Pasatiempo Golf Club
Alister MacKenzie's home course, and arguably the finest public examination of his genius anywhere you can simply book a tee time. Opened in 1929 above the town of Santa Cruz, Pasatiempo tumbles across barrancas and folds of California hillside to a set of bold, contoured greens the great architect rated among his very best. A two year restoration has just returned those greens to their 1929 shapes, and the course has rarely looked better.
Photo: Pasatiempo Golf Course via Google.
The verdict
Pasatiempo is hallowed ground. Alister MacKenzie, the architect of Augusta National, Cypress Point and Royal Melbourne, settled in a house overlooking the course and lived his final years here, and the par 70 he laid out in 1929 remains the most accessible window into his art, a daily fee course where any golfer can play the greens he was proudest of. At about 6,500 yards it is not long, but length was never MacKenzie's defence.
The defence is the ground itself, a property cut by deep barrancas and tilted greens so bold they can repel a poorly judged approach by ten yards or more. A recent two year restoration stripped and rebuilt the greens to their original 1929 sizes and contours, the front nine in 2023 and the back nine in 2024, sharpening the very features that make Pasatiempo special. The result is a thinking player's course of rare pedigree, demanding in all the interesting ways and unforgettable from the moment you read your first putt.
Pasatiempo at a glance
- Founded
- 1929
- Designer
- Alister MacKenzie
- Type
- Public
- Par
- 70
- Yardage
- 6,500 yds
- Green fee
- Around $325
The 1929 opening, Alister MacKenzie design and par 70 of about 6,500 yards verified June 2026 from the club and the MacKenzie Society. The greens were restored to MacKenzie's 1929 shapes over two winters, completed in 2024. The green fee is indicative, around 325 US dollars for eighteen holes in 2026 with cart and booking fees additional. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Pasatiempo eases you in before it bares its teeth. The opening holes drop downhill from the clubhouse with the wide sweep of Monterey Bay beyond, generous enough off the tee but already hinting at the severity to come on and around the greens. MacKenzie's bunkering is everywhere a feast for the eye, ragged and sprawling, and the contours of even the early putting surfaces ask you to think a shot ahead about where the ball must finish.
The back nine is where Pasatiempo earns its reputation as one of the great closing stretches in American golf. The barranca becomes a recurring menace, and the par 3 eleventh and the long par 4 sixteenth, the latter a MacKenzie favourite with a green falling away in three directions, are as demanding a pair of holes as the public golfer will meet anywhere. Par here is a trophy, and bogey no disgrace.
What stays with you is the boldness of it all, greens that swing and tumble far more than a modern eye expects, defended by hazards placed with mischief and precision. The restoration has only heightened that character, returning lost pin positions and reviving the strategic teeth MacKenzie intended. To play Pasatiempo is to read the architect's own handwriting, and few rounds in the game offer a richer lesson in how golf was meant to be designed.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A daily fee public course open to all; tee times are limited and prized, so book as far ahead as the system allows |
| Green fee | Around 325 US dollars for eighteen holes in 2026 (indicative), with cart and online booking fees additional and lower rates at twilight |
| Booking | Reserve online well in advance; weekend and prime times disappear quickly given the course's fame and limited capacity |
| On the day | Walking encouraged and rewarding, caddies and carts available, a relaxed clubhouse and the strong sense of a course that lives for its architecture |
| Getting there | Above Santa Cruz in northern California, about forty minutes from San Jose and ninety from San Francisco, an easy add on to a Monterey or Bay Area golf trip |
| Best months | Spring through autumn for the firmest turf and the truest greens; coastal northern California stays playable much of the year |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Pasatiempo sits just above Santa Cruz, the laid back beach town on the northern curve of Monterey Bay, with a good choice of hotels in town and along the coast. Many golfers fold it into a larger Monterey Peninsula trip, pairing MacKenzie's masterpiece with Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and the courses of the peninsula an hour to the south.
For a luxury base, the lodges and resorts of the Monterey Peninsula are the natural home, with Pasatiempo an easy morning's drive north, while Santa Cruz itself offers more relaxed seaside lodging close to the first tee. San Jose and San Francisco airports put the whole region within comfortable reach from anywhere.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts across Santa Cruz and the Monterey Peninsula.
Play Pasatiempo and the best of California
We build northern California golf trips around Pasatiempo, Pebble Beach and the Monterey Peninsula, secure the tee times that are hardest to get and sort a base by the bay with the transfers. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Pasatiempo questions
Who designed Pasatiempo Golf Club?
Pasatiempo was designed by Alister MacKenzie, the architect of Augusta National and Cypress Point, with Marion Hollins as the driving force behind the project, and opened in 1929. MacKenzie lived in a house beside the course for the rest of his life, and it remains the most accessible example of his work.
What is the par and length of Pasatiempo?
Pasatiempo is a par 70 that measures about 6,500 yards from the back tees. It is not a long course, but its bold greens, deep barrancas and brilliant MacKenzie bunkering make it a searching test, particularly on a famously demanding back nine.
Can the public play Pasatiempo?
Yes. Pasatiempo is a daily fee public course, one of the very few MacKenzie designs anyone can simply book and play. Tee times are limited and highly sought after, so it is wise to reserve as far in advance as possible.
How much does it cost to play Pasatiempo?
Indicative 2026 green fees are around 325 US dollars for eighteen holes, with cart and online booking fees charged separately and lower rates available at twilight. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Have the greens at Pasatiempo been restored?
Yes. A two year restoration rebuilt the greens to MacKenzie's original 1929 sizes and contours, the front nine in 2023 and the back nine in 2024. The work revived lost pin positions and sharpened the strategic character the course is celebrated for.
Related
The Tee Sheet
American classics, MacKenzie greens and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Founding year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees and restoration dates verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.