Architecture Glossary - Spectacles

The message of great, strategic golf course architecture is clear. The actual words used to describe those golf courses, however, are many. The Architecture Glossary column will examine more precise terms and concepts that one will find when exploring golf course architecture. Hopefully understanding these terms, and why certain architects employed them, will help you to better understand the golf courses you play…and maybe even improve your scores!

Today’s term is ‘Spectacles’.

There are many differences between the scratch golfer and the touring professional. An important one is how the player reacts to being watched as they play, and whether they fold under the pressure. Carnoustie features at least one moment where, even if you’re not competing for The Open and even if you’re the only one on the course, an imposing pair will be staring down your approach shot.

Overcoming this daunting voyeur is the key to success on “Spectacles,” the No. 14 hole at Carnoustie’s Championship course.

Carnoustie No. 14: A look at Carnoustie's famous "Spectacles" bunkers, prior to the backs being revetted. Photo credit: Billy Satterfield

The feature in question is a pair of circular bunkers built into a ridge that crosses the fairway about 50 yards from the green. That they are built into the hill, and that the back wall of the bunkers is revetted, gives the distinct impression that a giant figure is peeping up from the fairway into your next shot. Whether or not you choose to personify the hole, the role these bunkers play is paramount to ensuring that this short par five (476 yards) lives up to the “Carnasty” brand.

A good drive will give most golfers the opportunity to reach the green and pursue an eagle three. The judging eyes of Spectacles work to dissuade both. For those of average driving distance, the rising, revetted nature of the bunkers will make the run-up area seem far shorter than it actually is. For those who have smashed their tee shot, the bunkers may (ironically, considering their optometric namesake), blind the green from the player. Those who hit a poor tee shot will be wise not to contend with the cross-hazard.

These Spectacles come from an iconic designer in golf course architecture, Old Tom Morris. Another pair of Spectacles in Scotland come from a lesser Morris, simply known as “F. Morris,” who was both the original designer and greenskeeper at Western Gailes Golf Club.

This Morris used his Spectacles in a way that was as cunning as his more famous forbearer, while also showing a touch more sympathy for the player who could use them well. No. 15 at Western Gailes is a 194-yard par three that, like the original “Spectacles,” features a lengthy run-up area for those looking to roll onto the green. It also features a pair of eyeball bunkers that distort the view of that run-up area.

Western Gailes No. 15: Although less pronounced than its Carnoustie cousins, the Spectacles at Western Gailes No. 15 still serve their intimidating purpose. Photo credit: Gary Lisbon.

On the other hand, this pair can be helpful for the player who trusts their distance. The green is wrapped more tightly by five additional bunkers around its left and right perimeter. If you need a target line to find the front of the green, going right between the Spectacles will do the trick. That said, don’t let them fool you into playing too long, or you might roll right to the back of this long putting surface.

If there is one bunker that might easily become confused for the Spectacles hazard, it is the “Principal’s Nose,” a set of sand hazards more well-known than those at Carnoustie. This trio of traps lurk off the left side of No. 16 at the Old Course of St. Andrews. The emphasis is on “trio”; these three circular bunkers are built into a rising mound so that if a player were to look backwards from the fairway, they would indeed resemble a pair of nostrils. That the player is looking backwards is important, however, as proper Spectacles will always be staring at the player while they approach the green. In fact, if the Principal’s Nose bunker were flipped 180-degrees, it might qualify.

St Andrews Old No. 16: The "Principal's Nose," oddly, has three nostrils, and that's where you can tell the difference between it and a Spectacles bunker. (Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Further confusion occurs because American golf course architecture enthusiasts know about the Principal’s Nose primarily from C.B. Macdoanld’s Double Plateau template hole, where he liked to plop a version of that bunker into the middle of the fairway short of the green. So, when looking at instances such as those at the National Golf Links of America or Yale Golf Club, the bunker behaves more like Spectacles but looks more like Principal’s Nose.

This leads some to assume that all bunkers ahead of Macdonald’s Double Template green are automatically a Principal’s Nose. However, the architect occasionally employed a proper Spectacles to handle the job. Such is the case at the Chicago Golf Club’s no. 6 hole.

Chicago No. 6: Although it does look quite like a nose from above, the centerline bunker formation at Chicago Golf Club's Double Plateau hole is a case of Spectacles. (Photo Credit: Google Maps)

If you need further proof that there’s a difference between Spectacles and Principal’s Nose, head back to No. 5 at St. Andrews…but don’t actually look at the bunkers named “Spectacles.” This pair of pots sit very far apart, pinching the fairway as the fairway approaches the green, however they don’t fill the role of the Spectacles as defined by Carnoustie’s more famous version. Instead, look at the pair of bunkers about 265 yards away. Although part of the “Seven Sisters” constellation, these bunkers also stare down players looking for the optimal angle into this par five’s reachable green. Their glare, like that at Carnoustie, may pressure you to play away.

Although centerline bunkers have emerged as popular as ever in the new “Golden Age” of golf course architecture, Spectacles themselves have not been quite as popular. Part of this is that, in order to create the proper effect, the backs of the bunkers must rise significantly, and revetting bunkers is not particularly popular under the minimalist trend. That said, some creative architects can find opportunities even without moving much land.

The penultimate hole at Cabot Cliffs, for example, manages to find some use for Spectacles even though the approach will be downhill. A good drive to the peak of this fairway will leave a downhill look at the green. The pair of bunkers look up at the player, and their smaller eyebrows rise in such a way that the precise landing area for a pitch to front pins is in question. Rather than take such a risky shot, wise players may prefer to play to the middle or back of the green, thus proving the value such bunkers bring to a hole that, on paper (330 yards) looks like a pushover for the big hitter.

Cabot Cliffs No. 16: The green-hugging bunkers at Cabot Cliffs No. 16 is a literal case of staring down the barrel of a loaded Spectacles. (Photo Credit: Larry Lambrecht)

Spectacle bunkers shouldn’t make the player feel more self-conscious about their abilities, of course. But, nonetheless, these watchful eyes should certainly make them feel more wary of the next shot they take.