Playing Pasa- A Few Questions

[Alex Miller]

I'm headed to santa cruz and am thinking about walking on pasa wednesday.

A) Will I be able to get on?
B) Is there any way to pay <$220?
C) What should I look for on the course?

Just looking for some info, Thanks.

[Kyle Henderson]

I'm headed to santa cruz and am thinking about walking on pasa wednesday.

A) Will I be able to get on?
B) Is there any way to pay <$220?
C) What should I look for on the course?

Just looking for some info, Thanks.

A) Most definitely, barring an event or maintenance issue. You simply book a time not held for members.
B)Most definitely. Go on to golfnow.com  The $220 rate is reduced to ~$150 at around the 48-hour mark. The night before you might even see an afternoon time for ~$100.
C) Wildly undulating greens, MacKenzie's house next to the 6th fairway, and what Bill McBride called his "favorite nine holes in golf" starting at #10.

[Ben Jarvis]

C) The scale and undulation of the 16th green. No photo can do it justice!

[Pete Lavallee]

Be sure to take carefull note of the site of the infamous KP II, Shivas 4 jack, the 17th green. Observe from just short of the green how it looks relatively flat; of course it slopes wickedly to the right. It is the longest 6500 yard course on the planet, incorporating upslope to make many holes play much longer than the card says.

[Jim Nugent]

C) The scale and undulation of the 16th green. No photo can do it justice!

One GCAer -- can't remember who -- said if his ball is on the top tier of this green, and the pin in the middle, he purposely putts off the green, so he can stay in the middle tier.  Then he tries to chip in from off the green. 

[Bill_McBride]

Look at how Mackenzie used the barrancas throughout the back nine.   Great stuff.

I'd like to see the job the goats did on the overgrown vegetation in those ravines. 

[Guy Nicholson]

The greens are amazing. Take extra time if possible to look them over. Whatever you do, keep the ball below the hole on 8, 16 and 18.

[Dave Givnish]

Just had a chance to play it and we were fortunate to play with many-time club champion.  There is some great history on that course.  Bobby Jones is supposed to have hit his tee ball across the barranca on 11.  Try doing that now. 

Take a look at the before-after photos in the clubhouse of the restoration.  There are a couple of great examples of how maintenance procedures take away architectural elements.

The greens on 16, 17, and 18 make that a great finishing sequence for match play.

[Jay Flemma]

I did a long review fr Cybergolf and for my college last year.  It was a wonderful restoration job by Doak and Co.  You'll love it.  Yes the price is steep (I really wish they'd make it more affordable). I seem to remember some way to pay $165...maybe after 1 pm?

Enjoy the piece and your day.  Wait till you see Doak's reworked bunkering - it's out of this world.

http://www.cybergolf.com/golf_news/pasatiempo_with_reba_blue_and_gold_now_and_forever

[Bill_McBride]

Just had a chance to play it and we were fortunate to play with many-time club champion.  There is some great history on that course.  Bobby Jones is supposed to have hit his tee ball across the barranca on 11.  Try doing that now. 

Take a look at the before-after photos in the clubhouse of the restoration.  There are a couple of great examples of how maintenance procedures take away architectural elements.

The greens on 16, 17, and 18 make that a great finishing sequence for match play.

Dave, from the pictures I've seen of opening day, there weren't any trees down that barranca in 1929.  It would have been a much easier drive in those days!

[Patrick Kiser]

Copycat,  

A) and B) seem covered.

For C), I'd add to "look for" some of the old Doc's work with the camouflage technique (using bunkers AND land forms).  Also, the bunker work here is some of his most unique.  I call them the Dali bunkers...  As mentioned, the greens are indeed quite an experience.  I agree on staying below the hole at all cost.  Also, you should notice much improved tree management and recovered playing surfaces in and around the greens.  The short game is really fun here.

Last but not least, check out the lobby with some of the historical photos.  Quite good actually.

[Kalen Braley]

The back 9 really is the real deal.  In total agreeance with Bill M. in that I can think of very few 9s with so many terrific holes and such a varied routing.

And yes 16 green is a site to behold.  To this day I've never seen a more interesting green and surrounds.

On the boldness scale..it truly is an 11. 

[Patrick Kiser]

Mr. Can't Get Out Of The 18th Face Bunker, 

The front nine is MUCH improved from when you were out for the KP.

[Kalen Braley]

Mr. Can't Get Out Of The 18th Face Bunker,  

The front nine is MUCH improved from when you were out for the KP.

Sigh,

Yea that front bunker sure kicked my butt!!    Was a shame really because my ball land literally a yard away from the face and being on the green.

The front 9 is still very good, but it doesn't have the epic routing/holes of the back 9.

[JLahrman]

Am I the only one who finds the 16th green to be just too in-your-face?  There are fun shots there, but I preferred the other greens that looked much more innocuous but still had so much contour and break.  #2, #5, #8, #9, #11 for instance.  I've only played the course once, and maybe I just heard too much about the 16th green before I played there, but the 16th seemed to take things overboard.

[Mark Provenzano]

You should know that if you're not playing Olympic club on this trip that Pasa also does a burger dog! They don't have a halfway hut but they're available in the clubhouse  - they are nearly as good as the original!

Sure they have a halfway hut--just behind and left of the 9th green. You order from the phone next to the 9th tee.

16 is an adventure, but the hogback on the 17th seems to get me every time.

[astavrides]

Am I the only one who finds the 16th green to be just too in-your-face?  There are fun shots there, but I preferred the other greens that looked much more innocuous but still had so much contour and break.  #2, #5, #8, #9, #11 for instance.  I've only played the course once, and maybe I just heard too much about the 16th green before I played there, but the 16th seemed to take things overboard.

+1

[William_G]

Am I the only one who finds the 16th green to be just too in-your-face?  There are fun shots there, but I preferred the other greens that looked much more innocuous but still had so much contour and break.  #2, #5, #8, #9, #11 for instance.  I've only played the course once, and maybe I just heard too much about the 16th green before I played there, but the 16th seemed to take things overboard.

+1

yes there is also a tee shot on 16, lol

[Kalen Braley]

Thats not the 1st time I've heard that position, and I can't argue against the stance that 16 is too extreme for many.

But for my tastes, being the quirk lover that I am...i absolutely loved it.  Sure I wouldn't want 18 green complexes like that on 1 course...but to have one like that every now and then is a real treat.  I wouldn't change a thing about that hole...well maybe other than having OB just behind the green, but that's a different issue.

Variety really is the spice of life! 

[Dave Givnish]

Bill - I didn't say it was the same shot on 11 as Jones had.    The college players are now able to get it over the barranca and I heard that a certain Stanford freshman did it a while back.

The approach shot to 11 was in some ways very similar to the approach to 8 at Pebble Beach.  Obviously, one is uphill and the other down, but I got the same risk/reward feel with a long approach.  Hit it and you've got a good shot at birdie.  Miss it, even a little bit, and you're looking at bogey or worst.  I did hit the green but had a hell of a downhill putt for par.  Good fun. 

How about the view from the house behind 16 green?  Looking over that hole out the back and the ocean out the front.

[Alex Miller]

Thanks for the advice everybody!

Change in itinerary as I'm heading up a day or two later than originally thought, so Thursday or Friday will be the day. I'm very excited and will try to keep everything mentioned here in mind.

Keep it coming!

[Alex Miller]

UPDATE

My tee time is booked for Thursday afternoon @ 3:00 for $105 via golfnow. I believe there is still room for a single to join me so if any of you would like to witness me play my first MacKenzie (yet he's still my favorite GCA) and see what is sure to be a huge amount of excitement my eyes, feel free to snatch that deal and join in on the fun.