The Cookie Jar Golf Podcast · Cookie Jar Golf

348 - Player Profile: Marion Hollins w/ Emily Chorba

·50 min·4 clips

Marion Hollins dropped a ball and hit a 220-yard carry to convince Alistair Mackenzie the 16th at Cypress Point should be a par three.

This episode profiles Marion Hollins, a pioneering figure in early American golf, with host Sam and guest Emily Chor, the Pasatiempo Golf Club historian. Chor's mission is to elevate Hollins's legacy within the golfing community. Hollins was born in 1892 into a privileged Gilded Age family and was a skilled horse rider, golfer, and one of the first woman race car drivers. She moved to California for health reasons and was hired by Samuel Morse to work for the Del Monte Corporation, selling real estate and developing sports programs. Hollins won the 1921 U.S. Women's Amateur and captained the inaugural Curtis Cup team. She founded the Women's National Golf Club on Long Island after being excluded from a local club, collaborating with architects like C.B. McDonald. Hollins was instrumental in developing Cypress Point, famously insisting its iconic 16th hole be a par-three and proving it by hitting a 220-yard shot to the green site. She amassed significant wealth by investing in the Kettleman Hills oil field, turning $100,000 into $10 million. Hollins discovered the land for Pasatiempo on horseback and formed the Santa Cruz Corporation to develop it, working closely with architect Alister MacKenzie. The course opened on September 8, 1929, with Bobby Jones and Cyril Tolley in attendance. Hollins's vision for Pasatiempo included a planned unit development with homes designed by architect William Wurster and amenities like a beach club and stables. Her life changed after a head-on collision with a drunk driver in December 1937, which caused a lasting head trauma. In her later years, Samuel Morse gave her a low-responsibility job, and she lived in Monterey until her death in 1944. Hollins is buried in Monterey, and a grandnephew later created a commemorative bench and plaque at her gravesite. A surprising insight is that Hollins's skill in steering four-horse carriages may have contributed to her powerful golf swing. Her social connections with wealthy families like the Vanderbilts and Crockers were crucial for funding projects and memberships. MacKenzie held her in such high regard that he sent her to survey the land for Augusta National, telling Bobby Jones he knew "no other man that has sounder ideas." Despite the Great Depression, Hollins organized steeplechase horse racing and other equestrian events on the Pasatiempo fairways to sustain the club. The original Pasatiempo clubhouse was built in 1931, with the current one completed in 1936, offering dramatic views of Monterey Bay. The course's unusual finishing par-three 18th hole exists because Hollins overruled MacKenzie's preferred routing. The tone is conversational and educational, blending historical narrative with personal anecdotes from the club historian. The style is reverent and detailed, focused on recovering an underappreciated figure's story. Golf history enthusiasts and those interested in the origins of iconic West Coast courses would love this deep dive into a foundational character. Listeners seeking only modern golf analysis or fast-paced debate might find the historical focus too niche.

As heard by us

A grounded portrait of Hollins and Pasatiempo that keeps the course history vivid, even when the golf talk runs a little thick.

This episode frames Marion Hollins as more than a golf name. It follows her as a force behind Pasatiempo, with Alister MacKenzie tied into the story, and Emily Chorba helps anchor the club history so Hollins feels lived in rather than memorialized.

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Why you'd press play

You want Marion Hollins, Pasatiempo, and a proper golf-history conversation.

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