Torrey Pines South is the course that hosted the 2021 US Open, where Jon Rahm’s 18-foot putt on the 18th hole etched his name into golf history.
For more on the platform, read our GSPro review or check the best GSPro courses guide for other top-rated sim courses.
It’s also the course that plays 7,800 yards from the tips, sits on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, and has the most famous par 3 in California golf — the 3rd hole, which plays directly toward the ocean with nothing but sky and water behind the green.
On GSPro, Torrey Pines South is one of the most visually rewarding courses in the library. The cliffside setting, the Torrey Pines trees, the ocean views — it’s a course that’s defined by its location, and the GSPro version captures that location better than most.
Why Torrey Pines Works on Sim
Torrey Pines is a municipal golf course. That’s the most surprising thing about it. The same course that hosts the Farmers Insurance Open and the 2021 US Open is a public golf course in San Diego. You can play it for $200-$300 depending on the season. That’s a lot for a muni, but it’s a bargain for a course that has hosted a major championship.
On GSPro, the course’s defining feature is the length. 7,800 yards from the tips. That’s the longest course on the PGA Tour schedule outside of the majors. On sim, you’ll feel every yard. The fairways are generous, so you can hit driver on most holes. But the approaches are long, the greens are hard to hold, and the poa annua greens are as unpredictable as they are in real life.
The visual setting is the other highlight. The course sits on the cliffs above Torrey Pines State Reserve. The ocean is visible from multiple holes. The Torrey Pines trees — the gnarly, wind-sculpted trees that give the course its name — frame the fairways. On GSPro, the ocean views and the tree silhouettes create a setting that’s unmistakably Southern California.
Finding the Right Version
Search “Torrey Pines South” in Course Manager. The best versions are by designers who have captured the cliffside setting accurately.
There are multiple versions of Torrey Pines. Some combine the North and South courses. For the US Open course — the South course — you want the standalone build. Look for the version with the most downloads.
The most recent version is usually the best. Newer builds have better LIDAR data for the cliffside holes and more accurate rendering of the ocean.
Search term: “Torrey Pines South”
What It Actually Looks Like
The ocean views are the standout feature. The 3rd hole — the iconic par 3 that plays toward the Pacific — is rendered beautifully. The green sits above the cliff, the ocean stretches out behind it, and the wind is a factor. On GSPro, this is one of the best single holes in the library.
The Torrey Pines trees are the other visual signature. These are the bent, twisted trees that grow on the cliffs of Southern California. They look like nothing else in golf. The GSPro version captures them well — they frame the fairways, they create visual interest, and they make the course feel like Torrey Pines instead of a generic California course.
The greens are poa annua. This matters because poa annua greens are bumpy in the afternoon. On GSPro, the greens are smooth — that’s a limitation of the sim — but the speed and the breaks are accurate. The greens are fast, they’re sloped, and they require careful reading.
Playing Torrey Pines the Right Way
Conditions: Firm and fast. Torrey Pines is a California course. The fairways are firm. The greens are hard. The ball runs. Play it with firm conditions or you’re not playing the real course.
Tees: Championship tees. The course is 7,800 yards from the tips. That’s intimidating. Play it anyway. The fairways are generous enough that you can hit driver and find the short grass. The challenge is the approach shots, not the tee shots.
Wind: 10-15 mph. The ocean wind is a feature of the course. The cliffside holes are exposed. The inland holes are protected. The wind direction matters — it comes off the ocean on the front nine and shifts on the back.
The poa annua factor: In real life, Torrey Pines’ greens get bumpy as the day goes on. On GSPro, you don’t have to deal with that. Consider it a gift. The greens are still hard to read and fast enough to punish bad putts.
The Holes That Shine on Sim
Hole 3 — The par 3 with the ocean: 140 yards from the championship tees, playing toward the Pacific. The green is raised. The ocean is behind it. The wind is in your face. On GSPro, this is as close to perfect as a sim hole gets. The view is spectacular. The shot is demanding. The result is never guaranteed.
Hole 12 — The par 3 with the canyon: A 180-yard par 3 playing across a canyon. The green is surrounded by bunkers and the canyon is deep enough to swallow any ball that misses short. On GSPro, the canyon is rendered well enough that you’ll feel the nerves. Hit it long, hit it short, or hit it perfect. There’s no in-between.
Hole 18 — The finisher: The hole where Rahm made history. A 570-yard par 5 with the fairway sloping right to left. The approach is to a raised green with the clubhouse in the background. On GSPro, you’ll stand over the approach knowing that this is the same shot Rahm hit to win the 2021 US Open. Your version probably won’t be as memorable. But it’s still fun.
What I’d Change
The Torrey Pines trees are the most recognizable feature of the course. On GSPro, they’re represented well but don’t look as distinctive as the real thing. The real Torrey Pines have a specific shape — bent, twisted, wind-sculpted — that’s hard to render in a sim. The GSPro version gets close but doesn’t nail it. Minor complaint. The course plays beautifully.
Why This Matters
Torrey Pines South is the longest course on the PGA Tour schedule, one of the most famous municipal courses in the world, and the site of one of the most dramatic US Open finishes in history. On GSPro, you get to play it for free.
It’s not the hardest course on GSPro. It’s not the most strategic. But it’s one of the most visually rewarding. The ocean views, the cliffside holes, the Torrey Pines trees — it’s a course that makes you feel like you’re somewhere special. Go download it and hit the 3rd hole at sunset.
For a full breakdown of how GSPro compares to the competition, read the GSPro Software Review. Want more course recommendations? See the full list in The Best Courses on GSPro.