The PGA Tour’s Most Storied Venues — And Why Torrey Pines Belongs at the Top
There’s a reason golf fans talk about “sacred ground.” Some courses don’t just host tournaments — they become the tournament. They’re the places where legends are made, records are set, and players etch their names into history year after year. The PGA Tour has been around for decades, and only a handful of venues have stood the test of time as truly permanent fixtures on the schedule.
Links Magazine recently highlighted the top 10 longest-running PGA Tour venues, and the list is a who’s-who of American golf’s most iconic addresses. Here’s how it stacks up — and why one San Diego treasure sits proudly near the very top.
The Longest-Running Venues in PGA Tour History
1. Colonial Country Club — Fort Worth, TX Colonial has been hosting PGA Tour golf since 1946, making it the longest-running venue in Tour history. That’s over 80 consecutive years at the same address. Ben Hogan won there multiple times. Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Zach Johnson — all champions at Colonial. The Charles Schwab Challenge (as it’s known today) is as much a part of Fort Worth as the stockyards.
2. Augusta National Golf Club — Augusta, GA Home of The Masters since 1934. Augusta isn’t just a course — it’s a cathedral. The azaleas, the whisper-quiet galleries, Amen Corner. It doesn’t get more hallowed than this.
3. Torrey Pines Golf Course — San Diego, CA The crown jewel of municipal golf in America has been hosting PGA Tour events continuously since 1968. That’s nearly 60 years of world-class competition on the cliffs of La Jolla, and with The Sentry locked in through at least 2035, that streak isn’t stopping anytime soon.
4. Spyglass Hill / Pebble Beach — Pebble Beach, CA The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has rotated through Spyglass Hill since 1978, making this stretch of California coastline one of the most enduring stops on tour.
5. Muirfield Village — Dublin, OH Jack Nicklaus designed it, and he also hosted the first Memorial Tournament there in 1976. Over 50 consecutive years later, it remains one of the best events on the PGA Tour calendar.
6. Bay Hill Club — Orlando, FL Arnold Palmer’s place. Bay Hill has hosted the Arnold Palmer Invitational since 1979, and there isn’t a more fitting tribute to the King than watching today’s best players tackle his home course each spring.
7. TPC Sawgrass — Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Home of The Players Championship since 1982. The island green on 17 has ended more dreams than we can count. TPC Sawgrass is the definition of a must-watch venue.
8. Riviera Country Club — Pacific Palisades, CA “The Riviera of the West” has hosted PGA Tour golf since the late 1920s. The Genesis Invitational has called it home for decades, and it’s consistently rated among the best courses the pros play all year.
9. Harbour Town Golf Links — Hilton Head, SC Pete Dye’s masterpiece on South Carolina’s coast has hosted the RBC Heritage since 1969. It’s one of the shortest courses on tour — and one of the most beloved.
10. Firestone Country Club — Akron, OH A longtime stop on the tour known for its demanding South Course, Firestone hosted the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational for many years and earned a reputation as one of the toughest tracks in pro golf.
Why Torrey Pines Deserves Special Recognition
Torrey Pines isn’t just on this list — it’s one of the most remarkable stories in all of professional golf. The course first hosted what was then called the San Diego Open all the way back in 1952, and it’s been on the schedule continuously since moving to its current cliffs-edge home in 1968.
Think about what that means: nearly 60 uninterrupted years of elite professional golf, on a publicly owned municipal course, in one of the most beautiful settings anywhere in the world. The Pacific Ocean on one side, the canyon on the other, hang gliders drifting over the back nine. There’s nothing else like it.
In that time, Torrey Pines has hosted legends. Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open there in one of the most dramatic major championships ever played, grinding through a playoff on a broken leg. The 2021 U.S. Open brought another unforgettable week. Justin Rose set a tournament record with a 23-under performance to win the last Farmers Insurance Open in January 2026. The list goes on.
And now, with Sentry Insurance stepping in as title sponsor and committing through at least 2035, the future of competitive golf at Torrey Pines looks better than ever. The first edition of The Sentry at Torrey Pines tees off January 25, 2027 — and we can’t wait.
If you’ve been dreaming about playing the same course the pros compete on, this is your moment. We’d love to help you book your round at Torrey Pines.
