Take away the distinctly famous trees indigenous to this insanely scenic corner of Southern California. Remove the stunning Pacific Ocean views, especially the breathtaking panorama from the tee shot on the Par 3 third hole of the South course at Torrey Pines. And finally, wipe away the hard drive of the memories of some of the great moments Californian Tiger Woods authored at the La Jolla golfer’s playground, including one of the most dominating victories in U.
S. Open history. While none of this is possible, given that Torrey Pines is entrenched in the golfer’s mind as a venue with its own distinct look and history, at its core this is a golf course — two of them, actually — for the people, a municipal layout owned, operated and maintained by the City of San Diego.
And even though a tee time isn’t always easy to procure — and far less affordable for non residents of the area — Torrey Pines North and South offer that rare and tantalizing opportunity for the public to play where the pros do their thing. “In my opinion, it’s an absolute bucket list course,” says Cam Stephens, whose company, sandiegogolf.com , helps visiting golfers navigate the terrific options in the area.
“If you think about it, the South has the recognition because it’s a U.S. Open golf course but the North, in my opinion, has better views of the ocean.
You really can’t go wrong on either course. “Other than Pebble Beach, there are not a lot of West Coast ocean view golf courses t.