Torrey Pines Delivers Championship Muni Vibe

There is a lot to like about Torrey Pines, the site of this week’s U.S. Open.

Start with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean from near every hole of the South Course, where the championship is being played, and the presence of paragliders drifting weightlessly just above the cliffs that rise from those waters. There are deep, wooded ravines along the layout, too, and they make any round feel like a nature walk, especially early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when mule deer, coyotes and other forms of wildlife are apt to emerge from those chasms.

Just as enticing are the stands of Torrey pines around the South, for those trees are quite rare and indigenous only to that coastal area as well as the nearby island of Santa Rosa.

No. 13, Torrey Pines South Course John Mummert, USGA

The competitive history of the 36-hole facility is also something to behold. Routed across a vast mesa that once housed a military training center and opened for play in 1957, Torrey Pines has been home to an annual PGA Tour event since 1968...