Torrey Pines Golf Course: South Course — Attraction in San Diego

ATTENTION OUT OF STATE GOLFERS

If you’re looking for a special round or planning to make this a highlight of a golf trip and expecting a 5 star experience you will be disappointed. Torrey Pines is simply not worth the price of admission unless you’re local. Appears to me that Torrey Pines could use a punch in the wallet by way of out of state golfers taking their business elsewhere.

I wish I had read a review like this before booking. You may be a golf history person and so this will be a bucket list course regardless but the course on its own doesn’t measure up.

The Bad:

Staff is indifferent at best unless seeking a tip. Nothing bad to say about the people working there but if you just paid $450 to play on a weekend morning you’d think you wouldn’t have to go searching and asking around for a golf cart and load up your own bags. You might expect to have someone talk to you about info on the course, the history, or get any sort of attention from staff at all but that didn’t happen.

Weird and inconvenient pro shop set up, can’t pay for your round and the cart fee/range fee at the same place.

Breakfast burrito w partially cooked tortilla and a Gatorade $26. No ice chests on the carts, unsealed plastic bags of ice available to purchase. Where one would put that bag is a mystery.

You’d probably expect to be impressed by course conditions but you won’t. Crab grass, dirt patches, average bunkers, and yellow grass. Every real course in California has greens this good, Shout out $40 Oceanside golf course.

Bathroom after 9th hole was disgusting.

The Ugly:

Price. $100 booking fee, it’s not a deposit that eventually is applied to your green fee. That’s the cost for the privilege of booking a tee time. $309 green fee, $45 cart fee, $8-$15 range ball fee. It’s insane.

Practice area is pathetic and you have to pay to use it. There was nothing left to do but laugh when I heard they were charging for range balls. Cheapest range balls possible, dispensed from a partially functioning golf ball vending machine. Not a grass range, cheap ripped hitting mats leave residue on your clubs. Crab grass consumed chipping area. Practice green doesn’t have cups punched, portable sticks. It all screamed budget course and I love a budget course but instead it was the most expensive round of my life. If you’re gonna charge those prices you need to be held to a much higher standard.

The message was loud and clear if you’re not local DON’T COME TO TORREY PINES. It started to feel scammy, name recognition and history gets them a full tee sheet but the course is not doing a single thing to deserve it. They know you won’t be back so they have to wring every last dollar from you while you’re there for the one and only time.

The Good:

Three free unmarked tees in the cart.

Most for the course is not beach front but Hole 3 on the south course is an epic view. Overall views are nice, I’d recommend stopping by and taking some pictures for free.

4.5 hour round was accurate to what the cart message said...

Service here is horrible especially with it costing $300+ per a round. There is no water available on course except for at the pro shop and one other area. I was without water for many holes out on the course because they refuse to have the cart girl also carry a 5 or 10 gallon igloo with water for people to refill their water jugs. And the people who work there couldn't care less if you're becoming dehydrated or that there isn't water available. Once I get a moment I will contact Cal OSHA and federal OSHA. the lack of water available is unacceptable. Especially if I'm paying $300 for a round. I should've have to pay for drinking water at that price. Shame on you San Diego and Torrey pines. Way to show you care more about profit than customer safety...

So if you are an avid golfer and don't mind spending the money if you're an out of towner, play this course !! If you live in San Diego you have no excuse not to play this course !! Very reasonable for the residents. Got lucky that I was even able to get on, which happened to be 4th of July. But got to play with a great group of guys from North Carolina and had a blast! The views were pretty spectacular on some of the holes! I'll put those pictures on with my review. Nobody can take away my birdie on the first par 3! Besides that, score was nothing to write home about but I knew it was going to be tough. Just fun to say I played the same course that a US Open was held on and we played from the back tees...