Course Review: Torrey Pines

Torrey Pines South, the cliff-top course where this week's US PGA Tour event, the Farmers Insurance Open, is set to be played, has, since it opened to the public in 1957, become one of the most famous municipal golf courses in the world.

Some seven years ago it was the course where Tiger Woods, playing with a fractured bone in his leg, dramatically captured what still is and might always be the last of his 14 major victories, and where, this week, he can shrug away the blues that will have followed the second of the two, last-place disasters that have plagued his comeback from injury.

Last week in the Phoenix Open Tiger was stone-last at 13-over after the first 36 holes and missed the cut

Woods, who can claim without argument, to be the 21st Century's greatest golfer, is known to rate Torrey Pines as one of his big favourites. And why not? Since his first win there in 1991 in the Junior World Championship when he was fifteen, the 39-year-old Southern Californian has won a total of eight titles, six of them being Buick Opens, four of which he won consecutively between 2005 and 2008 - the same year in which he claimed his 14th major at the same course.

That said, though, finding even some of the form and touch that at one time made him nigh impossible to beat on his better days, won't be easy.

Torrey Pines South, which, like its less famous sister course, Torrey Pines North, was designed by William P Bell and completed by his son, William, F Bell, is not an easy course, by any means, and this especially when it is swept by fog, rain and wind which is quite often the case on this cliff-top course in La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya), an up-market suburb of San Diego.

Its fairways, certainly for the big pro events, are always tight and well-guarded by its lush rough, many sand bunkers and, of course, it's strategically-placed clumps of Torrey Pines, which are native to the area and to Santa Rosa Island.

On the South Course, which was up-graded for the 2008 US Open by famed golf course designer Rees Jones to ensure it maintained its challenge in the face of better equipment and fitter and stronger golfers, some holes have breath-taking cliff-top views of the Pacific Ocean which lies a hundred yards below the links, while others have spectacular views of a huge natural canyon.

Jones's efforts were universally acclaimed and the South Course, which can now stretch to a whopping 7,569 yards, making it the longest on the PGA Tour, stood up very well to the exacting demands called for by the USGA for their 2008 US Open Championship.

Famous as it is, nevertheless, Torrey Pines, remains a municipal facility and along with the Balboa Park Golf Course and the Mission Bay Golf Course and Practice Centre, it is owned and maintained by the City of San Diego and is open to the public, who can play either as registered citizens of the city or as visitors.

SCORECARD:

To get an overhead view of the South Course and the scorecard you should go to http://www.torreypinesgolfcourse.com/_tpgallery/southcourse.htm. For an overhead view of each hole, click on the hole in question

OTHER FACILITIES

In addition to the North and South courses, other facilities include:
- A highly professional driving range and practice putting greens where group and individual golf lessons are offered by qualified professional teachers.
- On-course food and beverage carts and a restaurant/grill at the Lodge at Torrey Pines which is adjacent to the golf course.
- One of the largest golf shops in the western United States, offering a full range of golf merchandise and the rental of golf shoes, clubs and hand and electric golf carts.

RECENT AWARDS

The numerous awards received by Torrey Pines is clear evidence of its high rating among the golfing people that count.

They include:
- Golf Links Magazine's selection as one of the "Must Play" courses in the world
- GolfWeek Magazine's "America's Best Public-Access Courses" for California, 2006
- Golf Digest Magazine's "America's 100 Greatest Public-Access Golf Courses", 2005-2006
- Golf Digest Magazine's "Top Rated Golf Courses for California", 2005-2006
- Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Courses in the U.S.", 2005
- GolfWeek Magazine's "America's Best Public-Access Courses for California", 2005
- Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Public-Access Golf Courses in America", 2004
- Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Courses in the U.S.", 2003
- Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Public-Access Courses", 2002
- Travel + Leisure Magazine: "Rare Beauties, Nice Prices"
- Golf Magazine's "America's Best Courses for $100 or Less", 2002
- Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Public-Access Courses", 2000
- Golf Magazine's "Top 500 Holes in the World", 2000 (Hole 12, Par 4)

What It Will Cost You To Play

SOUTH COURSE

Weekdays: (Mondays to Tuesdays)
City of San Diego residents: 18-holes $61; 18-holes seniors (62 and over) $43; 18-holes Twilight $37
Visitors: 18-holes $183; 18-holes Twilight $37

Weekends: (Fridays to Sundays) and HOLIDAYS
City of San Diego residents: 18-holes $76; 18-holes Twilight $46
Visitors: 18-holes $229; 18-holes Twilight $137

NORTH COURSE:

Weekdays: (Mondays to Tuesdays)
City of San Diego residents: 18-holes $40; 18-holes seniors (62 and over) $28; 18-holes Twilight $37
Visitors: 18-holes $100; 18-holes Twilight $37

Weekends: (Fridays to Sundays) and HOLIDAYS
City of San Diego residents: 18-holes $76; 18-holes Twilight $24
Visitors: 18-holes $100; 18-holes Twilight $60.

RENT RATES:

Golf clubs 18-holes: $60; 9-holes: $35
Golf cars (For 2 golfers) - 18-holes: $40; 9-holes $25
Push carts $10
Golf shoes $10
Range balls $6 to $12 depending on bucket size

CONTACT THE CLUB

Street Address:
11480 North Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, CA 92037

Phone (858) 581-7171 or Toll-free (877) 581-7171

Tee time phone reservations: City Resident (619) 570-1234; Non-residents (877) 581-7171.

For any feedback or ideas you are welcome to email: neville@golfweather.com.