Inside the course: Torrey Pines -- North and South

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Condon/PGA TOUR

The stunning Pacific Ocean backdrop is what makes Torrey Pines so special -- that and the fact that it was the site of Tiger's 2008 U.S. Open super-human dominance.

Feb. 4, 2009

The TOUR heads to the sunny La Jolla beaches this week for the clifftop Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, the host of last year's U.S. Open Championship ... like you forgot.

TORREY PINES - SOUTH COURSE

Fast facts

Course Superintendent	Jon Maddern
Original architect	Billy Bell, 1956
Redesign	Rees Jones, 2001
Par value	72
Number of TOUR events as host venue	42 (including 2009)
Course ranking	Ranked 3 (out of 54) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2008
Yardage history	7,021 yards (1968-1993)
	7,000 (1994-1995, 1998-1999)
	7,055 (2000-2001)
	7,568 (2002-present)
Grass	Bermudagrass; Poa annua (tees); Kikuyugrass (fairways); Poa annua (greens); Perennial ryegrass; Kikuyugrass; Poa annua (rough)
Tournament Stimpmeter	13 ft
Sand bunkers	80
Water hazards	1
Course tour	Click here

Course record

Player
Tiger Woods

Year
1999

Round
3rd

Finish
1

Holes-in-one

There have been 12 aces recorded during on the South Course at Torrey Pines

Player	Hole	Year
Parker McLachlin	3	2007
Peter Lonard	3	2005
Jay Williamson	3	2002
Kelly Gibson	8	1997
Russell Beiersdorf	3	1994
Peter Persons	8	1990
Jodie Mudd	11	1990
John Mahaffey	3	1989
Mike Sullivan	8	1987
Ronnie Black	8	1985
Loren Roberts	16	1984
Pat McGowan	3	1984

2008 Rankings

Most Difficult Hole

	The par-4 462-yard 7th A precise tee shot that avoids the single fairway bunker left and the canyon along the right will set up an approach to an uphill green that is deceptively narrow, especially in the back. 2008: 0 eagles, 10 birdies, 145 pars, 116 bogeys, 13 double bogeys, 3 others.
Easiest hole
	The par-5 560-yard 6th Players can attack this converted par 4 by carrying the canyon on the right with a high draw. Otherwise, the prudent tee shot is down the left, avoiding five fairway bunkers. The difficulty on the second shot will be getting a long approach to land softly on a green. 2008: 9 eagles, 127 birdies, 130 pars, 20 bogeys, 1 double bogeys and 0 others.

Torrey Pines - South Course			2008 rankings		Last 24 years
Hole	Par	Yards	Average score	Rank	Average score	Rank
1	4	452	4.167	8	4.210	4
2	4	387	4.070	12	3.955	14
3	3	198	3.192	6	3.087	10
4	4	471	4.258	5	4.269	3
5	4	453	4.348	2	4.101	8
6	5	560	4.571	18	4.668	18
7	4	462	4.491	1	4.293	2
8	3	176	3.049	13	2.963	13
9	5	613	4.951	15	4.771	15
10	4	405	4.132	9	4.009	12
11	3	221	3.118	10	3.178	5
12	4	477	4.174	7	4.308	1
13	5	541	4.882	16	4.729	16
14	4	435	4.101	11	4.096	9
15	4	477	4.334	3	4.168	7
16	3	227	3.272	4	3.175	6
17	4	442	3.976	14	4.075	11
18	5	572	4.714	17	4.681	17

TORREY PINES - NORTH COURSE

Fast facts

Course Superintendent	Wayne Carpenter
Original architect	William Bell, 1956
Par value	72
Number of TOUR events as host venue	42 (including 2009)
Course ranking	Ranked 34 (out of 54) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2008
Yardage history	6,874 yards
Grass	Kikuyugrass overseeded with perennial ryegrass (tees, fairways, rough); creeping bentgrass/Poa annua (greens)
Tournament Stimpmeter	11 ft
Sand bunkers	60
Water hazards	2
Course tour	Click here

Course record

Player
Mark Brooks
Brandt Snedeker

Year
1990
2007

Round
2nd
1st

Finish
T19
3

Holes in one

There have been four aces recorded on the North Course at Torrey Pines

Player	Hole	Year
Darren Clarke	3	2003
Dick Mast	3	1998
Larry Rinker	3	1992
Gary Koch	12	1988

2008 Rankings

Most Difficult Hole

	The par-3 190-yard 12th Plays a half to one full club longer. It's usually into the wind and slightly uphill. It's an easier pitch from the left than from the right, if you miss the green (grain, slope of the green). The bunker on the left is big, but if you land there chances are you'll have and uphill lie in the sand. If you go too far left, you'll have to deal with two Torrey pines. The sideways slope of the green is mostly to the left. 2008: 0 eagles, 5 birdies, 110 pars, 37 bogeys, 3 double bogeys, 0 others.
Easiest hole
	The par-5 520-yard 1st Usually plays into the prevailing wind, but you may catch it downwind on some early morning occasions. If you are going to play it in 3 shots, use a 3-wood off the tee to miss the fairway bunkers on either side. Your second is best if it's on the right side because the green not only slopes sharply from back to front, but also to the right. If you are trying for the green in two, missing it on the right side is better. 2008: 0 eagles, 64 birdies, 84 pars, 6 bogeys, 1 double bogeys and 0 others.

Torrey Pines - North Course			2008 rankings		Last 24 years
Hole	Par	Yards	Average score	Rank	Average score	Rank
1	5	520	4.639	18	4.636	15
2	4	326	3.665	15	3.799	14
3	3	121	3.019	9	2.892	11
4	4	429	3.961	11	4.005	8
5	4	412	4.213	T2	3.997	9
6	3	206	3.213	T2	3.179	1
7	4	400	4.168	4	4.095	3
8	4	436	4.084	7	4.015	7
9	5	548	4.865	14	4.540	17
10	4	416	3.916	13	3.985	10
11	4	467	4.148	5	4.169	2
12	3	190	3.245	1	3.046	5
13	4	469	4.123	6	4.069	4
14	5	507	4.665	15	4.567	16
15	4	397	3.968	10	3.885	12
16	4	338	3.923	12	3.851	13
17	3	172	3.071	8	3.023	6
18	5	520	4.658	17	4.476	18

Course origins

Torrey Pines switched from bentgrass to Poa annua on the greens, Kikuyugrass fairways and a Kikuyugrass/ryegrass/Poa annua blend in the rough over the past four years. The par-5 sixth has been converted to a par 4 by the USGA, and the U.S. Open will played as a par 71 on the South Course. Some fairways have been modified; a graduated rough is in place, and different teeing grounds can be used with the option of stretching the course to 7,643 yards.

In 2007, Course Superintendent Mark Woodward had new cart paths installed on the South Course, restricted power golf cars to those paths only and moved the last tee time up to 1 p.m. each day to reduce traffic on the turf from the 64,000 rounds played annually. The fourth hole, which runs alongside the cliffs overlooking the Pacific, was moved closer to the cliffs to bring the challenging crosswinds off the ocean more into play and the torrey pine trees, guarding the cliffs there, were transplanted to the other side of the fairway. Six of the tees were leveled and enlarged for the championship and the landing area on No. 18 was leveled as well. All the bunkers on the South Course were reshaped and restored, as 2,500 tons of sand were added. Five new bunkers have been added in the last year, and the 615-yard, par-5 13th has a new championship tee that carries 250 yards over a canyon.

Torrey Pines, located in La Jolla, Calif., is one of the nation's premier municipal golf facilities. It is bounded by mountains to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Fog, rain and wind often sweep the seaside courses that were designed by William Bell Sr. in 1957. Prior to becoming golf courses, the land was Camp Callan, a naval training area. The torrey pine tree is indigenous to this area and to Santa Rosa Island. The tree is distinguished by having clusters of five needles.

Tournament course history

Course	Location	Years
Torrey Pines GC	La Jolla, Calif.	1968-present
Stardust CC	San Diego, Calif.	1962-1963, 1965-1967
Rancho Bernardo CC	San Diego, Calif.	1964
Mission Valley CC	San Diego, Calif.	1955, 1957-1961
Singing Hills GC	El Cajon, Calif.	1956
Rancho Santa Fe GC	Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.	1954
San Diego CC	San Diego, Calif.	1952-1953

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-4, 435-yard 14th at Torrey Pines - South
LAST YEAR: The 17th played to a stroke average of 4.101, with players recording no eagles, 37 birdies, 197 pars, 45 bogeys and 7 double bogeys
DESCRIPTION: You will want to favor the right side of the fairway with a long tee shot to have the best approach to the green. You should place your second shot in the middle of the green, avoiding left and long as that is an automatic penalty. What you see is what you get when putting. (Click here for Torrey Pines tour)