Torrey Pines Mess, Vol. 5 ***

The San Diego City Council votes Tuesday on the proposed renovation of Torrey Pines North. As usual, Tod Leonard has another interesting and detail-rich piece on the controversial project.

“If the North Course is renovated now, the total cost for the two courses would be at least $6.4 million – or $4.5 million more than the original figure that was approved,” Leonard writes. “The North's $3 million cost does not include six months of lost revenue during construction.”

"That was simply a place-holder figure," City Manager Bruce Herring said of the $1.9 million. "We didn't know what it was going to cost."

Leonard writes that a total of $3,332,591 needs to be drawn from the city's golf enterprise fund for work on both courses.

“Of that, $2.1 million will be spent on North Course renovation, $425,000 on consultant services, $150,000 on site furnishing and signage and $364,650 on South Course irrigation and "minor adjustments." An additional $250,000 has been set aside for contingencies. The work would be performed by Kubly Golf Course Construction Inc., which did the South renovation, in association with Jones.”

Through "an agreement" with the “Friends of Torrey Pines,” the U.S.G.A., has agreed to contribute a whopping $100,000 for the South work and possibly another $100,000 in consultant fees.

USGA Executive Committee member Jay Rains is chairman of the "Friends of Torrey Pines."

Update***: Tod Leonard looks at the rain hitting Torrey Pines and the need to redo the North greens because of their inability to take on heavy amounts of moisture. However, the article points out something interesting.

“Horton said tests have shown the top four inches of the North's greens drain only 0.02 inches per hour. Because some of the greens are severely sloped, the water rolls off before having a chance to be absorbed.”

Considering Billy Bell Sr. and Jr. emphasized surface drainage in their work, it sounds like the North greens are actually doing their job.