Pasatiempo Golf Club

Enjoy the beauty, because this course is a beast.

Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz has withstood the test of time, along with most challenges. In an age of longer, contrived, expensive courses, the 1929 Alister MacKenzie Design just seems to get better with age.

Golf Digest ranks Pasatiempo as the No. 3 public-access course in Northern California (Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill are Nos. 1 and 2, respectively), which makes it the perfect place for The Reporter to start its "Worth the Drive" series for 2004.

The Reporter will periodically feature some of the top courses within driving distance of Solano County.

Granted, the 115-mile trek to Santa Cruz will test your driving ability behind the wheel and on the tee box. But one look at the beautiful first hole with the Pacific Ocean in the distance will erase any leftover road rage from Highway 17.

Of course, you still have to play the track.

The are no black tees, or gold, or whatever other pro color you want to choose. The yardage of 6,439 from the blue (back) tees seems sedate enough, but don't be fooled.

The challenge starts immediately, with No. 1 a 443- (from the white tees) or 460-yard (blue) par-4 for men, and a 457-yard par-5 for women. The hole is downhill, but the narrow, tree-lined fairways are a common theme.

No. 2 features a blind drive (spend the extra $7.50 and buy a yardage book) on a 417-yard par-4 (from the whites).

The third hole is probably the longest par-3 you'll ever play, 203 yards from the whites and 217 from the blues, straight back up the hill.

If you haven't thrown in the towel, the rest of the front side gets easier, and shorter.

But the premium on accuracy remains, with narrow fairways guarded by big Monterey Pines, and at least four bunkers surrounding every green for the rest of the front side. The back nine is easier - thank goodness - but features more hazards. And the combination of No. 10 and 11, two of the tougher par-4s you'll find anywhere, will make you yearn for an easy hole. Add at least two clubs to your approach-shot distance on No. 11, or you will end up in the hazard.

Enjoy No. 12, a par-4 back down the hill, and No. 15, the only easy par-3 on the course. They are arguably the only two real birdie holes on the entire track.

No. 16 is a beauty, a 372-yard (whites) par-4 with a blind tee shot and an approach across a ravine to a three-tiered, elevated green.

MacKenzie called No. 16 his favorite golf hole, which is saying quite a lot. The architect is better known for designing Cypress Point, Augusta National and Royal Melbourne, three of the top six courses on the planet.

Hopefully, you will find such knowledge soothing after what could be a rough day on your scorecard.

At least the rating/slope of 71.2/135 will help your index. And keep in mind, that rating is for a par-70 course, from the white tees!

The upside is huge here. There's beauty and history, and the 75-year-old greens will hold just about any shot in your bag.

The drawbacks are far outweighed, but must be mentioned. The $155 weekday tab ($170 on weekends, with cart) is steep, but hey, Pebble Beach is $400.

The facility also is cart-path-only, and sprinkler-head yardage is elusive (check your yardage book).

But if you are a true golfing fanatic, this course is a must-play. Just leave your ego in the car. And schedule a round at a mellow muni soon afterward to prove to yourself you aren't really that bad.

Directions - Take Interstate 80 west to I-680 south. Take Mission Boulevard west to I-880 south. I-880 turns into Highway 17. Take the Pasatiempo Drive exit and turn right on Clubhouse Road.