Torrey Pines (South course) Est. 1957

Like many of the legendary seaside courses of Britain and Ireland, Torrey Pines is both a municipal golf facility and also home to a wonderfully testing and immensely scenic layout that stands alongside the world's best. The South course, host to the Buick Invitational and now a US Open Championship, is perched high up on cliffs overlooking the Pacific. Laid out around several deep and spectacular ravines that cut into the coastline from the ocean, the course roams its way over the undulating clifftop terrain, providing panoramic ocean and coastal views from virtually every hole. In this unique coastal environment, the not overly wide fairways are flanked by quite thick, clinging grass and a pleasant, but never dense assortment of trees - among them many tall eucalyptus and, of course, several torrey pines (see Did You Know section below). Also providing definition to the holes, both along the lush fairways and around the often smallish greens, is a wonderful array of bunkers, never more imposing than on your uphill approach shot to the stunning par-5 13th. The downhill par-3 3rd is another gem; seen from many different parts of the course, the green is surrounded on three sides by the plunging ravine. Many holes enjoy a wonderful ocean backdrop, the par-4 12th and 14th are especially scenic. Pebble Beach might be the most famous of California's seaside golf courses, but on a value for money basis, Torrey Pines (South) cannot be beaten.