U.S. Open June 9-15, 2008

On October 4, 2002 the United States Golf Association awarded the 2008 U.S. Open Golf Tournament to Torrey Pines Golf Course. It will be the first time the Open has been played at Torrey Pines and the first time the U.S. Open has been held in Southern California since 1948. Torrey Pines will be the first true municipal golf course to host this event in the 108-year history of the U.S. Open.

Torrey Pines was selected to host the U.S. Open almost immediately after celebrated golf course designer Rees Jones completed remodeling the South Course, an endeavor that has been met with almost universal acclaim. Rees relocated several greens to the edge of the canyon and lengthened the course to 7,607 yards making it now one of the longest courses on the PGA tour and 379 yards longer than any previous U.S. Open course. In addition, the course is a par 71 making it the second time the U.S. Open has hosted a tournament on a course of this length (2000 U.S. Open - Pebble Beach Golf Links - 6,846 yards).

According to course managers, the most challenging aspect of getting the course ready for the Open has been converting the turf to the appropriate varieties of grass. While Torrey Pines hosts the Buick Invitational every January, during the U.S. Open the South Course turf will be much drier and much firmer. Additional differences are the green speeds will be much faster, the fairways will be narrower in spots and the roughs' grass height will be higher and denser.

To prepare for the U.S. Open, the South Course will close to the public on May 21, 2008 and reopen on June 19, 2008. The North Course will close to the public on May 12, 2008 to set up infrastructure for the Open. The North course will reopen as a nine-hole course in July 2008 and the entire course will play as an 18-hole course in September 2008.

USGA tournament coordinators estimate the South Course at Torrey Pines could hold approximately 42,500 paid spectators per day. USGA tournament organizers and officials estimate having the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines will rank as one of the area's most lucrative sporting events ever, bringing millions of dollars to the local economy. They also feel that hosting the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines will demonstrate to the worldwide golfing community and the world that public golf courses, where many golfers initially learn to play, can successfully host major events. With a tee time, the public golfer will be able to play Torrey Pines up to three and half weeks before the U.S. Open and experience the course just as some of the greatest golfers in the world will during the rigorous tournament.

For information on tickets and television coverage during the tournament, please visit the official U.S. Open website.