Seascape Golf Club was designed by Willie Locke in 1926 as the exclusive Rio Del Mar Country Club , making it one of the oldest courses on California's Central Coast — older than its better-known neighbor Pasatiempo up the road in Santa Cruz . The course was repurposed during World War II to serve as a "victory garden" for the war effort, then reopened in 1957 as Aptos Beach Country Club after a redesign by David Gill. It later took on its current Seascape identity as the surrounding resort community developed.

On the course

The par-71 layout plays 6,034 yards with manicured fairways, rolling hills, and small, challenging greens . The course sits about a half mile from the Pacific Ocean but is largely protected by Monterey pines and eucalyptus trees that surround it , and it plays through a residential area, with tall eucalyptus trees and canyons — while it is short and tight, wayward balls often kick back down into the fairways because the holes run through troughs with houses on top of the ridges .

Who it suits

Distinctive features include significant elevation changes and quirky green complexes. Hole 14 is one of the toughest par 3s on the course, about 200 yards straight uphill to a flat green perched on top of the hill.

Challenges come from elevation changes (especially on the greens), rough with lots of ice plant, small greens, and out-of-bounds . The clubhouse patio overlooks the 9th and 18th greens with a distant view of the ocean on a clear day.

Seascape suits golfers who prefer shotmaking and local knowledge over raw distance. The shorter yardage, tight tree-lined corridors, and undulating greens reward placement and a steady short game rather than length off the tee, making it a fit for mid-handicappers and players who enjoy older, character-driven layouts.

Architect: Willie Locke (1926); David Gill (1957 redesign) · Opened: 1926