Glad you posted this, John. I was actually planning to post about how great I thought Pasatiempo's "drought" conditions, which I experienced in early July, were. From what I've read and seen, everything is back to normal, but I'm not sure that's necessarily a good thing. When I played, the drought was at its worst, and the first third/half of each fairway was unwatered. I thought both the look and the playability of the course was superb BECAUSE OF IT. Part of me wishes that other courses not under city orders to reduce water usage would nonetheless do what Pasatiempo was forced to do. The cost efficiencies are obvious, but less obvious are the benefits to look and playability. Contrast is what makes for great visuals, and wall-to-wall green generally (with one obvious exception in Augusta, GA) looks bad. Having the first third/half of each fairway essentially dead is also fair. If you're a beginner with minimal length, the dead fairway might give you a few extra yards of roll that you otherwise might not get on your tee shot. If you're an intermediate or advanced player and pop one up into the dead fairway, sure, the lie might not be "perfect," but it's an appropriate penalty for a bad miss. My trip around Pasatiempo was my first ever, and I had no complaints whatsoever about the conditioning. I thought it actually enhanced the experience.
Here are a few photos to show you what I'm talking about:
Third Hole (Tee)
Fourth Hole (Tee)
Fifth Hole (Tee)
Eighth Hole (Tee), with Ninth Hole in Distance
Twelfth Hole (Tee)
