How to Play the Best Golf in San Diego
San Diego has the rare gift of a public icon: Torrey Pines, a genuine US Open course on the cliffs of La Jolla that anyone can book. Around it sits a deep field of resort and daily fee golf in a near perfect year round climate. Here is how to play the marquee course and the best of the rest, the access you need to know, and what it all costs in 2026.
Photograph: Torrey Pines Golf Course, San Diego, via Google
The short answer
The single most useful thing to understand about San Diego golf is that its most famous course is public. Torrey Pines, perched on the cliffs above the Pacific in La Jolla, is owned by the City of San Diego, and the South Course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open and two US Opens, is open to anyone willing to book a tee time and pay the non resident rate. That sets the city apart from places where the trophy courses sit behind private gates. The North Course, recently revised by Tom Weiskopf, is the gentler, more scenic companion and also fully public.
Around the icon, the public and resort golf is genuinely strong. The Arnold Palmer course at Aviara in Carlsbad is the most polished resort experience and a former LPGA host, Maderas in Poway is consistently rated the top daily fee course in the county, and the Tom Fazio course at The Grand near Del Mar is the premium resort option for guests. For value, the Coronado municipal on San Diego Bay is one of the best deals in American golf. The private clubs exist, but you never need one: San Diego is a city you can play to your heart's content from the public tee.
San Diego's best courses: how to get on, 2026
| Course | How to play | Indicative 2026 fee |
|---|---|---|
| Torrey Pines, South | Public city municipal in La Jolla; US Open and Farmers Insurance Open host; book the rolling tee window | Non resident around 234 to 292 dollars, plus cart |
| Torrey Pines, North | Public city municipal; the Weiskopf revised companion course; same booking system | Non resident, lower than the South, confirm by day |
| Aviara, Carlsbad | Resort and public at Park Hyatt Aviara; the Arnold Palmer course, former LPGA host | Around 250 to 350 dollars, cart included |
| Maderas, Poway | Public daily fee; consistently rated the top daily fee course in the county | Around 159 to 229 dollars |
| The Grand, Del Mar | Resort course at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar; the Tom Fazio design, primarily for guests | Premium resort rate, confirm by season |
| Coronado Municipal | Public municipal on San Diego Bay; famous value, book ahead | Around 49 dollars prime time |
Designers, access and indicative fees verified June 2026 from city, resort and course listings; they vary by season, day, residency and how you book and change without notice, so always confirm current rates and rules directly before booking. Check San Diego tee time availability.
How access works, course by course
Start with the icon. Torrey Pines is a city owned municipal, and the way onto the South Course is the public tee sheet, with non resident rates of an indicative 234 dollars on weekdays and around 292 dollars at weekends in 2026, plus a cart, and far lower rates for San Diego residents. Tee times are released on a rolling advance window and the prime weekend slots on the South go quickly, so plan ahead or use a trip planner to secure them. The North Course, redesigned by Tom Weiskopf and reopened in 2016, is the more forgiving and arguably more scenic of the two, and is an easier and cheaper booking, often paired with the South over a two round visit.
The resort and daily fee golf rounds out a trip without a single private gate. Aviara at the Park Hyatt in Carlsbad is the polished choice, an Arnold Palmer design from 1991 that hosted the LPGA for years, playing at an indicative 250 to 350 dollars with a cart. Maderas in Poway, a Johnny Miller and Robert Muir Graves layout from 1999 carved through rugged North County canyons, is the connoisseur's daily fee pick at around 159 to 229 dollars. The Tom Fazio course at The Grand near Del Mar is the luxury resort experience, geared to hotel guests, while the Coronado municipal on the bay is the value play, a tidy parkland course with bay views at around 49 dollars in prime time. Book the marquee rounds early and the rest falls into place.
Where to focus a San Diego trip
Most travelling golfers anchor a trip on Torrey Pines and build outward along the coast. A classic few days pairs the South and North at Torrey Pines with Aviara up in Carlsbad and a value round at Coronado, all within an easy drive and wrapped in the city's beaches, the La Jolla coast and the famously mild weather. Add Maderas for a more dramatic inland test if time allows. The climate means there is no wrong season, though spring and autumn give the kindest conditions and easier tee times. A concierge route smooths the rolling Torrey Pines booking window and the resort tee times so the marquee rounds are locked before you travel.
Plan your San Diego golf trip
We secure the Torrey Pines tee times on the rolling window, route Aviara, Maderas and Coronado along the coast, and time the trip to the kindest weather. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
San Diego golf access questions
Can you play Torrey Pines South?
Yes. Torrey Pines is a city owned municipal course on the cliffs above the Pacific in La Jolla, and the South Course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open and two US Opens, is open to the public to book. Non residents pay an indicative 234 dollars Monday to Thursday and around 292 dollars Friday to Sunday in 2026, plus a cart, while San Diego residents pay far less. Tee times are released on a rolling window and the marquee weekend slots go fast, so book ahead. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
What is the best public golf course in San Diego?
Torrey Pines South is the icon, a genuine US Open municipal anyone can play on the cliffs of La Jolla. Beyond it, the Arnold Palmer course at Aviara in Carlsbad is the most polished resort experience and a former LPGA host, Maderas in Poway is consistently rated the top daily fee course in the county, and Coronado on San Diego Bay is one of the best value municipals in the country. The Tom Fazio course at The Grand near Del Mar is the premium resort option. Always confirm current rates and access directly before booking.
How much does it cost to play golf in San Diego?
It spans a wide range. Torrey Pines South runs an indicative 234 to 292 dollars for non residents in 2026, Aviara around 250 to 350 dollars with cart, and Maderas around 159 to 229 dollars, while the Coronado municipal is famous value at around 49 dollars for prime play. Resident and twilight rates are lower, and the premium resort golf at The Grand sits at the top. These are indicative figures that vary by season, day and how you book, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in San Diego?
San Diego is a year round golf destination thanks to its famously mild coastal climate, with comfortable days in every month and little rain. Spring and autumn are arguably the sweet spots for the kindest conditions and slightly easier tee times, while winter draws golfers escaping colder states and summer is warm and busy. Mornings can bring coastal fog, the marine layer, that usually burns off by midday. Always confirm current rates and tee times before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Access rules and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.