A Pasatiempo Visit

[David_Tepper]

Lorne Rubenstein's column:

https://scoregolf.com/blog/lorne-rubenstein/pasatiempo-another-alister-mackenzie-gem/
 

[John Kavanaugh]

That second picture paints an accurate portrayal. Nice to see Lorne working.

[Andrew Harvie]

That second picture paints an accurate portrayal. Nice to see Lorne working.

He only writes what he wants now. The dream!

[David_Tepper]

Speaking of Pasatiempo, the Golf Channel is broadcasting the Western Intercollegiate's from Pasa today, tomorrow and Wednesday. It is on from 4pm to 7pm west coast time.

[Mark Mammel]

David-lovely article from Lorne. And the 16th and 18th have been fascinating to watch. I'm most surprised how easy 10 and 11 seem and how hard 15 is!

[Mark Kiely]

David-lovely article from Lorne. And the 16th and 18th have been fascinating to watch. I'm most surprised how easy 10 and 11 seem and how hard 15 is!

Did you catch the part when one competitor mis-read his ~20 foot birdie putt on 11 and ended up with about a 25-yard chip for his par attempt? That was entertaining.

[Phil Burr]

I played Pasatiempo a lot in the 80s when I spent most weekends halfway between Santa Cruz & Monterey.  It was easily my favorite course in the area, but I don’t remember the 18th green being so severe.  Is there a good leave off the tee to yesterday’s pin position?  If you get it to the back center of the green will the ball stay up there or will it still roll back the bottom?  It looked like one of the hardest pins I’ve ever seen.  Long is dead and short rolls back 50 feet or even off the front.  Or was that a situation where a gentler swing with a longer club will produce a shot with little spin that will stay up in that corner rather than draw back?

[Mike Sweeney]

Congratulations to Pepperdine University winning the Western Intercollegiate. It was fabulous watching these insanely long hitters throttle back and "figure it out", and it reminded me of some very fun days at Yale GC.

Absolutely love Pasatiempo GC. The course, the vibe, the club, and the original architect...

[Peter Pallotta]

Lorne's the best -- from George Knudson to Dave Barr-Richard Zokol to Mike Weir to Corey Conners, and always with insight and heart. A career to be admired.

Pasatiempo is a surprise -- I've been reading about it for years, but my first real look at it was just these last couple of days, for the college tournament. I don't know what I was expecting to see, but the course I saw wasn't what I was expecting. I mean: a lay-of-the-land golden age course for sure, and I might say certainly a 'Mackenzie' course too, but something was very surprising. I can't put my finger on it.

[mike_beene]

Pasa has something going for it that is a plus for making young long hitters think:a good bit of OB.

[Phil Burr]

I was always struck by the contract between the two nines.  The front is a classic parkland layout with several holes I love (2, 3, 6 & .  Then you cross the entrance road from 9 green to 10 tee and the view changes abruptly and spectacularly.  You’re perched on a shallow tee with a gaping chasm in front of you.  I recall that the carry is about 200 yards to the fairway, an easy feat for many with modern equipment, but not automatic for a 15 year-old 12 handicapper with a persimmon driver.  The canyon/barranca remains a presence on every hole on the back except 17, whether as a frontal or lateral hazard.  Pasatiempo’s barranca is a much more than Riviera’s, which looks like it’s actually maintained.


Many have commented on courses with stark contrasts between nines, but the one that jumps to mind among those I’ve played is TD’s late, great High Pointe.  A nearly treeless front nine on a noticeable yet consistent slope followed by a tree-lined back nine over far more rugged terrain with abrupt elevation changes.

[Mark Mammel]

Pasatiempo may be the most extreme set of greens by Mackenzie. As is often the case for classic courses, those that hold up best today are those with then most interesting greens- from the Old Course to Pinehurst to Cypress and Pasa and so many others (Prairie Dunes and White Bear Yacht Club and so on...). But Pasa is a marvel as the greens are large, and if you are onm the wrong side of the pin a 3 putt may be a gift.

[Tom_Doak]

I played Pasatiempo a lot in the 80s when I spent most weekends halfway between Santa Cruz & Monterey.  It was easily my favorite course in the area, but I don’t remember the 18th green being so severe.  Is there a good leave off the tee to yesterday’s pin position?  If you get it to the back center of the green will the ball stay up there or will it still roll back the bottom?  It looked like one of the hardest pins I’ve ever seen.  Long is dead and short rolls back 50 feet or even off the front.  Or was that a situation where a gentler swing with a longer club will produce a shot with little spin that will stay up in that corner rather than draw back?

Puil:


The restored 18th green is bigger than what you would have played in the 80's, and the tiers  of the green are quite severe.  You don't want to be above the hole there or your next putt could be quite long - and possibly not a putt!

[DFarron]

My last round before moving from the Bay was Pasatiempo......love that place!