It was 16 years ago that the Torrey Pines South Course was renovated in a successful effort to attract the 2008 U.S. Open.

Another U.S. Open is scheduled for San Diego in 2021, and in preparation for it, some significant work is expected to happen again over the next couple of years.

On Thursday, the city will ask the California Coastal Commission to approve its plan to go forward with a project to replace the entire watering system on the South Course, rehabilitate all 84 sand bunkers, add as many as 10 new bunkers, regrade and add some tees and make grading adjustments to several holes.

The cost of the project will be at least $12 million, according to San Diego Golf Operations Manager Mark Marney, and the money will come from the golf enterprise fund.


Pending approvals, Marney said the construction would be accomplished in two phases, with the watering system likely going after the 2018 Farmers Insurance Open, followed by the bunker phase following the 2019 Farmers.

The course would not ever be closed for play, Marney said, because two holes would be worked on at one time, but golfers will be navigating around the construction for the better part of two years.

It is expected that work would be completed by the fall of 2019, giving the course at least 18 months to fully grow in before the U.S. Open in June 2021.

The city is currently taking bids from contractors for the work and is expected to choose one over the next several weeks.


Though a summary of the staff recommendation for the Coastal Commission says “the proposed project is intended to prepare and upgrade the existing Torrey Pines Golf Course to host the 2021 U.S. Open,” Marney said some portion of the work is to bring the maintenance up to the standards of the North Course, which was renovated a year ago.

“There are definitely things we’re doing in anticipation of the U.S. Open, but it’s not the lion’s share of the work,” Marney said.

Though the South was completely shut down and renovated in 2001 by architect Rees Jones, all the water lines were not replaced, Marney said, leaving the course with an undersized main line and an inefficient watering system.

Golf course irrigation systems run by computer have continued to be modernized since the early 2000s, with the ability now to control every minute that every sprinkler head is distributing water.


“It gives us the best ability to put the water where we want it,” Marney said.

A new technology was also used in the construction of the North Course bunkers. Breathable concrete was laid as the base, allowing water to seep through and be sucked up by sumps. The plan is to replace all of the lining of the South bunkers and add three sumps.

“We saw the benefit of the liners with the bunkers in the last year,” Marney said. “When we had the rain storms (in the winter), we had virtually no cleanup time on the North. On the South, it was two to three days to get them back in shape.”

While the bunkers are being renovated, some of them also will be moved, with PGA Tour and U.S. Open players in mind. With players driving the ball longer than ever, numerous fairway bunkers have been made obsolete by the pros’ ability to blast drives past them.


Data collected from the PGA Tour’s ShotLink system over the past 16 years allows tournament organizers to more strategically place the new bunkers. As many as 10 bunkers will be added — mostly in driving areas with the pros in mind.

The most significant changes to any one hole will come at the par-4 fourth, which is 488 yards from the back tees. The plan is to realign the fairway to bring it closer to the cliff. The fairway bunkers and cart paths would move west. A bunker on the left front of the green would move more to the center, allowing for a shot opening on either side of the green.

The fourth green itself will be the only putting surface to get extensive work. Marney said an unintended depression of about six feet in diameter has developed in the middle of the green.

Jones and his associates will have input into the bunker work, Marney said.


The $12 million to $14 million price tag for the work is significant, considering Tom Weiskopf’s full renovation of the North, including all of the greens, bunkers and tees, was of similar cost.

Marney said about $5.5 million of the cost had previously been allocated for the South work, while the balance will come out of the golf enterprise fund that currently has about $13 million in unallocated funds.

In the city’s 2021 U.S. Open contract, the U.S. Golf Association agreed to pay $350,000 toward any needed course work. The USGA also is paying the city up to $3 million in lost green fee revenue.

The challenge and cost for this project, Marney said, is that it’s being done in segments. He said he hopes a contractor is able to come in with a bid that is workable. The city had to go through a re-bidding process with the North when the initial bids were too high.


“We don’t want to have to go through that again,” Marney said. “We’d like to get it done as soon as possible.”

Updating Torrey Pines South

A look at the changes being considered for the Torrey Pines South Course, according to Mark Marney, the city of San Diego’s golf operations manager:

No. 1 (par-4): Right fairway bunker closest to tee will be removed and bunker added beyond the existing second bunker.

No. 2 (par-4): Right fairway bunker moved closer to the fairway.


No. 3 (par-3): No changes.

No. 4 (par-4): Fairway will be shifted farther to left to bring cliff more into play; right fairway bunkers shifted to the left; bunker fronting green will be moved to player’s right allowing for run-up on each side of green; green will be re-contoured; forward tee added.

No. 5 (par-4): No changes.

No. 6 (par-5): No changes; bunkers were considered for right of fairway, but decided against.


No. 7 (par-4): Second small bunker being considered beyond the left fairway bunker; possibly expansion of chipping area behind the green.

No. 8 (par-3): Daily play tee likely to be enlarged.

No. 9 (par-5): Possible repositioning of fairway bunkers on each side of landing area; possible moving of front left greenside bunker to create separation from back bunker.

No. 10 (par-4): Move left fairway bunker closer to the tee to challenge pros who lay up; bring right fairway bunker closer to fairway.


No. 11 (par-3): No changes.

No. 12 (par-4): Move fairway slightly to the left; remove first bunker on the left and expand the second bunker on the left fairway side; create a chipping area behind green.

No. 13 (par-5): Discussion about adding left fairway bunkers where only rough is now; as yet undecided.

No. 14 (par-4): Possible addition of fairway bunkers on the right to pinch fairway.


No. 15 (par-4): Possible re-contouring of area to left of green.

No. 16 (par-3): No changes.

No. 17 (par-4): Fairway re-aligned to left to bring canyon more into play; right fairway bunker complex taken farther left.

No. 18 (par-5): No changes.


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tod.leonard@sduniontribune.com; Twitter: @sdutleonard