I feel qualified to speak a bit about Torrey Pines only because I've played it for 20 years with Junior Tournaments/HS golf and I would hit some range balls between classes while going to school across the street at UC San Diego. I'm presently a 4, thanks to playing more golf--like the rest of the world--during the pandemic. I played it until March, when they started shutting things down in preparation for the course. I prefer the North Course, after the redesign, but both are spectacularly beautiful and as difficult as it is breathtaking from so many tees.

Every Hole at Torrey Pines South

1) Rough is Penal like you Wouldn't Believe.

If you're even a yard off of the intermediate rough you're absolutely dead and will have to be hacking it out with a wedge unless you really muscle it out. Doing this opens the possibility of it spraying left or right or catching a flier. Taking a slide of humility and hacking it out is the only way to go unless you're ready to rip into it with a Bryson-like swing.

2) The Canyon on #3 is Really Close.

I've see many PGA Tour players snap hook it into the canyon or even push it out a bit left and it's OB. There's very little margin for error there and it's an incredibly small postage-size green from the elevated tee-box. Rocco about holing out during the Monday play-off at the 2008 US Open was a testament to not only his nerves, but being able to thread the needle.

3) If there is Wind off the Ocean on #4 it plays WAY longer than the card's 490 yards.

I play the green tees (championships/blues) and at 416 if the wind is even blowing a bit off the ocean then I have never not had to hit a 3-wood into the green. I pump my driver 270 in the desert, but ocean golf is a whole number ballgame. It looks cloudy Thurs/Fri, but all clear and sunny Sat/Sun so you very well may see a desert or local player on a Sunday run.

4) Many Aggressive Plays off the Tee on #6 to cut the Par 5's Corner End in Disaster.

At 564 yards, some players may try to slice off a bit by going over some of the Torrey Pines, but there's a heck of a lot of brush and OB that you'll have to content with if you're feeling so bold. I've seen some single-digit bombers go OB right then OB right again trying to cut it to get on in two. The green is relatively ripe for the taking once you get into the fairway so it's a gamble that has a nice reward. The fairway also ends pretty abruptly so you can stripe a drive and have it run through the fairway and under a tree, which stymies your changes of going for it in two.

5) The Wind of #7 can swirl and push approach shots OB over the green.

At 462 with a green you can not be long on, very often I've seen good players quickly give their Par 5-birdie back with a double on this hole by going long or fanning their drive to the right, behind a tree, leaving them needing to pull out a worm-burner punch to get their 2nd anywhere near the green.

6) You can not see the green on #8, only bunkers.

You're hitting uphill to a green that is visually intimating because all you're seeing, by design, is bunkers. Long or short you're presented with a tight bunker shot, often plugged, and you need to slam it to go up and out or you're right back in the sand. La Jolla is known for its beautiful sand beaches, but you don't want to be spending your time on these beaches.

7) #9 is a 615-yard Par 5 with the hole's length as a defense, but also huge green side bunkers for DJ and bombers who want to driver-3 wood this on.

There are grass patches by the green that are thick and difficult and if you're trying to bite off an on-in-two on this one then you're going to have to content with either this difficult grass or the bunker. I'll take the sand every time, although every smart player I know plays this as a 3-shot hole, from every tee.

8) #12 is the #2 handicap, but for me is always the hardest hole on the course.

The wind that blows the gliders up over La Jolla is the same wind that will be making this 505-yard Par 4 feel like 605. I'm always doing a 75% 3-wood to keep it under the wind as this hole is a bit up the hill. Once you get closer to the green for your 2nd shot the wind is swirling even further so club selection is pretty tough. A Par on this hole is more satisfying than a birdie on just about any other hole.

9) The 621-par 5 #13 necessitates that you lay-up to ~100 yards because the drop-off would make your 3rd shot about 40 feet directly up, facing 3 rows of bunkers. You all remember him making a 60' footer from the back of the green on this to charge up the leaderboard. Triple breaker 60' putts that can roll off the green, down the hill for 80 yards, and back into no-man's land are pretty intimidating. I would have been happy with a 3-putt from there.

10) The 18th's Green Is Designed to Horse Shoe Balls Into the Water

I've gone for it on the 18th--It's the 18th at Torrey, why not?--and 1/2 of the time it'll be running up beautifully and instantly will take the ridge in the narrow corridor and "guide" the ball into a watery grave. I remember falling flat on my back going from the elation of having a putt for Eagle into a difficult chip to save par. This hole will be some great theater for the entirety of the tournament.

Stay-tuned for more updates from r/PGA or feel free to ask questions and I'll answer them as best as I can based on my experience!