The Milkman said:
Yeah it's generally considered a very bland course. It's "teeth" just because of length and long rough. It's largely a forgettable course that happens to be on the water.
For a course they've been playing every year on tour for 30 years… how many specific holes can you envision? 3 or 4 maybe?
TV does a horrible job showing the character of the course. I've played it much more than any other high end course as my wife's family is all in San Diego.
The reason they can't really show it is the same reason it isn't bland or boring. The natural ravines interwound through half the courses remove a lot of OB / pedestrian area that would normally allow for better camera locations to maximize the ability to show the course. They also add great depth and contrast while playing. Many of which you hit over and you can't even really see ion TV. They just look like scrub brush or trees when on the course they're actually steep ravines hundreds of feet deep leading to the ocean below.
The teeth of the course is the narrow fairways surrounded by thick rough, the complex, small feeling multi-tiered greens, and the deep bunkers next to them. Most over your head. There's some flat spots in the fairways, but their few and far between. 90% of them either slant dramatically to the ocean or ravines or give difficult downhill lies. This isn't a course where you'll see bombers succeed. It's a very difficult technical course and the guys who can keep it in the fairway and are the best iron players generally do well.
Simple things like the hotel and grill on the property also add character not really seen at all on the broadcast. So do the paragliders that cruising up and down the course. They often feel like you can almost touch them or hit the with a bad tee shot. All the fighter jets and helos from all the airbases nearby always streaking out to sea. Or the fact the beach is like 1,000 feet below the course, but doesn't really come off that way on TV. And to say it's intimidating teeing off the 1st of either course with the raised patio fo the clubhouse and the patio fo the grill all watching is an understatement. We eat brunch there every trip even if not playing to watch the show.
The par 3, third hole on the South Course is my favorite. Which is kind of ironic as I don't think I've ever played it even par or better. There's a large drop in elevation to the narrow, horizontal 3 tiered green. It seems impossible to miss the front bunker or not fly it into the ocean. And even if you do hit the green, if it's not on the same tier as the flag, it's almost assured to be a 3 putt as that green is damn near impossible.
Torrey Is much more widely revered than on here. Just look at all the majors it's hosted (even recently with all the new snazzy courses). It has just as long and storied history as any other famous course.
Now that being said, the holes up against the hospital, parking lots, and driving range are blah comparitably.. But that really only 4 of 36 holes.
But we can agree to disagree. That's not surprising since I also enjoy the south course more than the north course.
South Course
Hole 3, south course
