Located in Santa Cruz, 30 minutes north of Pebble Beach, Pasatiempo is a Spanish word translated to "hobby" or "pastime".
Having opened in 1929, Pasatiempo is Dr. Alister MacKenzie's most personal design. In the final years of his life, MacKenzie lived on the 6th fairway, approximately 100 yards from the green. His ashes also lie on the 16th hole, his favourite hole in all of golf. I certainly had a smile when walking off with a par on this challenging par four (pictured to the right).
As an avid MacKenzie fan, Pasatiempo was a course that I have looked forward to playing for a while now. Fortunately, it exceeded my expectations. Firstly, i must thak Head Professional, Ken Woods, for accommodating us on what was a busy Saturday afternoon. Upon check-in, Bobby in the Pro Shop said that the course has never been in better condition - he was right. While uphill putts had to be struck firm, downhill putts were impossible to stop. Note to self, never leave the ball above the hole, unless you want to three-putt again and again.
On the 1st tee, we were joined by Tom and JD, both great guys. They have been playing Pasatiempo for years now so they had some insightful knowledge about the course....not at their fault, it didn't help! We retreated to the Clubhouse for a beer before Tom and JD when out for another 18, teeing off after 6pm (it doesn't get dark until after 9pm). After some food and another beverage, my father and I regretfully left "Pasa", only to see the guys on the 10th tee an hour later. Tom and JD, I hope you enjoyed your own private Pasatiempo. I know I would!
As for the match, I chipped in on the 1st for a par to go 1 up. From there, it was all Jarvis Senior, turning at 4 up and reaching 5 up. As the match wore on, Jarvis Junior starting playing a little better. A 6ft putt on the 18th to halve the match lipped out.
Result: Father defeated Son 1 up
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