The Bogey Golfer © Course Guides
Torry Pines North - Overview
Torrey Pines North is almost one of the most famous golf courses in North America. The "almost" distinction is tagged on because it's actually the South course where the Buick Invitational is played every year, and where the US Open is scheduled to be played in 2008. There are some striking differences between the North and South courses, starting with length. The North Course has Blues and Whites for men, and Reds for women. The South Course is significantly longer for all three, plus it has three additional sets of tees that are longer yet. I played with three locals, and they told me that when the South Course was recently redesigned for additional length, and to secure the 2008 US Open, everybody wanted to test the new layout. By now, "everybody" realizes they're out of their league on the South Course, and they prefer the North Course for playability.
Both North and South courses are Municipal Courses, owned and operated by the City of San Diego. Rates for residents are pretty reasonable, ranging from $29 for city residents, to $60 for county residents. Out-of-state visitors bear a heftier price tag (but hey, it's way better than what Pebble Beach is charging these days...). To get there, go North from San Diego on I-5, past La Jolla. Take the Genessee Avenue exit, and head West. This will eventually curve right and turn into North Torrey Pines Road. Stay on it and watch for the exit sign to the golf course (it loops off to the right and crosses over).
The North Course bears the distinction of having the Finest View in San Diego (at least from a golf course perspective). It's #6, which is a downhill par 3, with the ocean, and the hang gliders, and the City of La Jolla, and the Bay, and did I mention the ocean? It is fabulous, absolutely fabulous. And if you ever get the chance to play the fabled South Course, make sure you come back again and play the North Course, just to see this hole!
This review was written in October. The locals characterized it as a "funny" day, because the marine layer didn't really start to burn off until about 11:00, and the fog kept rolling back in and out all day. I kept having to take my sunglasses on and off. The temperature felt like it ranged between 70 and 72. There was always a refreshing breeze blowing in from the ocean, but it never really got stiff enough to get inside my head (I'm notoriously mental when the wind is blowing). I was dressed in shorts, and a short-sleeved shirt, and sandals. I had an extra layer along because I was worried it might get too cool. It didn't. In other words, the weather was GORGEOUS!!!!
This is a walking course. Oh sure, you can rent carts here, but why???
|
Torrey Pines North Detail
This review is written from the white tees, which are 6326 yards. The blues at 6874 are still playable for a bogey golfer, adding some length, but nothing extra in the way of obstacles and forced carries. For the most part, the fairways are pretty wide, and the rough isn't that punitive (at least when this review was written in mid-October), so you can hit your driver on most of the par 4s and 5s. The bunkers were hard packed (again, at this time of the year), and it seemed to make more sense to chip out of the bunkers, not blast out. There's a practice bunker next to the driving range -- you might check out the condition of the sand ahead of time. The greens ran pretty fast, but not excessively so. There are two huge practice greens immediately in front of the clubhouse -- spend some time getting the feel for them.
The first hole is a 511 yard par 5. The tee shot goes up a hill between a couple of bunkers. You can't see the green from the tee because of the hill, but you can certainly see where the shot will land. Driver is a safe play here. The green is guarded by a bunker on the front right, so steer your second shot to the center and left side of the fairway, for the optimal angle in on your approach shot. This green, more than any other on the course, fools you with its break. It slopes from back to front. From the front, it looks like everything will break to your left. In fact, putts will break the other way. Make sure you look at putts from both sides on this one! This hole is not that long - it can be had!
The second hole is a short par 4, at only 313 yards. Aim your drive down the left side, because a bank on the left will feed errant shots back to the middle. Plus there are trees in the right rough. There is a huge fairway bunker on the right, and another huge bunker guarding the right side of the green. This hole is another scoring opportunity!
Number 3 is a simple downhill par 3. It's a pretty hole, with native brush and shrubs snaking in from the left, but it's not really a forced carry. Speaking of snakes, there are signs everywhere on the course warning about rattlesnakes in the brush. Probably not worthwhile to do much ballhawking... Anyway, it's only 112 yards. You might want to back off a little bit on the yardage because the wind tends to blow in from the ocean, which will be behind you here. This is handicapped as the easiest hole on the front nine. (I, of course, made bogey because I yanked my tee shot into the trap on the left.)
The fourth hole is 384 yards -- nothing special, what you see is what you get. There's a fairway bunker on the right, but it's still worthwhile to hit your driver anyway. Play your shot down the left side, but not so much that you get into the trees (the bunker isn't that bad...). This green is deceptive because it looks like it will break more than it really does. Take a careful look from all sides...
#5 is 355 yards. It's another one that's uphill with the green hidden on the other side. There's nothing tricky going on, just aim it down the middle and give it a good smack. You should be able to see your drive land. The second shot is pretty straightforward. Since you're going into the ocean breeze, use one extra club. If you go too long, the sand trap behind the green will act as a backstop. The bailout on the approach shot is short and left (short right is another bunker). Putting out is kind of hard on this green. For one, the green has a lot of slope from back to front, and yet the greens are fast, so guaging your speed is difficult. More importantly, however, is the ocean behind, which is a huge distraction if this is your first time on the course.
#6 is the promised visual treat. The hole is 150 yards, downhill, into the wind, at sea level. The green has a pretty significant tilt from back to front. The view is stunning, just stunning. It's bad enough that you've got the panapoly of a downhill hole by the side of the ocean, but you also have the skyline of La Jolla stretching out on the point behind, and the whole bay spreading out before you. Then there's always something going on in the sky, whether it's hang gliders going off the nearby cliffs, or the roar of a supersonic jet from Mira Mar. And there's a very distinctive flat-topped tree overlooking the whole thing. It's no wonder I shanked my tee shot into a tree that never let loose of the ball. At least, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
#7 is a testy uphill par 4. It doglegs right, and it's 354 yards, although it feels a full 40 yards longer than that. Hit your driver here -- you'll need everything you can get going up that hill. There's a bunker on the right, and you certainly don't need that on an uphill hole! You can't hit too far left either, because you'll run out of fairway. Face it, this is a challenging hole!
#8 is the number one handicap hole. For difficulty, all it has going for it is length, which I guess, is plenty! It's 418 yards, but it's also straightaway. It's wide enough to hit your driver, so give it all you've got. I tend to hit my drives a bit thin, and they never get up very high, but if you're one of those players who likes to see his drives rise up high in the sky, you'll usually have a tail wind behind you on this hole. 'Nuff said.
#9 is a short 480 yard par 5. There's no trouble to speak of here. Just hit three solid well-hit balls, and you can make par here. Maybe even birdie... There is a cavernous sand trap on the left side of the green. If the pin is back, take an extra club, and don't be shy!
The tenth hole is a 404 yard par 4. It plays straightaway. Trees on the right will ruin your drive if you stray offline too much.
#11 is the hardest hole on the back nine, mostly because of length. It's 422 yards, with a bit of a dogleg left. Hit your driver here, you need all the distance you can get.
#12 is an uphill par 3 into the breeze. There's a huge sand trap on the left front of the green. Either gear up with an extra club or two, and go right over the damn trap, or lay up on the front right, and chip up on your second shot to try for an up-and-down. In either case, bogey is a good score here.
#13 is another long par 4. At 418 yards, you need a pretty good tee shot to get home in two. It doglegs left. There are fairway bunkers both left and right. Pick a line just left of the rightmost bunker, and let fly. Don't try to cut the corner over the left bunker, because that bunker is huge and you may not make it. There are also bunkers both left and right guarding the green. The bailout is short, with a chip on for up-and-down. Bogey's not a bad score, but this hole can be had if your short game is sharp.
#14 is another short par 5. It's only 490 yards, and it's straightaway with no trouble to speak of. A solid drive, and a well-struck second shot should leave you with a short iron or wedge into a sizable green. There are traps both left and right flanking the green. Take plenty of club to clear the trap on the left, and stay the heck away from the one on the right, and you should be in decent shape. This hole is a scoring opportunity.
The fifteenth is a 387 yard par 4. It too is straightaway, but it needs a decent tee shot to set yourself up for success.
There's a trap on the right side of the green that you need to be wary of. Being a bit short, and going for the chip and putt up-and-down is a good strategy here. Bogey's not a bad score.
The sixteenth is a short 323 yard par 4. It's often said that you have to take what the course gives you, and this is one of those holes. This is handicapped as the easiest hole on the back nine (indeed, the whole course). Take dead aim and hit your driver. Your second shot should be a wedge. Ignore the traps on both sides of the green, they're not in play anyway.
#17 is an interesting par 3. From an elevated tee, it plays 159 yards. There are a couple of ponds on the left that will swallow up anything that strays off line, so make sure you commit to the shot, and make a full follow-through as you hit. A bunker on the right will gather up anytning you hit in that direction. This hole can be had, but it will not tolerate sloppy play!
#18 is a pretty cushy finishing hole. It's a short par 5, playing only 472 yards. You can make iffy shots on two of your first three shots, and still be positioned for a par. Don't blow it! There's a bunker short right, so your approach shot needs to be sharp.
And that's the story of Torrey Pines North. It doesn't have the pedigree of its famous South partner. But it is a wonderful course in a glorious setting. The Bogey Golfer can play bogey golf, and feel good about it. There are some pars and the occasional birdie to be had, but make no mistake about it -- this is a major league course.
|
