Pasatiempo Golf Club: A top 100 classic in Santa Cruz, California

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- Is there a more revered public golf course than the Pasatiempo Golf Club?

The celebrated course halfway between San Francisco and the Monterey Peninsula isn't as famous or as scenic as Pebble Beach Golf Links, but to true golfers, it is every bit in the same league.

It's the rare Dr. Alister MacKenzie design that remains open to the public, unlike Augusta National Golf Club or the Cypress Point Club. Anybody can play it. It's a joyful walk through towering trees, starting on an elevated first tee that overlooks Monterey Bay.

Thankfully, the MacKenzie bunkers have been artfully restored and maintained over the years. The fact that MacKenzie lived along the sixth fairway until his death in 1934 only enhances Pasatiempo's allure. Each hole is unique. Each green is singular in its subtleties, from the tiny green at no. 15 to the massive, three-tiered green at no. 16.

The club recently completed construction on a $9-million wastewater treatment facility behind the 13th green. This plant takes recycled water from the neighboring community of Scotts Valley and turns it into usable irrigation water. With three potential water sources - recycled water from a 30-year lease with Scotts Valley, potable water from Santa Cruz and well water from an onsite well that's not yet operational - Pasatiempo will likely avoid another brownout like the one that damaged the club's reputation in 2014. That's great news for golfers who want to play this Top 100 experience.