCHawk, LPi, or Launch Pro.

The Verdict

Spanish Bay is the best value in the FSX Play Pebble Beach collection. It costs less than the Pebble Beach course, plays more interestingly than Spyglass Hill for most handicaps, and gives you 18 holes of genuine links-style golf on the California coast. If you own FSX Play and have not downloaded it yet, you are missing out.

For more FSX Play course recommendations, check out the best courses on FSX Play guide and the full FSX Play software review.