Pics Please ~ The 1st at Pasa

[John Kavanaugh]

With the unconditional love being heaped upon the course I would like to revisit the 1st hole.  Thanks.

[Kalen Braley]

Which version?

[John Kavanaugh]

Which version?

The current version, I only played it unDoaked.

[Kalen Braley]

Which version?

The current version, I only played it unDoaked.

The current version is the post Doak version.  But if memory serves me correctly, he only restored the bunkering....

This pic looks pretty current.

[Tyler Kearns]

Kalen,


I believe quite a few trees have been removed to the right of the fairway since the picture you posted was taken.


TK

[John Kirk]

The hole is about 450-460 yards, and was changed to a par 4 15-20 years ago.

The tee shot:



Closeup on approach shot:



It is not one of my favorite holes on the course, perhaps because it requires you to hit an excellent drive on the first shot to make par.  If I really bust one, I can have a 7-iron left, though 4-iron to 7-wood is more common.  There's a nifty 30-40 yard bunker short and left, which must be carried to get short and left of the green, where getting up and down is easiest.  The green is quite difficult, and as always, the green is stylish and attractive.  A very difficult par, I start a round at Pasa with a bogey at least 70% of the time.

[Bill_McBride]

It remains a much better hole as a par 5 from the upper tee.  The bunkering was design to play havoc with the second shot.  The tee shot doesn't have to be perfect and long to make a 5.  This is much more in line with many Mackenzie openers such as the Valley and Meadow Clubs. 

[Alex Miller]

We also would have accepted the 1st hole at Valley Club. There are few openers more similar (for obvious reasons).

[Matt_Cohn]

[Robert Kimball]

WOW -- love the tree removal on this hole (and subsequently #9).  I played there 14 years ago and it was very tight, especially #7 if I remember correctly.


Need to figure out how to get out that way again soon.


-- Rob

[Sean_A]

I don't recall ever seeing pix of this hole before.  There can't be many more inauspicious starts to a great course. I assume there are safety reasons for the trees and fence.


Ciao

[Kalen Braley]

Sean,

The "fence" is a net for the driving range which hits back up the hill in the opposite direction of the tee.  The trees are likely a necessary component here to protect players coming up the 9th hole.

Originally the 1st hole played from further back up the hill as a par 5, and the driving range was apart of the fairway.  I suspect the original version of the hole was better than the current version.  After the 7th hole, this is my next least interesting hole on the course.

[Bill_McBride]

Sean,

The "fence" is a net for the driving range which hits back up the hill in the opposite direction of the tee.  The trees are likely a necessary component here to protect players coming up the 9th hole.

Originally the 1st hole played from further back up the hill as a par 5, and the driving range was apart of the fairway.  I suspect the original version of the hole was better than the current version.  After the 7th hole, this is my next least interesting hole on the course.

Originally, like many Classic Age courses, there was no driving range, hence the butt ugly screen. 

[Kyle Henderson]

[Keith Phillips]

Played Pasa once many years ago.  Really enjoyed the course, and I assume I'd like it even more post-Doak restoration, but there is only so much you can do with that opening tee shot...some of those photos do a better job of camoflaging the screen on the left, but it is hard to ignore while standing on the tee.


I agree with Sean's use of the word 'inauspicious', and could add 'uninspiring'.  I've seen lists of 'best opening tee shot on a great golf course (eg. Machrihanish), but I think Pasatiempo could lead the list of 'least inspiring opening tee shot on a great golf course'.

[John Cowden]

Anybody have a pic of no.1 with the right side bunker at about 250?  I'm not sure if it's removal was part of the Doak/Urbina restoration, but it was removed around the same time, that is, late '90s. 

[Scott Weersing]

Is the first hole as green as the current photos?


I thought they were not watering the rough.


http://www.golfchannel.com/media/water-week-water-conservation-challenges-pasatiempo-golf-club/

[Matt_Cohn]

I agree with Sean's use of the word 'inauspicious', and could add 'uninspiring'.  I've seen lists of 'best opening tee shot on a great golf course (eg. Machrihanish), but I think Pasatiempo could lead the list of 'least inspiring opening tee shot on a great golf course'.

Really? With that view of Santa Cruz, the Pacific, and the Monterey Peninsula in the distance? Yeah, it's hemmed in, but I would hardly put it anywhere near the category you put it in. It's a pretty cool spot. Plus I enjoy the synchronicity of how the first tee at Pasatiempo aims directly at Spyglass, and the first tee at Spyglass aims straight at Pasatiempo. Not like you can see them or anything, but I always think of it in both places.

[Josh Tarble]

I agree with Sean's use of the word 'inauspicious', and could add 'uninspiring'.  I've seen lists of 'best opening tee shot on a great golf course (eg. Machrihanish), but I think Pasatiempo could lead the list of 'least inspiring opening tee shot on a great golf course'.

I'm with Matt here.  It's not a great hole and if don't disagree that it's in the bottom third of holes at Pasa.  The first tee view is awesome.  You can see a lot of the front 9 and the fantastic setting out beyond.  The tee made me excited to play more than I already was.

Now if you wanted to talk about the second shot...

[MClutterbuck]

I agree with Sean's use of the word 'inauspicious', and could add 'uninspiring'.  I've seen lists of 'best opening tee shot on a great golf course (eg. Machrihanish), but I think Pasatiempo could lead the list of 'least inspiring opening tee shot on a great golf course'.

Really? With that view of Santa Cruz, the Pacific, and the Monterey Peninsula in the distance? Yeah, it's hemmed in, but I would hardly put it anywhere near the category you put it in. It's a pretty cool spot. Plus I enjoy the synchronicity of how the first tee at Pasatiempo aims directly at Spyglass, and the first tee at Spyglass aims straight at Pasatiempo. Not like you can see them or anything, but I always think of it in both places.

Wow, I actually had to go and check that on Google Earth. I would have never realized that. I would have thought both pointed pretty much WSW and WNW west if I had been asked, and I am normally well aware of directions!! 

[Alex Miller]

https://imgur.com/kpJS0P0


Since I can't figure out how to resize in the new site.

[John Kavanaugh]

If you don't believe the 1st hole at Pasa is the worst hole on the course you can not believe that Pasa is a great course.

[Tyler Kearns]

Anybody have a pic of no.1 with the right side bunker at about 250?  I'm not sure if it's removal was part of the Doak/Urbina restoration, but it was removed around the same time, that is, late '90s.

John,


I looked back on google earth historic images and do not see the bunker you mentioned in an Oct. 1991 aerial.  Perhaps it is hidden under the tree canopy, but it doesn't appear to show up.


TK

[Greg Tallman]

At first glance it would appear that a single cut presentation would greatly enhance what appears to be an averge, at best, golf hole.

[Greg Taylor]

Struggling to think of a harder (penal) tee shot on an opening hole on an AM course... the only way is up from an architecture point of view on the course.


Would be interesting to see some early pics... was the current hole the vision that AM had?