Fall the perfect time for golf in San Diego
SAN DIEGO — Summer sends vacationers flocking to the San Diego area, many of them bringing their golf clubs with them. Mild temperatures, great courses, superb conditions. What’s not to love? But there may be a better time to head to San Diego for golf: fall.
The courses are in great shape, crowds are smaller, deals abound, and the humid, cool and sometimes overcast weather isn’t quite so persistent.
The San Diego area has become one of the world’s top golf destinations, with around 90 courses in diverse settings from the beaches to the mountains. The list of courses includes some of the best in the country, including The Grand, Maderas Golf Club, La Costa Spa and Resort, Aviara Golf Club and Coronado Municipal. The most recognizable is up the coast from downtown San Diego at La Jolla’s Torrey Pines Golf Course, site of U.S. Opens and an annual PGA Tour event.
Temperatures during the fall are often in the 70s and 80s with lots of sun. And unlike the spring, when the courses are still rounding into shape, fall offers a chance to play courses that are often in perfect shape.
Fall is also a great time price-wise. Many courses in San Diego raise rates for the summer months, but prices drop once fall hits, often coming down to the same as winter rates.
Several resorts offer packages where guests get deals on hotel stays and tee times. The Fairmont Grand Del Mar has a Canyon to Coast package that offers two nights, two rounds of golf at The Grand Club and access to tee times at Torrey Pines. Rates start at $525 a night with a twonight minimum.
La Costa has a Stay and Play package that includes three nights, one round at each of its two courses and daily breakfast for around $1,500 for the entire stay.