[Will Thrasher]

I have a tee time for 12/9 at Pasatiempo next month. It's my first visit to the Bay Area and I couldn't pass up the chance. Any tips/insights from others who have visited/played there?

[Jim Hoak]

Enjoy one of MacKenzie's best!!

[David_Tepper]

Be prepared for a fair number of uneven lies.

[Scott Warren]

Not sure what your movements are pre-golf but when I played Pasa I arrived quite early for my round and went for a walk around the back nine before playing. I felt like it really got me in the right mood for the day and I think made the back nine more memorable when I was playing it.


Or if you’re playing late maybe it’s a walk around the back nine following your round.


There’s just so much there you want to stand and really gawk at and soak in and in the golden early/late light it’s indescribable.

[Joel_Stewart]

California weather in December can be dicey so don't expect the conditions to be firm and fast like in the summer. I'd lower your expectations for playing and scoring but it gives you the opportunity to look around like Scott mentioned.

[Brent Carlson]

Will,


What always sticks out to me is how well the back 9 is routed around the barranca.  It's really used cleverly on nearly every hole.  Enjoy.  Pasa is a great experience.

[Mark Kiely]

(Obviously) Don't forget to look for Dr. MacKenzie's house when you're playing No. 6.


The driving range is in a weird spot. If you're walking (recommended), they'll drive you down to it and back up to the clubhouse.


Even if you're not playing the tips, don't miss the back tee on No. 2 that is before you cross the road. (IIRC)


Hope you catch a beautiful day!

[John Cowden]

Hey Will,
You’re in for a treat.  The only tip I can offer for the longest 6300 yard course you’ll ever play (slope 143) is to keep your ball in the fairway and below the hole.  Julie Inkster, who grew up here, once said that if you can putt at Pasatiempo, you can putt anywhere.
Enjoy.

[Ira Fishman]

I suggest taking time to notice the aspects of the course that do not get a lot of commentary: the green sites at 2, 4, 7, 10, 12, and 13 for example.


It is a brilliant course as others have noted. Enjoy.


Ira

[Jeff_Brauer]

It takes a month to play Pasa?  5 hours seems like enough..... unless you are stopping incessantly to take photos.


I will offer a dissenting opinion on Pasa.  While it has some nice greens and bunkers, and I always liked the fw swale on 14, no. 2 tee and a few other things, It's not as good as Valley Club and other Mac courses on similar sites.


I can never get over the tightness of the routing on holes 6-8 in particular, and would have loved to hear the discussions between Hollins, Mac, and the developer.  Like others, I wanted to see Mac's house....I just didn't want to play a shot out of his bedroom.

[Mike Hendren]

Notice the excellent use of tree lines and a screen to protect golfers and reduce vulnerability to potential lawsuits at 6, 7 and 8 (where I won closest to the pin at The Kings Putter in the company of Huck, Shivas and Tiger).


Bogey

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Everyone will have something great to say on playing the course, and most of it will help you enjoy an awesome day on a course that always provides a fantastic experience. 
Afterwards-- a trip to Marianne's Ice Cream down 3 blocks West of the 1 staying on the 17 is a must!  Easily in the conversation for best ice cream in California

[SB]

I can never get over the tightness of the routing on holes 6-8 in particular, and would have loved to hear the discussions between Hollins, Mac, and the developer.  Like others, I wanted to see Mac's house....I just didn't want to play a shot out of his bedroom.

Got that right.  Hope your miss isn't a yank to the left.   

[Jason Topp]

If you are debating between tees, play the shorter option.  It plays longer than the listed yardage. 


The tilt on the greens can be very frustrating.  Spend extra time on the practice green to get a feel for speed and break.


18 always seems to play longer than the listed yardage for me.  Not sure whether it is uphill or I just don't hit irons as far as I think I do but I have learned to take extra. 


If it is wet, revisit in early fall sometime when it is not.

[John Kavanaugh]

Ask yourself why the original design of the 10th included a tree blocking the bunker but doesn’t now. If you figure that one out you may never trust an expert again.



https://www.pasatiempo.com/index.php/information/restoration-detail/hole-10

[Mark_Fine]

I have played the golf course many times and it is excellent.  That said, trees and homes have [/size]encroached on the golf course and this is starting to take away from the purity of the design. Unfortunately they keep the greens too fast for the contours and many great hole locations are lost but it is always a treat to play there. 

[Jim Hoak]

I think Mark Fine's comment on green speeds is right on.  Pasatiempo like many similar courses seems to think that fast greens equal a better course.  In reality, they eliminate many hole locations on terrific, but undulating and difficult, greens.

[JohnVDB]

Oakmont likes to talk about how hey slow he greens for the US Open.  When I was at the NCGA we got Pasatiempo to slow the greens down for US Open Qualifying.  It also was the shortest Open Qualifier course at about 6500 from the tips in the country but never was overpowered.

[Kalen Braley]

Sounds like a perfect trip for a BuddyUp excursion with John.  I'm sure he's jonesing to get back there! 

P.S.  Its been a few years, but not sure why 8 is lumped in with 6 and 7 when the complaint comes about narrowness. As I recall there was plenty of room for the hole. Google Earth puts the green area and surrounds at about 50 yards wide

[Jim Hoak]

Kalen--I love the course so my small complaints may not be taken too seriously.
But, as to #8--My problem is not with the "narrowness" of the hole, but I do have real problems with that Green.  As mentioned above, sometimes the greens at Pasatiempo can be so fast as to be silly--and #8 Green may be the worst culprit of the bunch.  I have played it--back and a little right--where the Green is almost unplayable.  Why do that to a great course and great greens!!!???

[Mark_Fine]

Jim,
I totally agree with you.  I have played fast greens before (such as Oakmont when they were running in the low to mid teens) but at Pasa there were actually several greens where they were just that, silly, at the speeds they were at.  It definitely takes away from the design.  Makes them feel tricked up.  Slow them down and the design will present itself much better.


We debate on this site about what was original design intent.  Clearly Mackenzie wanted putting to be very challenging but really?  The one player I was with the last time there five putted several times including just giving up on the one hole. 

[Eric LeFante]

Is there another course with a set of five par 3s better than Pasa?

[Kalen Braley]

Is there another course with a set of five par 3s better than Pasa?

Well that's a loaded question, how many courses have 5 par 3s?  Only one I can think of that might compete is Pac Dunes...

[Peter Flory]

Is there another course with a set of five par 3s better than Pasa?

Lawsonia should be in the conversation. 

[Gib_Papazian]

Yes, Pasa has spectacular par-3s.


However, you MUST put Woodhall Spa in the conversation of courses with the best set of par-3s.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but St. Louis CC (also has an outstanding set of par-3's) - 5 of them if memory serves.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()