#18 Top 100 Course: Pasatiempo, Santa Cruz California

Overall: 4.5 (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional)
Conditions: 4
Pace of Play: 4
Layout: 5

http://www.pasatiempo.com/
18 Clubhouse Road
Santa Cruz, CA

Nestled in the Santa Cruz hills, there is a hidden gem.  A gem polished and crafted by one of the greatest golf designers ever - Alister MacKenzie.  If that name doesn’t ring a bell, you will instantly recognize the other courses he designed - Cypress Point and Augusta National.  And, another fun fact is of these 3 courses that MacKenzie designed in America, he said Pasatiempo was his favorite layout and he even decided to live his remaining days of his life on the Pasatiempo course.  a plaque on the 6th fairway is right infront of Alister’s previous home, and his ashes were spread across the course. 

I’m glad I have you attention now. 

And I have to agree with Alister.  Pasatiempo is one of the best layout courses I have ever played, and I believe it deserves all the recognition that it’s earned:  Top 3 courses you can play in California by Golf Digest (the other 2 courses are Pebble and Spyglass), #18 Top 100 Greatest Public Course in America. 

What I like about the course is that it’s amazingly walkable.  Basically the course was designed before golf carts were readily available, so the distances between holes are extraordinarily short.  Each hole has unique character, not to also mention a challenge.  Strategy off the tee is important to set up your approach shot.  You approach shot needs to be accurate as bunkers guard the greens.  The greens may be large, but you have to land it in the right spot or a 3 or 4 putt is a very very real possibility. 

The iconic hole #11 is a great example of the great design of this course.  Par 4, 392 yards.  You need to land a great drive onto an uphill fairway, and ideally you land it on the left side because your second shot will be lengthy and need to clear a long stream/barranca if you decide to go for the green.  The green also has tremendous texture and slopes, you any two putt will be satisfying.  A par will feel like a birdie.  A birdie here will feel like a hole in one. 

If you are in the Monteray or Bay Area, Pasatiempo is a must-play course.  The green fee is pricy at $250, but it’s well worth it.  (Golfnow sometimes offer one deal per day).  As Golf Digest cites Pebble Beach, Pasatiempo, and Spyglass the top 3 courses to play in California, I would rank those three course in that order. 

To me, Pebble Beach is just amazing.  I’ve played it 5 times.  So, if you get a chance to play Pebble, do it.  Considering Pasatiempo with Spyglass, I would choose Pasatiempo hands down. Pasatiempo is a very special place.  Truly a gem you will cherish forever.  Thanks to Alister.

Los Lagos Golf Course, San Jose CA

Overall: 3 (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional)
Conditions: 4
Pace of Play: 3
Layout: 3.5

Los Lagos.  Translation: The Lakes.  Of the three municipal courses in San Jose, I feel Los Lagos has the most character. 

Los Lagos is situated in East San Jose.  Location matters, and in this case, it matters to many local golfers who have less money than the country club type.  And I love it. I love when golf is accessible and unpretentious.  You see lots of blue collar folks working on their game at the range (even late into the evening…the range closes at 8:30pm and it’s lighted, double decker).  You see First Tee Program kids taking their classes.  You see many local high schools playing their tournaments here.  Los Lagos also lets you reserve online 9-holes anytime.  Perfect for people with busy schedules or if you just want to take your junior golfer out. 

The unfortunate thing is that every so often, the City of San Jose questions the need of Los Lagos and there are often Council meetings to determine it’s future…to turn it to residential homes or to turn it to a park or soccer field.  So far, Los Lagos has withstood these challenges.  If you’re a citizen of San Jose, always place your vote.  I certainly have. 

Ok, back to the course.  It’s a par 68.  But, don’t let that fool you.  There are many holes where shot selection matter and also strategic landing spots on the greens.  The greens are no joke.  Often the “lagos” are in play.  There is a fun par 4 where you can drive over a large lake, as well as a long par 3 right over another lake. 

Another thing you’ll notice is that the course is very very lush.  This may be surprising   because California is in a constant drought.  The rough is lush green, fairways with no brown patches, and greens are in relatively good condition…especially considering it’s a muni course. 

As for pace of play, it depends.  When the course is full, it’s slow as you would expect.  Lots of beginners are working on their game.  But have patience.  We were all beginners at some stage of our golf journey.  However, I find the course seldomly packed.  And when that’s the case, I’ve finished 9 holes in 1.5 hrs and 18 in 3.5 hours  easily.

#55 Top 100 Course: Tobacco Road, North Carolina

Overall: 4 (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional)
Conditions: 3
Pace of Play: 4
Layout: 3.5

Address:
442 Tobacco Rd, Sanford, NC 27332

Ranked 55 in Golf Digest’s Top 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses in America.  Tobacco Road is one famous course.  It’s also ranked in the top 50 in terms of golf architecture & design.  Given this, I was excited to squeeze this round during a business trip to South Carolina. 

The course is was designed by Mike Strantz and it sits onto of a former tobacco farm.  Strantz said the course would be “something not only spectacular, but also unique.”  After playing the course, this course is without a doubt unique.

First things first, don’t forget your golf app or buy a course yardage guide.  You will definitely need it.  This course has the most blind approach shots that I’ve ever experienced!  If I counted right, I think there were 5 totally blind shots.  I would also highly recommend you play with someone who knows the course.  Of course, I played it with a bunch of newbies and it was quiet a challenge.  If you live in Silicon Valley and South Bay, this course reminds me of The Ranch Golf Course in San Jose…but Tobacco Road is even more challenging, if you can believe that.  There is reason why Golf Digest also ranked this course #10 Toughest Courses in America in 2017.

Another “unique” feature of this course is that there are NO BUNKERS.  That’s right.  No bunkers.  The starter even told me that I should feel free to take a practice swing in the sand and also ground my club.  Anything sand you see on the course is a natural waste area.  Being able to ground you club may sound good, but not really.  The waste area conditions were very bad.  If you hit one of these fairway waste areas, be ready to take your medicine and just try to get out.  Don’t try to do anything fancy, or you’ll pay the price (I certainly did).  Also, anything that seems like a green side bunker, is not a green side bunker.   How can you tell?  Well, there are absolutely no rakes on the course, and when you step into the sand, you’ll realize it’s crazy hard packed.  Some of these green side waste areas are absolutely horrific.  It’s more like a canyon with huge tractor tire markings inside.  I also experienced having to hit my ball in a par-3 green side waste area, and anything long would enter a lake on the other side of the green.  All I can say, good luck and my prayers are with you. 

The greens were large and surprisingly slow.  I also found that you need to pick your landing spots well on these greens or you risk a 3 putt. 

Overall, the layout is absolutely memorable.  A very unique course for sure.  However, as a first-timer on the course, I candidly didn’t enjoy the round.  The blind approach shots to the green were very frustrating, especially if you hit a great drive and second shot.  If I played the course again, I think I’d enjoy it more.  Would I play it again and pay another $130 green fee?  I don’t think so.  I think playing the course once is plenty for me, and I’d rather apply the $130 to a round at Pinehurst or Pine Needles.  Two other courses on the ultimate bucket list.  

#5 Top 100 Course: Shadow Creek, Las Vegas NV

Overall: 5 (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional)
Conditions: 5
Pace of Play: 5
Layout: 5

Address:
3 Shadow Creek Dr, North Las Vegas, NV 89081

Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.  #5 in Golf Digest's Top 100 Greatest Public Courses in America.
Does it live up to the hype?  To me, it’s a reasounding YES.

The overall experience is amazing.  As a MGM resort guest, you can set up a tee time.  I checked in on Sunday, and got a morning tee time for Thursday, 8:30am.  I would recommend an early tee time to beat the Vegas heat. 

Another nice perk is that I played as a single.  Shadow Creek will not pair you up with anyone else if you don’t want to.  Really really cool.

Thursday morning comes along, and waiting for me in the lobby of Mandalay Bay Hotel is a limo.  Not just a black car limo, but a limo limo.  A stretch limo.  He takes care of my bag, opens the door, and we are off. 

When you drive up to Shadow Creek, the first think you will notice is that there are no signs.  The entrance gate is very basic.  Non-golfers who drive by this place won’t even notice they are right next to the #5 golf course is America where they could play.

As I drive up to the clubhouse, the club pro and my caddy are already standing at the curb.  The club pro opens the door for me, and I am welcomed in.  Very classy. 

I enter the locker room.  It’s huge and amenities are nice/traditional feel (not modern). However, you will be awestruck by the names on the lockers.   Michael Jordan.  Tiger Woods.  Barack Obama.  (And many more)

When you are ready, the caddy will bring you to the driving range.  A great range with tour-level balls (pro-v or TM5).  It was actually nice having the caddy there.  He purposefully watched my shots to get sense of my distances and game-level at the range. 

My caddie, Rick Dalpos, was awesome.  He was a former PGA-tour pro.  His green reading was spot on, except for one read.  The classy thing is that he immediately owned up for it.  No worries to me.  He saved my butt so many times with awesome reads that he totally made up for it.  Rick, if you’re reading this, you ROCK!  An amazing golfer and person.  Hats off to you.

The course is exceptional…practically immaculate condition.  This is amazing considering that you are playing literally in the desert.  But, once you are on the tee box, you feel transplanted somewhere else.  You see trees.  You see rolling hills and texture to the course.  You see waterfalls, streams, and rock bridges (like mini Augusta National).  Also, each hole is lives on it’s own.  By this I mean that when you play one hole, you will never see another fairway from another hole.  Each hole is totally isolated.  Love this design.  It’s unreal.

I also enjoyed every hole and the course layout.  The caddy’s course knowledge is key, as there are definitely spots you want to play to.  The long par 4s are tough, but with two great shots, you can get on in two.  The putting surfaces are excellent.  The greens are nuanced though, so listen to your caddy!

The pace of play was a non-issue for me.  I was the first person to go out, so we zipped through the course with ease.  Also, given there are so few groups playing, I would say the pace of play is usually pretty awesome. 

When you are done, they will summon your limo to pick you up.  On the ride back, I reflected on how great and memorable this experience was.  It was awesome round not because I shot a great score for me (76), but it was a door-to-door world class golf-bucket-list experience. 

#29 Top 100 Course: Mauna Kea

Overall: 4 (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional)
Conditions: 3.5
Pace of Play: 4
Layout: 4

Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii.  #29 on Golf Digest's Top 100 Greatest American Public Golf Courses.

I played this during my 40th birthday and it was a great experience.  The proshop is extremely well run and friendly.  The range is in great form with a huge putting and chipping area.  All you can use range balls available.  But, given the heat and humidity, you'll probably only be warming up for 30min max. 

I enjoyed the course layout with rolling elevations and many holes with views of the ocean, as you would expect and want from a round in Hawaii.  Hole #3 is the iconic hole where you hit over the coastline.  It's definitely a beautiful hole (albeit I believe it close neighbor Mauna Lani South has a better version of it on Hole #15).

On the day I played, they were doing fairway maintenance, so they plowed up some areas.  But the greens were fine.

Pace of play was slow on the day I played.  Lots of touristy foursomes ahead (you can tell as from all the photo taking).  But, I didn't mind.  I was on vacation and it was simply a blessing to be on this famous Hawaiian course. 

All in all, I enjoyed my round.  However, I played Mauna Lani South two days later and that is a course I would play again and again.  In fact, I played Mauna Lani South 5 days later again before leaving Hawaii.  Mauna Lani South isn't on a Golf Digest top 100 list, but it should be.  It's often listed as the #2 course on the Big Island, behind Mauna Kea.  Both courses are only about 10min away from each other.  To me, Mauna Lani South had much more character and many more ocean view holes than Mauna Kea.  Check out my review on that course.

Mahalo and Aloha. 

Coyote Creek Golf Club - Valley Course

Overall: 4 (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional)
Conditions: 4
Pace of Play: 4
Layout: 4

Address:
1 Coyote Creek Drive
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
www.coyotecreekgolf.com

Coyote Creek is home to the only Jack Nicklaus designed golf courses in Silicon Valley.  The Valley Course is open to the public and it's a gem.  Totally remodeled in 2015, with new bunkers with white Pebble Beach sand.  

The Valley course pretty flat and challenging.  The white tees are rated 71.9 and carry a slope of 130.  Most players should play the whites. 

To score well here, you must stay in the fairway.  All the tee shots are fair and straight forward.  You only need to work the ball on a few holes off the tee (#2 - aim to the left bunker and play a fade, #14 draw it over the right center tree).  I've played this course a few times, and if you land in the rough, it's killer.  It will be tough to get a GIR from the rough.  Especially penalizing is the rough around the greens.  You should pat yourself on the back if you can get up and down.

I would much prefer to be in the bunkers than in the rough.  The bunkers are amazing.  The best in Silicon Valley.  If you play muni courses a lot, you will not be use to these fluffy soft things.  Be sure to use your wedge bounce and don't dig, and you will love the sound of a pure sand shot. 

The greens are tough here.  You need to know where to land the shots.  Many times, I've hit a great shot, and I see it bounce into the rough.  Try to read the greens from the distance before your approach shots.  Be smart.  Play it safe, and land it on a center/flat section.  Not worth it chipping from the heavy rough. 

All in all, it's a great place to play.  Be sure to book online, as there are always discounted rates.  Generally, this course isn't very busy, as it's on the outskirts of silicon valley.  But, I totally believe it's worth the drive for a beautiful course and a great pace of play.