Torrey North Redo Update: Rendering Revealed

Tod Leonard files an update on the Torrey Pines North Course redo unveiling to the public, which includes a rendering of Phil Mickelson's vision for the remodeled muni.

The cartoonish drawing published with the story looks like someone who has never played golf is trying to put Aviara on the coast.

The Tuesday meeting was the third with the public, and Phil Mickelson Design Director Mike Angus spent more than an hour presenting a hole-by-hole portrait of the renovated North. At the heart of the work – estimated to be $7.8 million with a completion date of summer 2015 -- are a modernization of the greens and bunkers, more playability for the average golfer, and an aesthetic change that will eliminate 22 acres of plant material to create more “natural” terrain on the edges of the course.

And not to be underplayed: The course likely will be more appealing to the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open, though plenty of pros have said they haven’t seen any need to change the North.

There is also now a push to turn a portion of the property into upscale lodging for the Lodge at Torrey Pines, which it sounds like went over about as well with golfers as you'd expect.

Bill Evans, owner of the Lodge at Torrey Pines, said his idea for that space is to transfer a few Craftsman-style homes to the site and create a small “colony” of accommodations similar to Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach. Transportation to the site would be carts only, Evans said.