One of the PGA Tour's four major championships returns to San Diego!

The 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines had it all. It was the first major championship golf event in San Diego, shining the spotlight on the county’s most-revered course, Torrey Pines Golf Course. Hopes were high for a successful event. What transpired was one of golf’s most epic showdowns, forever cementing Torrey Pines’ place among the world’s elite courses and in golf history.

It took a clutch putt and an 18-hole Monday playoff to clinch what many consider Tiger Woods' greatest major championship performance. The battle against PGA Tour veteran Rocco Mediate was one for the ages, punctuated by news that Tiger played through a broken leg to claim the title. At the start of 2018, it remains the last of Woods’ 14 major championship victories, four short of the record held by Jack Nicklaus.

AND NOW IT WILL HAVE A SEQUEL

The United States Golf Association has awarded Torrey Pines in La Jolla its long-awaited second U.S. Open, slated for July 17-20, 2021.

We'll continue to update this information as it becomes available but for now this post is a future reminder of the return of one of the PGA Tour's four major championships to the sunny shores of San Diego.

Total attendance for the 2008 Open was 295,000. The 2021 event should see similar attendance so plan your trip to the Open early. And golfers who have Open fever have an array of merchandise options to choose from in the Torrey Pines pro shop, everything from logo hats and shirts to golf balls and towels.

As is standard for Opens, the course will be closed during the tournament and the week of preparation prior. Fortunately for visiting golfers who want to squeeze in a few rounds during those two weeks, San Diego has abundant options, with around 90 golf courses in the county.

WHERE TO GOLF

Golfers staying downtown are likely to gravitate to Riverwalk Golf Club and its 27 holes, harbor-side Coronado Golf Course on Coronado Island, or Balboa Park Golf Course, one of Torrey Pines' sister San Diego public courses.

Those willing to drive a little can discover Maderas Golf Club in Poway, formerly rated as one of the county's two courses rated top 100 by Golf Digest, or Barona Creek in Lakeside, another course consistently rated among California's best, as is the Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad.

Until 2021, we have the annual Farmers Insurance Open to look forward to and rounds on the South Course and the renovated North Course to enjoy. Yes, golfers have it good in San Diego.

Find where to tee off at San Diego's 90+ golf courses here!