What Is The Restoration Project?
The restoration project is much needed overhaul of Pasatiempo’s 90+ year old greens that will significantly enhance the playability and attractiveness of Pasatiempo for many years to come, while restoring the original MacKenzie contours from 1929 and implementing a modern drainage system to greatly enhance maintainability.
Why is it Necessary?
Pasatiempo has original push-up greens (a green shaped with a bulldozer using the native soil)
- Very poor infrastructure and drainage
- Demands of conditioning, water quality, rounds (compaction)
- While daily play has increased substantially over the last few years, our conditions are flat or declining
These greens were failing 25 years ago when the sand channels were installed. The bunkers are failing as well, and they must be done at the same time as the greens to marry the entire complex together. Lastly, the greens, bunkers and surrounds do not fairly represent what Dr. Alister MacKenzie built in 1929.
Scope of Work
Outside Contractors
- Jim Urbina, architect - Approve all final grades on greens, bunkers, and green surrounds
- Earth Sculptures Inc. - General contractor
Greens
- Rebuild greens to as close to 1929 original design as possible
- Restore the marriage between the bunkers and greens lost over time
- Increase pinable areas
- Rebuild to USGA specifications
- Greens seeded to Bentgrass
Why not sod?
- Sod is produced quickly with lots of high-nitrogen fertilizer inputs and in mass quantities and is far inferior to seeding
- Sod comes with an unwanted thatch layer that does not marry well with the native conditions
- Bentgrass is a superior turfgrass species genetically modified for the best characteristics as it relates to playability
- Bentgrass was the turf species originally planted at Pasatiempo
- Bentgrass of choice at the following clubs:
- Dunes Course, Monterey
- Diablo Country Club
- Palo Alto Hills
- CordeValle
- The Hay
- The Olympic Club
- Lake Merced
- Peninsula Golf and Country Club
- Menlo Country Club
- Harding Park
- San Francisco Golf Club
- Valley Club of Montecito
Surrounds
- Sod all green surrounds with tall fescue/ryegrass blend (currently planted behind #9, left of #11 green and behind the 18th green)
- Sod all approaches with ryegrass
Bunkers
- New bunker liners will be from Capillary Bunker Co., made from porous concrete
- Sod around bunker edges will be a tall fescue/ryegrass blend
- New Sand will be Idaho White
- All bunkers (including fairway bunkers) will be rebuilt
Tees Fairways and Roughs
Remain the same with cool season grasses. We will aerate and overseed the fairways and roughs as part of the restoration.
Tree removal
- Some trees between holes 6/7, 10/17, 11/12 and 13/14/15/16
- Increase sunlight along the perimeter of holes, fostering improved turf coverage and overall health
- Improve viewing corridors
- Replant trees in areas where we lost trees and pose a liability
Cart Path Repair
- Repair damaged cart paths throughout the golf course
- Assume additional cart paths will be broken during the construction process and repair as necessary
Drainage addition by specialist contractor Turf Drainage of America
Fairways 11, 12, 13 and 14:
These fairways are the slowest draining of all the holes on the golf course. Our objective is for them to drain at least as quickly as the rest of the fairways.
Who is doing the work?
- Jim Urbina, Architect
- Earth Sculptures, General Contractor
- Justin Mandon, Project Manager
- Turf Drainage of America, Drainage Contractor
- Christensen, Trees
- Granite Rock, Cart Paths
- Brett Staples, Raising all fairway/rough irrigation heads
What is the Timing of Events?
- April 17, 2023, Front 9 closes for +/- 7 months
- December 1, 2023 – April 21, 2024, All 18 holes open
- April 22, 2024, Back 9 closes for +/- 7 months
- December 1, 2024, All 18 holes open (fully restored)
