To call Pasatiempo Golf Club iconic would be an understatement. Dr. Alister MacKenzie’s masterpiece, located just a few miles from the Santa Cruz coastline is a one of a kind jewel that has bled its DNA throughout golf course design ever since. Pasatiempo is a golf course that values precision as much as power, creativity as much as management. From the first hole, a 458 yard downhill par 4 facing the nearby coast, you know you’re in for a treat. Fairways are on the larger side for a course built in this era but the penalty for loose shots can be severe. Cypress trees and other Northern California line each hole, giving each a unique and secluded feel.
As with all MacKenzie designs, iron play is put at a premium. Multi-tiered green complexes with sharp runoffs are everywhere at Pasatiempo. Approaches played to the incorrect spot on the green almost always bring a three putt… or possibly worse… into play. Holes 8-13 are all incredible tests of grit with the 390 yard 11th being the standout. And of course Pasatiempo is not Pasatiempo without the 392 yard Par 4 16th. Dog leg left off the tee with a bend back right to a massive triple tiered heavily bunkered approach over a small canyon. It’s a truly a one of a kind golf hole that deserves all the accolades it has received.
On site facilities are consistent with the time period. A small 170 yard warm up range left of the first fairway will get your middle irons dialed in but most of your warmup should be spent in the practice bunker complex and putting green. A full restaurant and turn stand to the back of the 9th green will fulfill all your 19th hole requirements. Most of us will never get the chance to experience MacKenzies crown jewel in Georgia. Pasatiempo is truly the other side of the coin and a masterpiece in its own right, most than a worthy substitute.