The bad news: Torrey Pines has around $12 million or so to spend on work to update the South Course 16 years after its last major Rees Jones renovation. (Tod Leonard explained what was planned last October before the bids came in.)
The good news? The bids to update irrigation, install completely unnecessary bunker liners and to tweak many of the holes Jones didn't get right the first time, came in too high. Work planned for 2018 will not happen until contractors come back with better pricing, which means the work will be a rush job, more disruptive to play and do little to enhance the course for daily fee golfers.
This work should not happen until the City of San Diego catches up with the rest of the world and earmarks this money to creating more sustainable architecture that takes turf out of play. And more importantly, takes one of the great sites for golf on the planet and finds a design that accentuates this beautiful place.
You will not be shocked that I got a look at the notes for upcoming changes and they fail to inspire. Holes four and 17, which currently fail to take strategic advantage of the amazing canyons, are slated for try #2 by the Jones firm. No one is optimistic they will improve. But we won't know until late 2019. By then any redesign fiascos will be tough to remedy in time for the 2021 U.S. Open.
Given the incredible conditioning work by Rich McIntosh and crew to have Torrey Pines more immaculately presented than ever before, it's hard to fathom how $12 million will make things any better. More likely, the work will only disrupt South Course play, entrench the Jones insipidness for generations to come, and enrich some of golf construction's lesser contractors.
There are better ways to manage this money:
Option 1: replace the maintenance yard tent erected for the 2008 U.S. Open (logo still emblazened on the side, see photo). I can't think of a more absurd sight than the 2021 U.S. Open returning with the same lousy makeshift facility for story expensive equipment. If nothing else, the taxpayers of San Diego deserve not having to drive Torrey Pines Road and looking at a tent.
Option 2: Invest in a mutual fund, Apple or a penny stock to buy time and reconsider how to remedy the misuse of this magnificent site after the U.S. Open.
Option 3: Pay Rees Jones and friends $1 million to take three-year vacation, then give $11 million to spend on other rundown city courses and leave Torrey Pines alone.
Option 4: Put all of the money into saving the Torrey Pine, which, based on the bark beetles efforts at Torrey Pines Golf Course visible this year, is in serious trouble of existing as the primary tree by 2021.
Option 5: Donate to the Century Club in hopes they can buy another grandstand for Farmers Insurance Open fans who paid $55 to (stand) and watch golf. Two would be better than one!
Option 6: Cash out the $12 million, tease the briefcase full of green in front of Rees Jones, then ask a paraglider to dispense all of it over citizens sunbathing at Black's Beach. At least in that scenario you'd be giving back to the people.