The 36-hole torrey pines golf course, which is owned and run by the city of san diego, is located atop the coastal cliffs of la jolla and is widely recognized as one of the finest public golf facilities in the world. The two 18-hole courses were designed by william f. bell and opened for play in 1957 on the site of a former military training facility.

while both formats are used for the pga tour's farmers insurance open early in the season, the south has the advantage in terms of championship experience, having hosted the 2008 us open, and it will host the same event again in 2021. The north does not get almost as much public coverage as its sister, considering the fact that many believe it to be on par with it.

Early in the new millennium, rees jones renovated the south course, but a parallel project for the north was shelved. The construction was given the green light more than a decade back, with phil mickelson's architecture company deeply involved in the remodelling programme. Unfortunately, his company was unable to be employed for the job due to state regulation, and the contract was therefore awarded to tom weiskopf.

The project involved reshaping bunkers, almost halving their number, marginally expanding the fairways, and increasing the total size of the current bent grass greens to 6,000 square feet. Weiskopf also cut down some sixty trees (which were allegedly infested with beetles), which helped to enhance the already stunning ocean views.