The Pasatiempo Golf Club has announced, based on a Shareholder vote, plans to restore the original “push up” greens complexes and restore bunkers using modern construction methods. Located in Santa Cruz, California, the world-famous course was designed by Alister MacKenzie in 1929.
During the restoration, scheduled to begin in April 2023 and be completed in December 2024, the greens complexes and bunkers will be restored to resemble Alister MacKenzie’s original design, and intent, of the golf course.
The front nine holes will be closed for restoration from April 2023 until December 2023, while the back nine holes will remain open. All eighteen holes will be open for play from December 2023 to April 2024. The back nine holes will be closed for restoration from April 2024 to December 2024, while the front nine holes will be open for play. The restoration will be completed with all eighteen holes open in December 2024.
“The future of the golf course, in terms of sustainability, requires a full restoration of the greens with modern infrastructure and drainage,” said Justin Mandon, golf course superintendent. “Over its nearly 100 years of play, and particularly the more recent increase in volume of rounds, coupled with the addition of alternative water sources and lack of infrastructure, has led to the rapid evolution of the greens. The Club’s Restoration Committee has been working on this project for several years, visiting and consulting numerous golf courses with recent histories of successful restoration work. That information, along with our unique variables, allowed us to develop a scope of work, timeline and process we believe will give us the highest degree of success.”
Greens and Bunker Restoration
Since its founding by World Golf Hall of Famer and female golf pioneer Marion Hollins, thousands of golf enthusiasts have experienced its iconic design. The greens and bunker restoration project is a continuation in a long line of successful projects to restore architectural features lost or modified over time. Since 1999, the course has undergone numerous successful restorations, from greens expansion and bunker restoration to restoring teeing areas to their original theme.
This latest project tackles Pasatiempo’s 100-year old greens infrastructure. The greens were built using a completely different construction process than available today, and, coupled with nearly 100 years of consistent play and the lack of infrastructure, the greens are in need of a full restoration. In addition, the felt bunker liners are failing, allowing for soil intrusion and inconsistent playing conditions.
The greens complexes, starting at the beginning of the approaches will be restored, allowing the restoration team to configure and shape the complexes per MacKenzie’s original design intent. The process will utilize laser grades of the complexes, opening day photos and onsite evaluation of the original sub grades. The greens will be restored using current USGA specifications and seeded to Bentgrass.
Green surrounds will be resurfaced and sodded to assure proper sloping and contours. The correct infrastructure will be installed underneath the surface level of grass for effective drainage, and will allow for proper maintenance and an excellent playing experience, resulting in a sustainable course for many years to come.
The restoration will be led by golf course Architect Jim Urbina, Superintendent Justin Mandon, and golf course contractor Earth Sculptures.
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