Torrey Pines Tee Times and Booking
Torrey Pines is the rare United States Open course that anyone can book and play, a city owned muni on the cliffs above the Pacific in La Jolla. The catch is competition for the best times, because the famous South Course is busy year round. Here is exactly how the reservation system works, how far ahead to book, what it costs in 2026, and how to lock in the round you want.
Photo: Torrey Pines Golf Course via Google, by Randolfo Santos.
The short answer
Torrey Pines is owned by the City of San Diego and run as a public facility, so there is no membership gate and no handicap requirement. You reserve a confirmed visitor tee time in advance through the official Torrey Pines booking system or the city reservations line, and you simply turn up and play. The single most useful thing to know is the booking window: non residents can reserve up to about 90 days ahead, while San Diego residents who hold a resident card get an earlier window and far lower fees, which is why prime weekend and morning slots can look claimed the moment they open.
The course you travel for is the South, the layout William F. Bell opened in 1957 and Rees Jones rebuilt in 2001, adding length and teeth for championship golf. It is a par 72 stretching to about 7,700 yards and hosts the Farmers Insurance Open every January, along with the 2008 and 2021 United States Opens. The companion North Course is shorter, friendlier and arguably has the better ocean views, and it makes an ideal warm up or value round. Everything below was checked in June 2026 and is indicative, so always confirm the current booking rules and fees directly before you travel.
How to book Torrey Pines, at a glance
The same rules cover both courses; the difference is demand and price. Here is the booking picture for a visiting golfer.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where to book | Official Torrey Pines booking site or the city reservations line; the Lodge at Torrey Pines also offers guest tee time access |
| How far ahead | Non residents up to about 90 days; San Diego resident card holders get an earlier window and lower fees |
| Handicap needed | No; Torrey Pines is a public muni open to all standards |
| Green fee, South | Indicatively around 300 to 400 dollars per round for non residents (2026), plus a cart fee near 48 dollars per player |
| North versus South | The South is the championship course; the North is shorter, cheaper and a great value or warm up round |
| Twilight | Lower twilight rates are offered later in the day; tee sheets shrink in winter daylight |
Booking details and fees verified June 2026 from City of San Diego golf information and recognized golf travel sources, and are indicative. Fees change by season, day and resident status, and exclude carts and extras. Always confirm directly before booking. Check Torrey Pines tee time availability.
When to book through the year
| Season | Demand | How early to book |
|---|---|---|
| Peak (Mar to Oct) | Very high, mornings and weekends first to go | Open your booking at the 90 day mark |
| January | High, tournament buzz around the Farmers Insurance Open | Book well ahead and avoid tournament week itself |
| Winter weekdays | Moderate, shorter daylight | A few weeks ahead is often workable |
Booking the South Course, step by step
Fix your dates and count the days
Everything turns on the 90 day window. As soon as your travel dates are firm, count back 90 days and mark the morning the South Course opens for those dates. The most sought after slots, weekend mornings above all, can be taken within minutes of release, so know exactly when your window opens.
Book online or by phone the moment it opens
Use the official Torrey Pines booking system or the city reservations line right when your window opens. Have your group size and card details ready. Single players and twosomes can sometimes find space the bigger groups cannot, so stay flexible on numbers if a specific time matters more than playing as a four.
Decide South only, or both courses
If you want the full experience, play the North as a warm up the day before and the South as the main event. The North costs less, plays faster and serves up the best clifftop views, while the South is the serious test you came for. Many visitors build a two round stay around the pair.
Add a cart and check twilight value
Carts are an extra fee per player and the South is a long, demanding walk, so most visitors ride. If your schedule is loose, a later twilight tee time trims the green fee, though winter daylight is short and you may not finish 18.
Consider a stay and play at the Lodge
The Lodge at Torrey Pines, beside the first tee, offers guest golf access that can ease the booking scramble, and a stay and play package wraps the round, the room and the location into one. We can arrange this and pair it with the rest of a San Diego golf trip.
On the day, and building a trip
Arrive early, because parking, the pro shop and the starter all take time on a busy muni, and the South gives you nothing if you rush. Warm up on the range, play a sensible set of tees rather than the championship markers, and take in the setting: gliders overhead, the Pacific on your right and the eucalyptus that gives the place its name. For how the course itself plays and the full scorecard, see the Torrey Pines South Course profile and the gentler Torrey Pines North Course profile.
Torrey Pines sits at the heart of one of the great golf cities, so it slots naturally into a wider trip. Pair it with the courses up and down the coast, and read our roundup of the best municipal and public courses in the United States for context on where it ranks. For the full plan, see our San Diego golf hub and let a tailored San Diego golf holiday handle the tee sheet, the carts and the lodging for you.
Plan a San Diego golf trip
We help secure the Torrey Pines tee time, pair it with the best of the San Diego coast and book the lodging around it. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and a concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Torrey Pines questions
How far in advance can you book Torrey Pines?
The City of San Diego runs an advance reservation service that lets visitors book a Torrey Pines tee time up to about 90 days ahead, through the official Torrey Pines booking site or the reservations line. San Diego residents with a resident card get an earlier booking window and lower fees. Prime weekend and morning times on the South Course go quickly, so reserve as soon as your dates are firm. Always confirm the current booking window directly before planning.
How much does it cost to play Torrey Pines South in 2026?
The non resident green fee on the championship South Course has run in the region of 300 to 400 dollars for a weekday or weekend round in recent seasons, with a separate cart fee around 48 dollars per player and lower twilight rates. The North Course is cheaper, and San Diego residents pay far less. Figures are indicative for 2026, change by season and day, so always confirm directly before booking.
Do you need a handicap to play Torrey Pines?
No. Torrey Pines is a municipal course owned by the City of San Diego and open to the public, so there is no handicap certificate requirement to play either the South or North Course. It is a genuine United States Open test from the back tees, so most visitors play a forward tee for an enjoyable pace of play.
Which Torrey Pines course should you play?
The South Course is the famous one, the United States Open and Farmers Insurance Open venue redesigned by Rees Jones, longer and tougher, and the round most visitors travel for. The North Course is shorter, friendlier and offers arguably the better ocean views, and makes a fine warm up or value round. Many golfers play both over two days.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, course history, access and booking window verified June 2026 from City of San Diego golf information and recognized golf travel sources; green fees indicative for the 2026 season. Last reviewed June 2026.