Want a Tee Time at Torrey Pines? Try Winning Junior Worlds.

Anyone who has tried to play Torrey Pines knows the truth: the hardest shot at this place is getting on the tee sheet in the first place. Tee times on the South Course get snapped up the moment they open, the waitlist runs long, and the lottery for a weekend slot can feel about as forgiving as the 12th hole into an ocean breeze. But there is one surefire way onto these fairways — though we’ll warn you up front, it isn’t easy.

All you have to do is become one of the best junior golfers on the planet and qualify for the Junior World Golf Championships. The week of July 6, 2026, that’s exactly what a few hundred of the world’s most talented teenagers will do. The 15–18 division of the Junior World Golf Championships returns to Torrey Pines, and these kids will walk the same South Course turf that hosted the 2008 U.S. Open and headlines the Farmers Insurance Open every January. For most golfers, that’s a bucket-list round. For these juniors, it’s tournament Tuesday.

A Tournament With Real History

The Junior World Golf Championships were founded in 1968 by John W. Brown, Mrs. A.S. “Lou” Smith, and Norrie West. Their idea was a simple but ambitious one: bring young golfers from every corner of the world together in San Diego and let the game do the rest. The very first event drew 475 entrants from 20 states and six countries.

Nearly six decades later, that vision has grown into one of the most prestigious junior events anywhere. The championship now welcomes a field of more than 1,000 golfers each summer, and since 1968 it has seen players from 73 countries tee it up. Different age divisions play different courses across San Diego — but the 15–18s, the oldest and most competitive group, always finish at Torrey Pines. It’s the crown jewel, and everyone in junior golf knows it.

The Names on the Trophy

Here’s where Junior Worlds earns its reputation. Long before they were household names, some of the biggest stars in golf were grinding it out at this very tournament.

Tiger Woods is the standard-bearer. He won a record six Junior World titles — in 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991 — beginning with a victory in the 9–10 division when he was still only eight years old. No one has matched it.

He’s far from alone. Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Craig Stadler, Corey Pavin, Nick Price, David Toms, Notah Begay III, and Jason Day all have their names tied to this event. In fact, 1984 was a vintage year: Toms took the 15–17 title, Els won the 13–14 division with a teenage Mickelson finishing runner-up, and Woods captured the 9–10s. That’s a lot of future major champions and Ryder Cup players in one San Diego summer.

When you watch the juniors compete at Torrey Pines this July, it’s fair to wonder which one is next.

Earning the Tee Time the Hard Way

So yes — the players in the field have done something most of us never will. They’ve earned a tee time at Torrey Pines through sheer talent, beating out thousands of hopefuls just to qualify. It’s a reminder of why this place is so special, and why a round here means so much.

The good news? You don’t have to shoot par to play Torrey Pines. You just have to know who to call.

Ready to book your own Torrey Pines experience? Call us at 800-TORREY PINES.