Playing Pasatiempo and Aptos golf courses before heading up to football game in palo alto (happy wife, happy life). Any suggestions? We want nice, but not pay Spanish Bay prices (and be closer to the Peninsula than Monterrey). Thanks.

I haven't stayed there recently but you could look into Chaminade.

http://www.chaminade.com

Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos. http://www.seascaperesort.com It may be a bit dated but the location is fantastic. A good friend lives very close to it and comments that he often sees some "celebrities" staying there. Maybe worth a look.
Go Bears!

The Hilton just north of Santa Cruz.

wifeisafurd;842845735 said:

---

Playing Pasatiempo and Aptos golf courses before heading up to football game in palo alto (happy wife, happy life). Any suggestions? We want nice, but not pay Spanish Bay prices (and be closer to the Peninsula than Monterrey). Thanks.

---

Don't know current pricing, but Bayonet and Blackhorse on old Fort Ord are much nicer tracks than Aptos Seascape. All within a half hour to 40 minutes. Aptos Seascape Lodge, Depot Hill in Capitola, Chaminade in Santa Cruz hills. After playing tell that Pasatiempo is not a treat. A 100 year old course that tends to stay in the top 100.

OdontoBear66;842845748 said:

---

Don't know current pricing, but Bayonet and Blackhorse on old Fort Ord are much nicer tracks than Aptos Seascape. All within a half hour to 40 minutes. Aptos Seascape Lodge, Depot Hill in Capitola, Chaminade in Santa Cruz hills. After playing tell that Pasatiempo is not a treat. A 100 year old course that tends to stay in the top 100.

---

Is Pasatiempo no longer a great course? I use to play it quite a bit 40 years ago and it was great

OdontoBear66;842845748 said:

---

Don't know current pricing, but Bayonet and Blackhorse on old Fort Ord are much nicer tracks than Aptos Seascape. All within a half hour to 40 minutes. Aptos Seascape Lodge, Depot Hill in Capitola, Chaminade in Santa Cruz hills. After playing tell that Pasatiempo is not a treat. A 100 year old course that tends to stay in the top 100.

---

Aptos course is a freebie. Probably will play the Fort Ord courses in a separate trip. Heard good things about them. Thanks for the info guys.

Concur on this choice. Picturesque bluff above accessible beach. Hotel will golf cart you down to beach or you can walk along landscaped path. Nice grounds. Sweet little shopping center across the street with neighborhood restaurant and a few shops. Can't beat that "on the ocean" feel.

82gradDLSdad;842845771 said:

---

Is Pasatiempo no longer a great course? I use to play it quite a bit 40 years ago and it was great

---

Aptos is still wonderful. They had some drought problems effecting the grass back a couple of years ago (certainly not last year) but is a great layout. Not long, but tougher than nails. Alistair MacKenzie course.

Deutsch;842845813 said:

---

Concur on this choice. Picturesque bluff above accessible beach. Hotel will golf cart you down to beach or you can walk along landscaped path. Nice grounds. Sweet little shopping center across the street with neighborhood restaurant and a few shops. Can't beat that "on the ocean" feel.

---

And the beach itself is great for a long, long walk either way. You can go all the way down to Moss Landing or North to Capitola on a wide stretch of sand. One of the best beaches in California, except someone needs to warm the water a tad.

yosemitebear;842845738 said:

---

Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos. http://www.seascaperesort.com It may be a bit dated but the location is fantastic. A good friend lives very close to it and comments that he often sees some "celebrities" staying there. Maybe worth a look.
Go Bears!

---

Concur on Seascape Resort. I live a few houses off the first fairway of Aptos Seascape, and there aren't very many hotel choices in this particular area. There's also a place off the State Park turnoff a few miles up the road, a Best Western Seacliff Inn, but it's nowhere near the ocean. Rentals down in Rio Flats area too, but for the best Aptos experience the Resort rentals are the way to go.

Also concur on the celebrities. Kung Fu Panda got into some trouble at the Seascape Resort a few years ago, Eric Davis of the 49ers used to work out at the Seascape Sports Club on a regular basis, and once I stood in line at the Village Host Pizza in Seascape behind none other than Jim Harbaugh. Dwight Clark also lives in Capitola; every once in a while I see him at the Nob Hill on Bay Ave.

I know of a place that is what's much cheaper than Spanish Bay and much closer to Palo Alto and Pasatiempo than Monterey. In fact, it is Pasatiempo.

One of my sons goes to school at UC Santa Cruz. He has had a few quarters when lodging could not be found. He lived those in a van. His first go-to place was the equipment yard at Pasatiempo. He developed good relations with the crew. They would just nod at each other in the morning at all was cool. He would then drive off to school for the day.