After a great day at Spanish Bay yesterday I had a round lined up at Pasatiempo Golf Club on Sunday. And, it turned out to be another gorgeous winter day on the California coast!
A quick Google search reveals that Pasatiempo is one of California’s (and possibly the world’s) best public golf courses. The course has received numerous awards for being a top course and is currently the 11th course on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 “You Can Play” list. In addition, there is a lot of history here as Alister MacKenzie (the designer of Augusta National) designed Pasatiempo. Because of all this I was exited to play here!
The course sits at the edge of the Santa Cruz Mountains and most shots have some elevation change to them. You’ll also find a few blind and semi-blind shots.
I played from the championship tees at 72.3/140/6500, which on paper, did not look too bad. Then, I realized the course is a par-70! This, combined with the heavy coastal air, had the course playing plenty long for me. I don’t think you’ll find Pasatiempo the most challenging off the tee, but it will really test the other aspects of your game.
Pasatiempo is probably best known for its green complexes. The multi-tiered greens have as much slope as anyone could ever want and feature beautiful bunkering. I played the course when the greens were not lightning fast (maybe 9 or 10 on the stimpmeter) and they were still a handful to putt!
I think the par-3’s are the standout holes here. There are five par-3’s and they play 214, 190, 176, 141, and 169 yards. I hit different clubs on all of them and each is unique.
The 3rd is 214 yards and plays uphill to a green surrounded by a sea of bunkers. The 8th is 176 yards and drops a club or two to the green, where the pin was tucked on a plateau. The 18th is the final par-3 and it is 169 yards. It plays over a ravine and to a green that sits in an amphitheater setting. I know some people don’t care for a closing par-3, but I enjoy playing a course with one.
The 16th is the signature hole on the course and plays as a 387 yard par-4. The tee shot is semi-blind over a rise in the fairway before the approach plays to a deep green that has three levels. If the greens are fast I could see a short iron shot hitting the downslope near the third level and spinning all the way off the front of the green. It is that severe.
No doubt that Pasatiempo is one of the great courses in the Bay Area, but I’m not sure I see it being worth the $200+ green fee. I have seen the course on Golfnow for ~$100 and for that price I’d say the course would be worth it. I was fortunate enough to play it for free due to the kindness of a member, so it was a very special day for me.
I’d recommend brushing up on the history of Pasatiempo and its designer before playing here, as I think that would make for a more memorable day. If you are a fan of golf course architecture then I’d say Pasatiempo is a must play. For those golfers who are more interested in scenery the courses on the Monterey Peninsula will probably be the better bet.
Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):
