Pasatiempo Golf Club
Santa Cruz, California – 18 Clubhouse Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
About Pasatiempo Golf Club
Pasatiempo Golf Club opened in September 1929 as the vision of Marion Hollins, the pioneering sportswoman who hired Dr. Alister MacKenzie to design it. MacKenzie made his American home in a house that still borders the sixth fairway, and he called Pasatiempo his favorite layout, ahead of even Augusta National and Cypress Point. The course has been steadily returned to his intent: Tom Doak led restoration work in 2007, and from 2023 to 2024 Jim Urbina rebuilt all 18 greens and bunkers to the original 1929 designs, finishing in December 2024.
On the course
The par-70 course measures 6,495 yards with a 72.6 rating and 139 slope, numbers that undersell it. The front nine rolls across gentler, tree-lined ground above Monterey Bay before the back nine climbs into a hillside canyon where deep barrancas cut across nearly every hole. The par-4 16th, with perhaps MacKenzie's boldest green, was a stated favorite of the designer himself, and the restored bentgrass putting surfaces demand real thought. The competitive course record is 63, set by Ken Venturi on November 2, 1953.
Who it suits
Pasatiempo is semi-private but sets aside daily public tee times, making it one of the rare MacKenzie designs anyone can book. Golf Digest ranked it 93rd on its 2025 list of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses, and the club hosted the Western Intercollegiate for 78 years along with the 1986 U.S. Women's Amateur and the 2004 U.S. Senior Women's Amateur. Built before golf carts existed, it walks well despite some hills, and caddies can be reserved through the pro shop with a day's notice.
Practice facilities are compact but complete, with a putting green beside the first tee, a short game area with its own green and bunkers stepped down the hill, and a small driving range alongside the first fairway, plus a pro shop. The fee is a premium and the greens will humble a careless putter, but for golfers who care about architecture, angles, and history, this is the Bay Area's clearest bucket-list round.
Architect: Alister MacKenzie · Opened: 1929
Course Details
- 18 Holes
- Par 70
- 6,495 Yards
- Course Rating 72.6
- Slope 139
- Practice Facilities: Driving range · Practice green · Pro shop
- Tee Time Prices: $445 – $445
- Phone: (831) 459-9155
- Address: 18 Clubhouse Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Course Record
63 by Ken Venturi on November 2, 1953 (competitive course record, par 71).
Notable Facts About Pasatiempo Golf Club
- Designed by Alister MacKenzie and opened September 8, 1929, with an inaugural foursome of founder Marion Hollins, Bobby Jones, Glenna Collett and Cyril Tolley.
- MacKenzie considered Pasatiempo a favorite and lived in a house along the sixth fairway until his death in 1934.
- Underwent a Tom Doak/Jim Urbina restoration completed in 2007, followed by a 2023–2024 Urbina project that rebuilt every green and bunker to the original 1929 design.
Ratings
Rated 9.1/10 based on 2145 reviews.
Book Tee Times at Pasatiempo Golf Club
Pasatiempo Golf Club is an 18-hole par-70 public golf course in Santa Cruz, California. Tee times are currently around $445. Compare live rates and book online through Golf The Bay.
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