With the frigid weather in full effect here in snowy New England, our golfing expeditions will take us to other regions of the country at this time of year. While Florida, Myrtle Beach and for some lucky travelers, Bermuda or the Bahamas seem to be consistent golf travel destinations from the east coast, I would like you to consider a small coastal town in northern California called Santa Cruz and the immaculate facility known as Pasatiempo Golf Club.
Designed in 1929 by the legendary golf architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie, Pasatiempo Golf Club has long been considered one of the finest challenges of golf anywhere in the world. It is a perennial fixture in Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses in the United States, and it is currently ranked at #31 on their “2005 America’s Greatest Public Courses.” As a golf course designer and architect, Alister MacKenzie achieved great acclaim and notoriety, with such notable courses as Cypress Point, Royal Melbourne and Augusta National to his credit. As Pasatiempo remains a public facility, you will probably never have a better opportunity to experience some of his finest work anywhere else in the world.
My good friend Donn Waslif and I drove into the main entrance on Christmas Eve morning and were welcomed to bright sunshine and 70 degree temperatures (and that alone should entice most of you to book your trip immediately at this time of the year!) As we approached the pro shop and bag drop area, we were quickly greeted by friendly staff members eager to assist us in any way with our golfing experience. After a brief warm-up on the range and practice green, we both were ready to embark on our pilgrimage through the rolling hills and undulating terrain of Dr. MacKenzie’s masterpiece.
The course is nestled back into a hillside overlooking the Monterey Bay and the city of Santa Cruz, and on the first tee, we caught a faint glimpse of the Monterey Bay Peninsula through a thin layer of fog gently hovering over the ocean. The course measures a modest 6,469 yards from the blue tees, but also carries with it a 72.5 rating and a slope of 136. We quickly decided to play from the white tees, which measures a total of 6,131 yards at a 71.0 rating with a slope of 132.
The course is very consistent and in-keeping with Dr. MacKenzie’s core design philosophies: provide strategic and challenging shot-making decisions while maintaining as much natural terrain as possible. You will often be presented with uphill, downhill and sidehill lies even after negotiating a successful tee shot into the fairway. The bunkers that stoically guard all of the greens throughout the course also offer a small opening where you may run up your approach shots safely onto the putting surface. Once you have successfully landed your ball onto the green, you will be greeted with undulations and varying speeds on the trickiest Poa annua surfaces anywhere. I can assure you that this species of grass not common here in New England will provide a consistent challenge to great amateur and professional putters alike.
The front nine begins with what appears to be a relatively benign, downhill Par 4, but in actuality will play more like a Par 5 for most mid-to-high handicap players. The pin is often cut on the back portion of a two-tiered green and bogey here is not a bad score. The second hole offers a wide landing area, but with tremendous right-to-left slope, will often leave an awkward sidehill lie for your approach shot. The Par 3 third hole, also the #2 handicap hole on the course, is arguably the most difficult Par 3 on any track you will ever play. All uphill with four substantial bunkers guarding every side of the green, you will need the tee shot of your life in order to even think about birdie on this hole. Just when you may be ready to wave your white flag in surrender, the short Par 4 fourth hole will give most players a reasonable attempt to place a 3 or 4 on their scorecard. Holes five through eight traverse in a back-and-forth fashion arriving at the Par 5 ninth hole, which ends on an elevated and well protected green. While the 9th hole holds the modest #18 handicap rating for the course, it is by no means a pushover. It is well protected by trees on both sides of the fairway, as well as out-of-bounds on the left side of the green. After my buddy Donn and I caught our collective breaths surviving the first nine holes, we pressed on heading to the 10th tee.
The view on the 10th tee box is as spectacular as it is intimidating, with a formidable barranca inviting golf balls of all species to enter. This is a true shot-makers dog-leg hole that will require both length and shape to provide even a slim chance to land on the green in regulation. As the longest Par 4 on the course, bogey again will feel like a great score. Make no mistake about it, the Par 4 11th is all uphill and will require every ounce of a player’s skill and concentration to survive it. I was amazed that this was not the #1 handicap hole on the course, as it surely felt like it during our round. With a large ravine to cross, as well as a considerable amount of “all-carry” yardage to make the green in regulation, it may be wise to lay-up over the ravine and take your chances at one-putting for par. Both the 12th and 13th holes offer a welcomed reprieve from the challenges of the previous two holes and give excellent opportunities to gain a shot or two back on their round.
Clearly, the back nine’s signature hole and most difficult on the entire course is the Par 4 16th. A blind tee shot provides no insight into this treacherous hole until you come over the crest of the hill in the fairway. There you will find out-of-bounds markers along the right side, as well as another barranca ready to swallow shots too far to the left. And once you see the multi-tiered, severely back-to-front sloped green, you will quickly understand why it ranks as the #1 handicap hole on the golf course. Nothing that lands on the front edge or portion of this green could possibly stay there, and putting from the very top tier down to a front pin placement has triple bogey written all over it. Bogey or better here will leave any golfer with a smile on his face. The course completes with what appears to be a modest Par 3 from an elevated tee box, but will require a skillful shot over an extended barranca to the green below. As there didn’t appear to be any drop area on the other side of the barranca, you will want to ensure your safe arrival over the hazard.
Pasatiempo Golf Club is located in the town of Santa Cruz California approximately a 45 minute drive from either San Jose or Monterey. Pertinent course information such as directions, tee times and fees may be found at www.pasatiempo.com. It should also be noted that their website contains an immense amount of valuable information regarding the history of the golf course, including past and present photographs, as well as local lodging and dining options when staying in the area. It is one of the most informative and well designed golf web pages I have seen in quite some time and with the extensive amount of high-resolution photographs of every hole on the course, I can assure all of you that you will be anxious to book your next golf trip at this legendary facility.
For a GREAT interactive tour of the course, click I WANT TO TOUR PASATIEMPO GOLF COURSE NOW!
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