Torrey Pines South Course (La Jolla, CA)

#96 WORLD TOP 100 (ARCHITECTS)

#87 TOP 100 USA (GOLF MAGAZINE)

#42 TOP 100 USA PUBLIC (GOLF DIGEST)

#72 TOP 100 PUBLIC (GOLF MAGAZINE)

#37 TOP 100 USA PUBLIC (GOLFWEEK)

Torrey Pines exceeded my expectations which is hard to imagine considering the weather was less than ideal, however, the experience transcended the mere physical act of hitting a golf ball. The views were spectacular and the sky was constantly grabbing my attention with V-22 Ospreys, F-18 Hornets, and Apache helicopters buzzing around. Toss in the hang gliders and I always had a reason to smile. 

(The 389/344/323 par four second bends a bit to the right and leaves the player with a short iron into a small two tiered green. Notice how the bunkering flares out on both sides making the front pin positions harder to attack.) 

(The 201/146/142 par three third is the most photographed hole at Torrey Pines and rightfully so. The view backdropping the green is breathtaking. This is a terrifying shot with any type of breeze blowing off the ocean. Short, long, or left is hazardous…
…the proper bail out is right or short in the trap. The left half of the green is slightly higher and is very difficult to find from the tee…
…the view from the green is extraordinary! A par on this hole is very good. Judging the elevation change along with the wind makes club selection challenging.) 

As a golf architecture junkie, I’ve read many of the discussion boards and reviews regarding Torrey Pines, and nearly all of them are identical. They say the course is good but berate it for not using the canyons as hazards. The Rees Jones US Open redesign made it redundant and the fairways are too narrow while forcing the same shots off the tee and into the greens. While there is validity to these criticisms, I feel the course strongly challenges the player without competing with the scenery. The bunkering is in play both off the tee and around the greens. I found myself scrutinizing my lines and focusing on the shot shape to avoid them. I personally love this type of golf! The entire concept of the game is controlling the golf ball.

And by the way, these are not boring oval pits but real hazards! The sand traps have curvature and depth to them. It’s a real break to have a clean shot to advance the ball any significant distance. 

(The 490/420/384 yard par four fourth plays next to the ocean. The left side of the fairway slopes toward the cliff so the right fairway bunkers get a lot of play. The green is protected by a central bunker so a kick plate to the right is a good aiming point to swing the ball to the putting surface. Any miss left is bounding into the hazard. Par is a great score.) 

(The 454/393/382 yard par four fifth is similar to the second but longer. Several little rolls make for some interesting pin placements. Another great view of the La Jolla coastline.) 

(The 462/424/387 par four seventh doglegs right around the canyon. The fairway actually plays away from the hazard before turning to a slightly elevated green.) 

Torrey Pines is a signature course on the PGA Tour. Every winter it hosts the Farmer’s Open, and the views streaming through the television beckons all of us suffering from cabin fever to make the trek. The 2008 and 2021 US Opens elevated Torrey to a completely different status. That’s another reason why I think the criticisms are too harsh. The strategic redesign many want to happen are just not good enough to challenge the best players. Besides, the narrow fairways and tough approach shots are exactly what most of us want. How often does the average Joe have a chance to play a US Open course? And that’s the ultimate beauty of Torrey Pines. It’s 100% open to the public!  

(The 621/514/486 yard par five thirteenth is possibly the best hole on the course. This is the view from the back tee. I can’t even make the carry over the canyon…

…if you play it as a three shot hole, then this is the view you’ll have for the third shot. It played two clubs longer thanks to the elevation…
…the view looking back is fantastic! Note the gull shape contours where the extreme left and right sections are raised. Attacking from the bottom needs to be precise otherwise the ball will gather to the middle. It’s one of the best par fives on the PGA Tour.) 

I played Torrey nine days after the tournament and the course was in fantastic shape. (Several of the grandstands were still up!) I walked off a few of the fairways and they were 27-32 yards wide. The rough was juicy to say the least. If it settled down then there was little chance to advance it more than 130 yards. Typically it would be only partially submerged and you could get a club on it although controlling it was another story. The greens rolled 9.5 on the stimpmeter and downhill putts could easily creep out. The Poa grass created some unusual breaks. It would break opposite what it should, specifically when you were trying to lag it. Firm putts held their lines much better. Yardages were hard to ascertain. Trajectory was vital and could have a twenty yard swing if you didn’t hit the proper height. It was a complete examination of your game. I’m not surprised the best players have all won here. 

(The 447/394/359 yard par four fourteenth doglegs slightly left to a green set next to the canyon. A back left pin is fraught with danger but a right pin, which we had, was not easy to attack either. The green is offset and a quartering wind makes a tiny target smaller. The entire hole has incredible views cascading down the canyon and to the ocean!) 

(This view from the fourteenth hole ramps up one’s anticipation for the sixteenth…
…playing into the prevailing wind, the 227/183/151 yard par three plays much longer than it’s listed yardage. This tee box offers a better angle and the front entrance is open for a running shot. The other tee box plays over the left bunkers. It’s high drama here during tournament week.) 

(From the back tee on seventeen one can see the North Course across the canyon…

…the 443/398/375 yard par four plays over the corner of the cliff to a fairway that abuts it. The forward tees doesn’t have this intimidating view and is a much easier tee shot…
…the green has a raised section in the middle while the front right and left halves are lower. Deep bunkers guard the lower pins. Note the beautiful view back to the tee.) 

Torrey Pines rivals Whistling Straits as my best golf experience. Seeing the tournament every year, I couldn’t help but flashback to all the great shots and moments that have taken place here. The US Open in 2008 when Tiger won with a broken leg is the greatest tournament I’ve ever watched. To me, Torrey Pines is worth every effort to go play. I give it a 9 (incredible)(worth planning a vacation around it). 

(The 570/491/473 yard par five eighteenth is a bland finisher that coincidentally has seen some wild moments. Tiger rolling in a ten footer to tie Rocco in the US Open is one. Rahm draining a fifty footer down the hill for eagle is another. Today’s pin is in the front left just like it normally is on tournament Sunday. I hit a wedge to twelve feet however my putt for birdie burned the edge.) 

[I played the white tees at 6145 yards. It was only 55 degrees and the wind was blowing 15mph. It was misting part of the round too. The course was in tournament shape and when I found the rough off the first tee, I knew it was going to be a tough day. My playing companions were from Manhattan Beach and Louisiana. All three were mid to high handicaps and I doubt any of them broke 100. I shot 80 all due to my putter and short game. I was in eight bunkers, two in the fairway and six by the green. I was 3/6 from the greenside traps. Two of the three I missed were from six feet. It was very difficult gauging the wind both in direction and speed. I only hit four greens! Regardless, I had a great time! I wish I could’ve played the North too but that can be for another time.]

(The opening hole goes straight towards the ocean! I love how the routing takes you straight to it for all the terrific views. The stretch on back from 12-17 is as gorgeous as they come.)

[Lets talk about price. I called and was told to pick three days I’d like to play. A third party called me back and gave me a tee time. The city charges $47 to reserve a tee time. (Coronado btw charged me $14 so it’s a Southern California thing) The third party changed me another $48 so the total just to reserve the tee time was $95. When I got to the course, I choose to walk which was $223. It was extra to take a cart. Now the weather was not that great when I played so many people canceled. I could have taken a risk and walked on which would have saved me $95. I personally liked the guaranteed time.]

Coronado Golf Course (Coronado, CA)

Few courses can match Coronado’s setting along San Diego Bay and even fewer can top it’s municipal prices. While an egg omelet goes for twenty dollars at a restaurant in Southern California, how amazing is it that one can walk eighteen holes for only $31!!  It rivals Pacific Grove as the best deal in California and I would even say it’s one of the best values in America. 

(The 406/389 yard par four third gives the golfer a taste of the bay holes to come later in the round.) 

Coronado was designed by Jack Daray in 1957. The property is essentially flat but the greens are built up and slope from back to front. The bunkering is the main defense and they are concave with multiple stances and lies to test the player. When the wind decides to make an appearance, Coronado can be devilishly hard to conquer. Thankfully it’s not loaded with long 450 yard par fours but rather many mid length 375 yarders. There’s only a handful of straightaway holes so the player must work his ball to have a chance of posting a good score. 

(The 389/375 yard par four seventh has a narrow fairway that gently swings to the left. The player is looking to work the ball towards the big tree in the distance.)

(The 175/153 yard par three ninth has a man made pond fronting the green and guarding the left. The wind is the main factor in deciding club selection. Today’s pin is in the rear so anything on leaves an uphill putt.) 

Two stretches of holes are key to the round. The first one, 6-8, are back to back to back par fours. All three dogleg and the sixth and eighth are both into the wind. The inside line is the best play and opens up the angle to the greens. Daray challenges that line with sand and trees. The second stretch is 15-18. All four play either at or alongside the bay. It’s a beautiful location full of sail boats and great views of the bay and San Diego Coronado Bridge. While the first three are tough pars, the final hole is a reachable downwind par five where birdie and eagle is in play.

(The 543/524 yard par five thirteenth doglegs severely around the twelth and eleventh holes. It plays just over 400 yards on a straight line however large trees derails any idea of doing that. The green is terrific. The front pins are sloped towards the player but the back portion of the green is quite large and pitched to the rear. The Coronado Sail Club can be seen in the background.) 

(The 370/359 yard par four sixteenth plays over the corner of the bay. (Note the high net to prevent balls from smacking into the yacht club)…
…if one takes the outside line down the left then they face a tough shot over a bunker. The aggressive line over the water leaves a much easier approach.) 

The course lies on the south end of North Island and curls around Glorietta Blvd. The property the course lies on is from the Navy dredging the bay for the aircraft carriers. Since the land was created by the Port Authority, the course cannot be ran for profit thus the reason why the green fees are so low. There are public walkways around the bay that unfortunately prevent any greens from being tucked up against the water. Coronado is fiercely popular, especially with the many seniors who call this home. It is often said to be a tougher tee time than Torrey Pines. 

(The 427/411 yard par four seventeenth doglegs left with the bay guarding the entire right side. The green is open to a running shot. Note the beautiful view of the Coronado San Diego Bridge in the background.)

(One look at the trees confirms the ferociousness of the wind.) 

If one needs any reinforcement on Coronado then consider Matt Ginella listed it as one of his top five hidden gems in America. There’s so much to like here. Architecturally the course is solid. The back is a little cramped in spots, mainly 11-13, but Daray was a crafty architect who focused on getting the correct angle and was able to make it work. If one is looking for a great time at a terrific price then this is a must play while in San Diego. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

[I played the white tees at 6276 yards. I was paired with a mom, her son, and his friend. She dressed like someone who took the game very serious while the other two were there to shotgun beers and smoke a little Mary Jane. It was a lackluster round and my iron game struggled to hit the ball solidly off the tight kikuyu grass. We barely finished our round with the eighteenth being in the dark. It was the only hole I birdied. Go figure.]