Pics Please ~ The 1st at Pasa

[Pete Lavallee]

The original design had a treeless expanse covering #1 and to the right #9 along with the driving range on the left. The fairway must have been over 100 yards wide. The first green is angled 7:00 to 2:00, so being on the right or in what is now the driving range would be very advantageous. Also the 9th green angles from 4:00 to 10:00 so being in the first fairway would be better there. There were also no trees between #6 and #7 and #8. MacKenzie mentions a bunker large enough to hide 100 men on the original 6th hole. This must have provided a passive separation of the 6th and 7th fairways. Sadly a golfer on the 8th green was killed when hit in the head by an errant tee shot off #6 tee and the tress were planted. Unfortunately the planters never read any of The Good Doctor's books or they would have realized that he detested rows of trees in echelon and preferred a copse of trees instead. The tree lines have been thinned considerably in recent years. It would be fantastic to play the original treeless design which counted on angle into the green from the large fairways. Apparently the course is much busier these days and that is an impossible dream.

[Alex Miller]

6th tee to 8th green? That can't be right...

[Kalen Braley]

6th tee to 8th green? That can't be right...

I'm pretty sure he meant 7th tee to 8 green.

[Alex Miller]

6th tee to 8th green? That can't be right...

I'm pretty sure he meant 7th tee to 8 green.

Gotcha- also figured it could've been 6th tee to 7th green. An admittedly cramped part of the course.

[Kalen Braley]

I looked on Historical Aerials and a few comments. http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?op=home

I see the bunker on the right side of #1 in the aerials from 1968 and before.

The aerials from '53 and '52 also show the hole in what appears much closer to its original state before the trees and the driving range.  It clearly shows a very wide target to hit from tee...in contrast to the more narrowed down current version.

1991 show it as its claustrophobic worst, very tightly packed in by trees on both the 1st and 9th holes.

[Tyler Kearns]

Historic photograph of Pasatiempo No. 1 from 1929.  The absence of trees and long vistas off the property are stunning.  Alister Mackenzie offers tons of fairway to encourage players to swing away aggressively from the 1st tee, but only those hugging the left side of the fairway are offered a preferential angle into the green.

[John Cowden]

Wonderful photo.  For perspective, the house in the far background exists today, above and to the left of the 6th tee and well behind the 7th green.  Indeed, it was once owned by one of the course's owners in the '50s and '60s, Admiral Ward. 

[John Cowden]

Sorry.  The house is above and to the right of the sixth tee.

[Kalen Braley]

To me, the question that remains is....

would the powers that be at Pasa ever be interested in returning #1 to its former self, up to an including using a top tee, converting back to a par 5 and reclaiming back part of the driving range?  I think it would need to keep the trees separating the 1st and 9th holes, but the rest could be put back in place it seems.

[Tim Fenchel]

I don't post here much and have only been to California once. I have very little to offer on this topic except:


a) Pasatiempo is one of the courses on my very short list of courses I would like to play someday. (and actually have a realistic chance of doing so) So any post on the course I find interesting.


b) the photograph posted by Tyler is awesome.  Spectacular actually.  While it makes sense that the addition of the driving range forced the hand of the club to make some changes...why on earth would anyone add trees down the right hand side?

[Tim_Weiman]

Historic photograph of Pasatiempo No. 1 from 1929.  The absence of trees and long vistas off the property are stunning.  Alister Mackenzie offers tons of fairway to encourage players to swing away aggressively from the 1st tee, but only those hugging the left side of the fairway are offered a preferential angle into the green.

Tyler: Thanks very much for posting that picture. Wow!

[John Kavanaugh]

Has there ever been a more blatant destruction of a great hole?  Lido exempted.

[Jim Nugent]

Tyler, this may not be the thread for it, but do you have other early photos of Pasatiempo holes as well?  The one you posted really is spectacular. 

[Jim Hoak]

This might better be the subject of a new post--but in thinking about the planting of trees between 6-7-8 (in my mind the worst part of an otherwise great course), I wonder about other examples of trees planted for apparent safety reasons.  I have been told by architects that clubs often want trees planted to protect players on neighboring holes/greens, but that it usually does little good--and often gives a false sense of security.

[David_Tepper]

Here is a link to a large collection of photos taken by Julian P. Graham of Pasatiempo and elsewhere in the Monterey area from many years ago. If you click/scroll thru far enough, you will find a number of pics of the golf course:

http://www.julianpgraham.com/galleryPasatiempo.htm#

 

[Kalen Braley]

Jim,

I would be interested in hearing why it does little good....

The thicket of trees at 6,7,8 at Pasa are very difficult to hit thru for just about every shot except for the low shot that never gets more than 10 feet off the ground.

Based on personal experience, of all the treed courses I've played, even when the ball does get thru the trees, most of the energy has been absorbed by the leaves and branches and it if struck a player would not be lethal, even if it still hurt.

[Kalen Braley]

Has there ever been a more blatant destruction of a great hole?  Lido exempted.

John,

I don't think what happened to #1 can be described as "blatant".  That word suggests it was done with wreckless abandon and disregard for anything or anyone.  To the contrary I suspect it was a very calculated move to add a practice facility, (including a putting and chipping green) meanwhile providing safety for players coming up the 9th.

Is the new hole as good as the original?  I doubt anyone would make that claim, but its not a bad hole or even just average by any stretch of the imagination.  It just suffers more than it would otherwise due to all of the other world class holes found on that course.

[John Kavanaugh]

It's one of the worst holes I have ever played in my life.  As much for the let down after high expectations as the hole itself.  The fact that it is the first hole designed by Mackenzie that most golfers will ever see is blatant in its disregard for history.  The fact that few golfers use the practice range is a blatant selfish addition from those who were given the charter to protect the course.  I simply can not understand why noted historians travel east and skip holes butchered in a similar fashion while remaining silent on their sins at home.  I started this thread because I was at a lost at the quest for this course to be chosen top 100 in the world.  I didn't expect to be justified so blatantly.

[Kalen Braley]

It's one of the worst holes I have ever played in my life.  As much for the let down after high expectations as the hole itself.  The fact that it is the first hole designed by Mackenzie that most golfers will ever see is blatant in its disregard for history.  The fact that few golfers use the practice range is a blatant selfish addition from those who were given the charter to protect the course.  I simply can not understand why noted historians travel east and skip holes butchered in a similar fashion while remaining silent on their sins at home.  I started this thread because I was at a lost at the quest for this course to be chosen top 100 in the world.  I didn't expect to be justified so blatantly.

John,

Is there anything specifically about the current state of the hole that you dislike?  You've mentioned that you don't like how they treated its origins, but what about the hole itself?  Too narrow?  Too long?  Too penal?

[John Kavanaugh]

I only remember feelings. It felt wrong. Really, really wrong.  I played on a perfect day with perfect friends, I deserved better for a 1st hole.

[John Kavanaugh]

A confession: I'm a first hole kinda guy. If I show up for a shotgun start and get a lousy draw my day is ruined. There is very little rational explanation for this opinion.

[Tyler Kearns]

Tyler, this may not be the thread for it, but do you have other early photos of Pasatiempo holes as well?  The one you posted really is spectacular.

Jim,


I took that picture from the Pasatiempo website, which includes 1929 pictures of all holes.


Tyler

[Kalen Braley]

John,

to be perfectly fair here, Sounds like its not really a Pasa problem then...more of a personal problem.

P.S.  If you didn't like Pasa #1, you likely wouldn't like CPC #1 either....in my opinion, (likely a minority one at that), its not any better.

[John Kavanaugh]

Good thing I passed up that chance to play Cypress. If I ever do get that chance again I will pay my caddie and walk off after the first hole if you are even close. I'm done playing courses with a poor excuse of a start.

[Bill_McBride]

Good thing I passed up that chance to play Cypress. If I ever do get that chance again I will pay my caddie and walk off after the first hole if you are even close. I'm done playing courses with a poor excuse of a start.

Ha ha!