No Tee Time at Torrey Pines? The San Diego City Championship Is Your Way On.

A few weeks back we made the case that one surefire way onto Torrey Pines is to become one of the best junior golfers on the planet and qualify for Junior Worlds. True — but let’s be honest, that ship has sailed for most of us.

So here’s the good news for the grown-ups: there’s another way onto the same hallowed South Course turf, and you don’t have to be a 17-year-old phenom to take it. You just have to sign up for the San Diego City Amateur Golf Championship.

From July 13–15, 2026 — just a week or so after Junior Worlds wraps up — amateur golfers from all over the region will descend on Torrey Pines to compete for one of the most coveted titles in San Diego golf.

A Championship for Everyone

What makes the City Amateur special is that it isn’t reserved for scratch players and ex-college stars (though plenty of those show up). The tournament is built around multiple divisions: a Men’s Championship, a Women’s Championship, and Senior divisions for both men and women aged 50 and over. On top of that, the Open divisions are flighted by handicap — meaning you compete against players of similar ability, not against the local club champion who hits it 320.

That’s the beauty of it. A mid-handicapper can tee it up on the same fairways that host the U.S. Open and the Farmers Insurance Open every year. You bring a GHIN handicap and some game; the City Championship provides the stage.

The numbers tell the story of how popular it’s become. In a recent year, the Men’s Championship flight alone filled 120 players, the Men’s Open handicapped flights grew to 60, and the Senior division drew dozens more across its flights. This is one of the deepest amateur fields in Southern California — which, frankly, is one of the toughest places in the country to win an amateur event.

Recent years have produced some memorable finishes, too. In 2024, sisters Jasmine and Janae Leovao went one-two in the Women’s Division — Jasmine running away with it at nine-under 135 — while Mark Miller claimed the Senior title. It’s the kind of event where family bragging rights and lifelong dreams play out on the same leaderboard.

How It Works

The tournament is meticulously organized and run entirely by the professional staff at the Torrey Pines pro shop, and it has a format all its own. Rounds are played as shotgun starts — every group tees off at once from a different hole — with morning waves going out at 7:00 AM and afternoon waves at 1:00 PM. The Open and Senior flights play to a 36-hole cut before the field is narrowed for the final push.

It’s a true test. Torrey Pines South stretches over 7,000 punishing yards along the cliffs of La Jolla, with ocean breezes, deep rough, and greens that have humbled major champions. Shooting a good number here under tournament pressure is something you’ll be telling your buddies about for years.

Earning the Tee Time the Hard Way (Again)

So there it is — your path onto Torrey Pines. Where the juniors at Junior Worlds had to beat the whole world to get here, the City Championship asks something a little more achievable: enter, show up, and play your game against folks just like you.

And if competitive golf under a shotgun start isn’t quite your idea of a relaxing day on the cliffs? No problem. You don’t need a trophy or a tournament entry 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.