Torrey Pines Golf Course (South) is a former U.S. Open venue and annual PGA Tour Stop. Here's how to play it for less than half of its regular rates.
The PGA Tour is playing at San Diego’s Torrey Pines this week, and once again, my friends at Golf Odyssey have the lowdown on playing this former U.S. Open venue and usually crowded municipal complex.
By “lowdown,” I mean the smart way to score a tee time at what is often called “Bethpage West,” and how to save a ton of money in the process.
Consider this: a traveling golfer who books an advance tee time on Torrey Pines’ South Course will have to pay an eye-popping $300 in fees (Bethpage Black is “only” $150 for nonresidents).
That’s a lot to pay for any U.S. Open course, let alone a muni.
Thankfully, there’s an easy and surprisingly convenient way to play Torrey Pines for more than half that much.
The secret is to avoid pricey advanced tee times and to take advantage of Torrey Pines’ walkup system and twilight fees, which can bring the price of a round on the South Course down to $110.
Of course, this isn’t really a secret at all because the course fully discloses you can play for less at off-peak times.
The real secret is that the availability of these off-peak rates is quite good and the walk-up system works pretty well.
Many people assume they’ll have to wait forever as a walk-up, and therefore they don’t even try.
Big mistake.
According to the editors of Golf Odyssey:
“After two days of walking from our course-side hotel rooms to put our names on the starter’s list (names are taken beginning at 6 a.m.), and getting called to play about when the starter predicted we would, we left convinced this was an eminently viable way to ‘do’ Torrey Pines.”
As noted above, the walk-up system is ideally suited for guests of the nearby Lodge at Torrey Pines or the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, because you can get your name on the starter’s list less than five minutes after leaving your room.
“While not guaranteed, your chances of getting on are excellent. When we surveyed the staff in the pro shop, they said if you show up on a weekday when no tournaments or special outings are scheduled, you will usually get out in an hour or two. On weekends, it may be three hours or so. However, since the starter can usually give you an estimate of how long your wait will be, you can return to the hotel while you wait.”
Bottom line, if you have the chance to play Torrey Pines at twilight, you should take it.
You may or may not like the course at $300, but at $110, you’ll love it.
What was your experience like at Torrey Pines Golf Course? Please share your comments below.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
So is the $110 the lowest or always the price when walking on?
$110 is the weekday, twilight rate for non-residents on the South Course. Goes up to $137 on weekends and holidays.
Nice to know you can still walk on relatively easily. I did exactly that a few years ago after needing to be in SD on business. Nice course, the South. I specifically remember the par-3 third hole, probably because I air-mailed the green and my ball wound up in the Pacific Ocean.
On a business trip to SD, I decided to walk on at Torrey Pines. I arrived at TP about 1:40 pm and ran to the starter window to put my name in. I was told about 1-1 1/2 hr wait for the South course. That was perfect to get ready, have a bite of lunch and warm up for a few minutes. So I head back to the car and am putting my shoes on at my rental car trunk, when I hear my name called to head to the first tee. So no lunch, stretching, practice, I rush back to the starter and told to get to the first tee. Played 18 from the back tees with two young locals and had a great time trying to chase them down the fairways. Go walk on…and walk the course as the pros do!
At $110 way over priced. Residents pay much less, as low as $25 with purchase of resident card or $37 without. A premium of $73 is higher than the prime time Resident Green Fee of $61. So no it is not worth the fee.
Twilite is my favourite time to play. I am just not awake at 7am, so you can have the early, expensive times! If $110 is Twilite weekday, when does twilite usually start? Is it so many hours before sunset and changes time of year or is it for ex, 3pm fixed, kwim? Also, if earlier than Twilite, what is that rate $$ for walk on? Is it the full $300? In which case, I sure wouldn’t tee off and pay 3 bills within an hour or two of twilite starting, that’s for sure.
Played both ways. High priced advanced tee times when schedule didn’t permit waiting and as a walk on. Loved it every time. Staff was very friendly and helpful and the course is just fun. The North is also available (and much cheaper) and is loads of fun. If you’re in SD a must play.
I have walked up all 6 times I have played there and the worst was a 2 hour wait. The place is wonderful and the North course is also very sweet for alot less money-around $80. I have run into some locals that treasure the greatness of the courses and some that think it is a muni. It is, but it is funny that they don’t appreciate that it may be the best muni in the world.
I played there 2 years ago and had a cousin who lived there. He made advanced tee times through a special code when he called in through an automated system. It’s only available to residents of San Diego. I was able to pay $60 or something like that when I played with him. I didn’t have to pay $110.
Two great Torrey experiences:
1. after a meeting, walked on with a threesome at the twilight rate. a 4th joins us on the 3rd hole. he was dropped off by the beverage cart girl…it’s his girlfriend. She drops him off and he joins partly filled groups for free. he sells Honda autos and had a rough day: started out his day surfing for two hours at sunrise, and then had to decide between more surfing or golf at Torrey at the end of the day. Tough life in SoCal!
2. walked on at 7 am without any problem. first group of the day because we were “ready to play right away” after a “fog hold” with three others. one, a just-retired USN quartermaster, a +3 about to head off to the Texas mini tours who fortunately knew the course like the back of his hand and had a GPS. He guided our shots into the green in the pea soup with unbelievable accuracy!