As many of you know, I love Torrey Pines golf course. I love it so much that I named my daughter, Torrey. The reason for this is the beauty that surrounds this course and area. The first time I played Torrey Pines in October 2010, I had to remind myself that I was golfing because the surroundings were just magnificent. My goal was to play from the back tees and try and break 100, no mulligans or gimmies. I proudly shot 97. I am now addicted to Torrey Pines, $250 doesn't seem to bad to be allowed to play a round at Torrey Pines. Of course, my wife will tell you differently.
I wasn't sure what to expect the second time around. The first time, the course was in repair getting ready for the Farmers Insurance Open to be held in January 2011. The greens were a bit slower, but the fairway was narrow and the breeze was decent. This time the course condition read, "Tournament Condition". I could tell immediately that the course was different, the fairways were quicker, the greens were lighting fast, and the rough was a bit longer. However, the most damaging difference was that the thick humid breeze decided to gradually pick up as the day wore on. My goal for round 2, break 97.
The round began with a nice fade of the tee that made its way into the rough. I didn't feel too bad since the other three I was playing with all made the rough as well. A solid 3-wood left me about 10 feet from the green in which I promptly two putted after a mediocre chip shot. And with a bogey, I was off to a better start than before.
The most amazing holes of golf I have ever seen are holes 3 and 4 at Torrey Pines South. #3 Par three is pictured right. This is an elevated tee box that leaves you about 170 yards out with about a 50 foot drop to the green. Left and you are down the ravine, short and
you are in the massive sand trap, long and you are in the ocean. Doesn't leave you much choice but to go right at the green. And so I did. 170 yards at sea level with the stiff breeze coming in off the ocean made what should have been a hard 9 iron, into a solid 6 iron. I don't remember a better looking shot than the one I was about to take. I geared back and hit the ball up in the air and immediately saw it heading right for the pin. It seemed to stay in the air forever. It promptly landed about 5 feet right of the pin and then spun back about 10-15 feet. I was left with about a 20 foot putt for birdie. I left a few inches right of the hole. Tap in for par on one of the most dauntin
g holes in golf. The 4th hole is spectacular (pictured right). It is a long par 4 with the ocean on your left and the steep clips leaving you no option but to stay right. The green is tiny with no room for error to the right or long. In fact you have about 3 feet of fringe and rough before you drop 100 feet straight down. I hit a fade that the breeze made even worse into the thick rough about 240 yards shy of the green. I then hit one of the best shots of the round. A 3-wood, can you sense a pattern with a 3-wood approach shot? I had to keep it left of a tree blocking me but I knew with the slight fade the club brings and the sea breeze, that I could make it work. So I hit it about 30 feet left of the green and let the wind bring it back and it plopped on the green. I then three putted for bogey!The greens at Torrey Pines are fast, really fast. I had discovered this after the first 6 or 7 holes but it still took awhile to adjust to it. The 7th hole is the #1 handicap hole on the course and it lived up to its name. I was in the right rough with about 220 yards to the green. The green is elevated and is protected by sand traps all around. The pin was generously located in the far back tip of the kidney bean shaped green, blind to where my ball was positioned. Again, I pull out a wood, and hit another bending fade but this fell short into the sand trap. I then had a great shot out of the sand trap that hit the green and ran off the green and into a huge chasm. The fast greens got me again. Double bogey. After 9 I knew I was in for a dog fight as I had only par'd one hole and was doing a good job scraping by and trying to just make bogey. But I knew the most difficult holes remained.
The back nine brought more of the same. Long holes, invisible fairways, stiff breeze, and slippery greens. Recipe for disaster. It was on the 12th hole that I realized this course was really showing its grit. Torrey Pines South, ranked as the #5 toughest courses in the states, was proving it. The 12th hole was 504 yards into the wind. I think the average drive for the foursome was around 200 yards. I hit two long 3-woods just to make it to the green in 3. After #12 I felt exhausted. Although I knew it would be tough to break 97, I was still enjoying every minute of it.
The 13th hole is a long par 5 (614 yards) that has about a 50 foot drop 100 yards in front of the green. This is basically a collecting point for your 2nd shot. You then are looking 50 feet uphill at an elevated green with 6 sand traps surrounding it. I took a 6 on that hole and was damn proud of it. I love the 13th hole. It is a true test after the long and exhausting 12th. The 14th is another beautiful hole with no room for error behind the green. I was sitting two to the right of the green with a huge sand trap in front of me. Due to the lack of green and risk of going down the cliffs if I went a little long, I had to pitch it back to the left of me onto the fairway. I made a 5! Happy once again for a bogey. The 15th hole is kind of plain, and I triple bogied it. This is the first time I felt like I made a mental error, all my other poor shots were caused by the course, this one was on me. However, I felt like it was a biproduct the exhaustion that the South course causes.
The 16th hole is what they call the "Tiger" hole. The starter says only Tiger can play this hole well. It is a 227 yard par 3 right into the wind. I wanted to use my driver but was kind of embarrassed to. I should have, I left it 30 feet short after hitting what I thought was an excellent 3 wood. I left my par putt on the lip and bogied, once again, happy with that. The 17th hole is my hole. I par'd it the first time by hitting a nice shot and this time I actually found the fairway. Second one of the day, thank you. I was left with a mere 218 yards to the front of the green. A 3-hybrid that went left to right, landed on the green and rolled a few feet leaving me 8 feet short of the hole. (Photo right). I really wanted to birdie a h
ole at Torrey Pines and this was only my 4th or 5th chance through 35 holes playing there. I saw the line, I had the speed, I just told myself to putt it smoothly. I was worried that it would slip by the hole and run down off the green so I had that in my mind. I putted it and it stopped on the lip. I was devastated! I seriously was in shock. I really wanted it. I had to regroup and move on to the championship hole, the mighty 18th. Two pars on the 17th for me, maybe next time I will get it.The 18th hole is a "championship" hole. It is long (571 yards), unreachable in two, unless you are on the PGA Tour, and has a daunting approach shot over a lake and surrounded by
sand traps. I made a triple bogey that last time I played there and I thought it was just a goof up on my part. I was wrong. I hit just right of the fairway on my drive and hit a layup with my 3-iron, leaving me 100 yards out. I was in front of the lake and all I had to do was hit it nice and simple onto the green. I pulled it left and into the sand. My mistake. The green slopes towards the water and is as slippery as ice. I had to pitch it in from the sand in order to break 97. I did not. I pitched it up the huge slope of the trap and it made it up to the top and out. Rolled back in from the fringe. My second attempt out of the sand made the green and I was faced with a 10 foot putt up hill to a very difficult hole placement. So difficult in fact that it was absolutely unmakeable if you were above the hole. One guy in our foursome had a 12 inch putt above the hole for birdie. He 
double bogied, he putted it 17 feet passed the hole and barely tapped it. I made the same mistake, my putt went up the hill and stopped 7 inches above the hole. I thought it would roll back down. I actually putted it 1 inch sideways and not even towards the hole just to try and get it in, it rolled 15 feet back down the green. A two putt from there and my second round at Torrey Pines had ended with a 9 on the last hole and a 100 on the scorecard.One of the guys in the foursome said he was a 5 handicap and shot a 4 over a few days before on another course in the area. He shot a 98. The four scores from our group were 97, 98, 100, 106. I can testify that the South course is one tough dog of a course and took all I had just to keep it withing the 100 range.
My final thoughts on Torrey Pines is that it was an amazing experience. I am so glad I played there again. I see the trophy of the 2008 U.S. Open in the clubhouse (a replica I am sure) and it gives me chills to think of what history the course has. Tiger won his last major there and it took all he had and some luck on the 18th to do so. He said afterward that it was his most memorable major. The course can get to you, when you are always 200+ yards out on your approach shots, it makes for difficult days. That is after I was driving the ball well. One of the course pros was telling me that people don't like to play the South and not because of the expensive price tag, but because it makes them feel like lousy golfers. I told him that I loved the course and that I named my daughter Torrey, he thought that was pretty cool. Not cool enough for a discount though. I am sure I will play there again, and if I do, maybe I can get that elusive birdie after all.
