It is not hard to find a golf course in the United States difficult enough to host the finest players in the world at a U.S. Open. It is not hard to find a course in the United States beautiful enough to host a U.S. Open. But finding a course in the United States that is both of those things, and accessible for the general public to play regularly? Well, that isn’t quite as easy as advertised.
It is true that one of the great foibles of elite North American golf is how little of it is available for public consumption. Just look at Long Island, Los Angeles, or even the Bay Area, host of this year’s Women’s Open. All are terrific metropolitan areas, all are teaming with golf populi, and all have a significantly larger share of notable private golf than public.
This year’s U.S. Open is a welcome break from the trend toward exclusivity. The tournament host is Torrey Pines, which is not only accessible for public play, but also a municipal golf course — owned an operated by the city of San Diego.
Yep, you read that right, anyone who wishes to tee it up at the host of this year’s U.S. Open can do exactly that, provided they can find a tee time. And we’re here to help explain how.
How to book a tee time at Torrey Pines
If you’d like to play the South Course at Torrey Pines, the easiest way to get a tee time is to be a San Diego resident. Those who live in the city can reserve times up to 90 days in advance and at a steeply discounted rate. For those who book 8-90 days out from their time, a $30 booking fee per player is required (no booking fee is applied to those who book within three days of their time). From there, the cost of an 18-hole round is a steal — $63 per player on weekdays and $78 on weekends.
For those who don’t live in San Diego, the process looks a lot similar, but costs a good deal more. Out-of-towners can book from 4-90 days in advance of their tee time, with a $45 booking fee charged per player. In addition to the booking charge, a non-resident rate of $202 per person greets players on weekdays, and $252 on weekends.
Those looking to reserve a tee time can do so through the link here, which will take you to the Torrey Pines online reservation system.
For the out-of-towners, it’s a pretty penny, but there’s something to be said for recreating your own Tiger-Rocco moment, or for merely seeing a two-time U.S. Open host in a way most venues can’t.
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