My Weekend in San Diego

[David Stamm]

That is assuming they can get on either course... they're each pretty tough tee-times to get, no?

I last played either in 1986.  Man it's been a long time.

Yes, it's tougher than ever. That is a long time! Was that before or after Jack's win!

[Tom Huckaby]

 
I believe it was before Jack's win.  I was just going back in time to when I lived there... and I messed it up... it was summer-fall 1985.  I'm pretty damn sure that's the last time I played the Torrey courses - and I played them a lot those 4 months I lived nearby.

But not since.  Pretty sad.

 

[Pete Lavallee]

Tom,

You can now reserve a tee time in advance for a $35/player fee at both Torrey North and South. I believe the kicker is that you can't do it as a single. This would make the cost for a nonresident on the weekend:

$165+$35=$200 for the South

$100+$35=$135 for the North

[David Stamm]

It has a corporate like feel there now. The Lodge at Torrey has been totally redone and looks nice, but it doesn't feel like it's the residents courses anymore.

[Tom Huckaby]

Pete/David - thanks.  Wow times have changed.    Does that $35 pre-book help at all?  That is, do you have any prayer of getting a time WITHOUT paying that?

[David Stamm]

Tom,

You can now reserve a tee time in advance for a $35/player fee at both Torrey North and South. I believe the kicker is that you can't do it as a single. This would make the cost for a nonresident on the weekend:

$165+$35=$200 for the South

$100+$35=$135 for the North

To go along with Pete's info, singles have pretty good luck getting on it seems.

[Pete Lavallee]

Pete/David - thanks.  Wow times have changed.    Does that $35 pre-book help at all?  That is, do you have any prayer of getting a time WITHOUT paying that?

Using the phone in system, a week in advance at 7:00pm, gives exactly the same odds I have of outdriving Michelle Wie. Singles have been doing quite well on the standby list at the South due to the increased price and difficulty. The prepay allows you access to a specific time.

[Kalen Braley]

Thats good information all, I appreciate it.  I've never played Torrey Pines but I have been out there.  Sounds like the group is divided on whether its worth a play.  To me, its all about value and for nearly $200 to play the South, doesn't seem like much of a value.

Does SD have anything that is worth a look that you can play on the weekend for under $100?  

[Matt_Cohn]

Kalen (and everyone else):

If you sign up for Club Barona, which you can do online - you just give them your email and address - you get an automatic 20% off all green fees. It becomes $80 weekdays, $96 Fri/Sun, and $120 Sat.

There's simply no reason to pay the listed green fees.

[Tim Leahy]

Kalen, Torrey South is worth the trouble and if you don't do it befrore the Open you will kick yourself. Just get out there by 7:30 am the morning you want to play and get on the singles list, you will get off by 11 am at the latest. I did that every weekend for two years about four years ago. Put your name on the list, have breakfast, read the paper, hit balls, putt, take a nap and your up! Most locals don't want to play the South because its too tough and doesn't come in to the clubhouse after nine, so you have an advantage if you request just the south.

[Jon Spaulding]

Worth a look - weekend - under $100.....we're not familiar with these terms grouped together.

Advice a) go to Rustic b) divulge personal info to Barona or c) drive up to San Clemente early, early AM...they leave every 3rd time open for walk-ins, under $50, easy to walk, and a good time. Of course Stamm loves Shorecliffs so much I would not want to steal his thunder.

I think TP South on a weekend, you'd show up Friday night and have a chance at getting out Sunday morning .

[Tommy_Naccarato]

But missing out on Rustic Canyon for Deadhawk, well, you risk the possibility of being classified as an idiot.

Suppose you were trying to qualify for the Cal Open and needed a practice round to sharpen your game. You are also visiting your family at the time and want to spend a little time with them. Would you still be classified as an idiot for playing Redhawk?

By the way, congratulations to Matt for qualifying. Have fun at MPCC this summer.

Pete, Has the Cal Open be reduced to US Open type set-ups?

I can't think of a better place TO practice then at Rustic Canyon. (less distraction from family telling you to be here, be there, etc.) That is unless you've become one of the band of Huckaby Naysayers.

Jeff Hicks has the course in really good playing form right now. The fairways are running like Frank Shorter; (Not quite Steve Prefontaine, but getting there) the greens are rolling at a really true and good speed; the approaches are coming into their own and who knows, Matt might be able to bring his talented game to the next level by learning shots he wouldn't normally hit--which to me equates to not only playing, but focusing better.

I feel playing and learning how to play Rustic Canyon makes one a better golfer.*** And of course I might be biased, but I think it's just a tad better then Deadhawk. (Barona too.)

***Oh wait, I'm not that good of a golfer so therefore I don't really know this as a fact. (according to some here)

Good luck in the Cal State Open Matt.

[Joe Perches]

I can't think of a better place TO practice then at Rustic Canyon.

At Rustic, you can spray driver all over the place and still have second shots.  One of the Rustic Canyon course pros told me he prefers to play at Saticoy to improve his game because it demands more accuracy from the driver and has a greater variety of short game shots.

[Matt_Cohn]

Thanks Tommy. (It is, btw, the Amateur and not the Open).

I am looking forward to seeing Rustic Canyon before too long. I plan on visiting a pro friend in LA in the next few months and I'll do my best to get us out there.

In this case Redhawk was a better place for me to practice than Rustic because StoneTree features a lot of tight teeshots with trouble on one or both sides. (I don't think you'd love StoneTree much, either.) Hitting all those straight drives at Redhawk was a huge benefit when I got to StoneTree.

Of course, you can argue that I played one bad golf course to prepare for another one. I don't quite see it that way but it's a logical argument.

[Tom Huckaby]

Huckaby Naysayers?

Kinda hard to be a naysayer when one is generally silent on a subject and those few times one does say something it's Yay rather than nay.

I need a lot of practice if I am to become a band-leader.  Man do I suck.