“Golf architecture enthusiasts and MacKenzie fanswill find this course most rewarding.”
Pasatiempo opened on September 8, 1929, designed by Alister MacKenzie for Marion Hollins, the 1921 U.S. Women's Amateur champion. MacKenzie — the architect behind Augusta National, Cypress Point, and Royal Melbourne — considered Pasatiempo one of his finest pieces of work, and felt strongly enough about the course that he bought a home next to the 6th fairway, where he lived until his death in 1934.
The course sits in the hills above Santa Cruz, with the front nine descending through tree-lined corridors toward a Pacific Ocean view before climbing back to the clubhouse, and the back nine winding through a canyon defined by barranca ravines. A multi-decade restoration — led by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina starting in 1996, with a full green and bunker rebuild completed in 2024 — has returned the course closely to MacKenzie's original 1929 design.
Pasatiempo operates as a semi-private club, setting aside daily-fee tee times for public play. It's a perennial entry on national top-100 course lists.
Pasatiempo is the most common Monterey-area extension for groups traveling between San Francisco and the Monterey Peninsula. Monterey Golf Tours includes it in Monterey golf itineraries where groups want a MacKenzie course alongside the peninsula layouts — a one-round stop that stands among the best courses in California, and an easy add-on to any Monterey golf package.
Photos
Alister MacKenzie's home course — he lived on the property next to the 6th green. The design reflects his obsession with strategic angles.
The famed 16th hole — a short par 4 that punishes the aggressive tee shot with a ravine short of the green.
Deep MacKenzie-style bunkers with steep faces — visually intimidating, strategically exact.
The 18th hole plays uphill to a green guarded by the same ravine that defines much of the back nine.
Views across the Santa Cruz Mountains from the upper holes — rare inland elevation for a MacKenzie layout.
Course highlights
- · Golf architecture enthusiasts and MacKenzie fans
- · Groups wanting a genuine Golden Age design experience
- · Players who enjoy strategic, contoured greens over pure length
- · Your group wants a flat, easy walk — the terrain has real elevation change
- · You're looking for a modern, wide-open layout
- Green fee
- Contact club directly for current daily-fee rates (verify current rates)
- Address
- 20 Clubhouse Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
- Phone
- (831) 459-9155
- Website
- pasatiempo.com
Common questions
Is Pasatiempo open to the public?+−
Yes. Pasatiempo is semi-private and sets aside daily-fee tee times each day for public play.
Who designed Pasatiempo?+−
Alister MacKenzie designed the course, which opened in 1929. MacKenzie considered it one of his finest designs and lived alongside the 6th fairway until his death in 1934.
Has Pasatiempo been restored?+−
Yes. A restoration led by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina began in 1996, with a full rebuild of every green and bunker to the original 1929 design completed in December 2024.
What's the green fee at Pasatiempo?+−
Rates are not published as a flat figure and vary by season and tee time — contact the club directly for current daily-fee pricing.
What other courses did Alister MacKenzie design?+−
MacKenzie is also the architect behind Augusta National, Cypress Point, and Royal Melbourne — Pasatiempo is considered one of his finest works among that list.
Can Monterey Golf Tours include Pasatiempo in a trip itinerary?+−
Yes. Pasatiempo is a natural extension for groups traveling between San Francisco and the Monterey Peninsula, or for those based in Santa Cruz. Monterey Golf Tours includes it in itineraries where a MacKenzie course is on the wishlist — a single round that ranks among the best in California and pairs well with any Monterey Peninsula golf package.