After punching up a playlist of mediocre pop music, we left Palm Springs for the coast on Route 74 -- the Palms to Pines Highway. Starting below sea level on the floor of the Coachella Valley, 74 rises more than 6,000 feet into the mountains on a series of gnarly switchbacks. Normally it's fun to chirp the tires and scare the senior citizens through the twists. But it was actually snowing at the top of the pass, so we rooted for the C350's traction control to keep us from falling to our doom. At least the view through the hole in the guardrail would have been picturesque.
We drove west to Carlsbad and the best route into San Diego, from the north on the Pacific Coast Highway. Carslbad is a golf mecca: The headquarters for Callaway and TaylorMade jostle for space in the same office park, and two world-class golf resorts are just down the street. La Costa Resort and Spa, the former site of the Accenture Match Play, is coming off a $140 million renovation, or you could slum it with a $725-per-night golf and spa package at the Four Seasons Aviara.
Torrey Pines (see "Touring Torrey," below) is just south of Carlsbad, right off the PCH. You can watch the Buick Invitational and the U.S. Open on television, but the only way to get the crazy-good fish tacos at Las Olas is to stop at the beach in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. It's the yogurt sauce that does it. Just don't spill any on the upholstery.
Torrey's South Course has beautiful views of the Pacific.
Photo By J.D. Cuban
TOURING TORREY
• Torrey Pines is a 36-hole public facility, with preferred tee times (and green fees) for San Diego County residents. Visitors can reserve tee times up to 90 days in advance at 877-581-7171. The green fee for the South Course, where the U.S. Open will be played in June, is $145.
• Full-week badges for the U.S. Open are selling for $480 and up on websites like stubhub.com.
• The Buick Invitational is played on Torrey's South and North courses in late January. You can buy printable tickets (ranging from $20 for a day to $110 for the week) online at buickinvitational.com.
• Rooms at the ultra-exclusive Lodge at Torrey Pines, on site, start at $400 and go fast. There's a Hilton next door to the course, and rates there start at $289.
- Text Size:
- Small Text
- Medium Text
- Large Text
