The front 9 at Pasatiempo opened for limited play in December of 2023. Tom Doak and Jim Urbina did quite a bit of bunker restoration and Tom developed a master plan in 2005; Jim has been continuing this restoration for some time now, initially with tree removal and some gentle tweaking, but now with a full-on restoration of green complexes and surrounds as well as bunkering throughout the 9. As readers here know, greens and bunkers change gradually over time, with green surfaces getting smaller and losing distinctive shapes through mowing, and bunkers grow higher with sand removal by players as they dig balls out. At Pasatiempo, this means greens have lost some of their distinctive levels, reducing the cupping areas and eliminating strategy in shot-making. The bunkers often lost the classic Mackenzie feature of invisibility when looking back from the greening, as well as developing higher faces. Jim and his team have redone all the bunkers, greens and green surrounds, regressing the areas around the greens and restoring contours which have disappeared over the years. I’ve played it twice with members, as well as my son, a 5 and architecturally savvy; the initial impression people seem to have is the sense that the course id the same- but somehow a lot better! This is reinforced when you move to the back 9, scheduled to close May 1 with a December 1 target to reopen. Suddenly, you notice that the bunkers seem shabby and the greens seem inconsistent and less interesting than you remember. When you get to the terrific 16
th, you imagine what that green will be like when it regains plateaus and more distinct levels, creating cupping areas that actually use the huge green surface, unlike today, when the more or less continuous back to front slope renders much of the green unusable. Here are a few photos and comments on each hole.
Hole 1
This difficult par 4 (or 5 from certain tees) is still a challenging opening hole. The green and surrounds reveal more subtle breaks and cupping locations, and the bunkers are a bit less severe. Photo looking back from green. Where are the bunkers?
Hole 2
This long par 4 plays downhill and again, the new green and bunkering is augmented by removal of the large Monterey pine short and right of the green, which made it more difficult to take advantage of the opening to the green allowing a running shot.
Hole 3
I somehow didn’t get a good shot of hole 3. I've included a photo by Rob Babcock of Pasatiempo before the current restoration. A large monterey pine to the right of the green is gone (circled). It’s still a true beast, at 200-ish yards to an elevated green that is surrounded by challenging bunkers. This green has new cupping areas, and it now has distinguishable tiers that make more pin locations puttable, including a tough one back right. The hole still has a flaw unrelated to design; the cart part to the right of the hole frequently brings the ball pushed right all the way back down the hill to the tee. The good Dr. would be appalled.
Hole 4
Bunkering to the left and right of hole 4 have been combined and redone based on old photos. The green surface, like all those on the front, is smooth and contoured with more distinct cupping areas.
Hole 5
Another par 3 that plays 150-190 yards. It now has a larger green with new cupping areas front right, back left and right.
Hole 6
The hole where Mackenzie lived, this uphill par 5 has had the greenside bunkers lowered with restoration. The large tree to the right of the green is gone. This photo shows Mackenzie's bunkering style with close-cut edges near the green, hairy grass on the far side.
Hole 7
This hole, played uphill through the trees, feels pretty much unchanged except for the restored green areas and bunkers. It’s too bad the club isn’t willing tom remove more of the trees that line both sides of the hole, but apparently there was an incident with injury when a golfer on 8 green was hit by a ball from 7 tee. I haven’t found actual documentation in a quick search, but this is what I was told.
Hole 8
Another terrific par 3 at around 170 yards, this green has been nicely reshaped to reveal tiers to allow more interesting pins on this large green. Lips of bunkers are less severe.
Hole 9
This final par 5 on the front plays downhill then uphill to the mostly unseen green surface. Bunker lips have been reduced, and the bunkers again become invisible when looking back to the beautiful course from this nice elevation.
All in all, worries that any restoration would damage Mackenzie’s masterpiece were completely unfounded. Urbina and crew have really done a masterful job, and I can’t wait for the back 9!
Jim- please correct my errors and omissions as you see fit.