Torrey Pines a Public Jewel High Above the Pacific

Mickelson has won his hometown PGA tournament, the Buick Invitational, three times. Tiger Woods has won it six times. Although Woods is originally from up the freeway in Cypress, he's been dominating at Torrey Pines since he was known by his given name, Eldrick, and playing in the Junior World Golf Championships.

Perez worked and played at Torrey Pines as a teenager. He was part of the "Dawn Patrol," the hard-core golfers who show up in the middle of the night to claim a spot in line for one of the first-come, first-served spots available before reserved tee times kicked in.

"Every single day I'd be there," he said. "I'd sleep in the parking lot to be able to play in the morning. You had to get out early. The pro shop doesn't open until 6 and the first (tee) time was 6:24. I'd get there with my coach, about 2, we'd sleep for a couple of hours, get breakfast and tee off. Then I'd work in the afternoon. That was the best deal in town. You could play for $20."

The city has mandated that 70 percent of tee times go to residents.

The South Course will reopen June 19. Walking rates for city residents are $42 Mondays through Thursdays and $49 on weekends. Nonresidents pay $145 and $181. After July 1, residents will pay $43 and $49, while nonresidents will pay $160 and $200.

The North Course is easier and a little more scenic, but it won't be open for 18-hole play until sometime around Sept. 1. Part of it has been turned into a tent city for corporate hospitality and two holes are being used as driving ranges. Rates for residents will be $36 weekdays and $45 weekends, and $90 and $113 for nonresidents.

Reservations can be booked eight to 90 days in advance, for $26 a player for residents and $37 for nonresidents. A week out, there's an automated system for locals only.

"They're making a killing," Perez said. "They could charge $300. They could be just like Pebble."

Another San Diegan, Craig Stadler, provided one of the most memorable moments in Torrey Pines history during the third round of the 1987 Andy Williams Open. When his tee shot on No. 14 nestled next to a Leyland Cypress, Stadler decided to take a shot from his knees, using a towel to protect his turquoise pants from the wet grass.

Alerted by TV viewers, PGA officials decided Stadler had broken rule 13-3, which prohibits "building a stance." Stadler was subsequently disqualified because he did not assess the two-stroke penalty.

The Walrus lost $37,000, but got his revenge in 1995 when he ceremoniously took a chain saw to the diseased tree.

Unfortunately, the adjacent Torrey Pines Gliderport will be closed during the Open, meaning no hang gliders drifting overhead.

No doubt, though, the pros who know about Black's Beach will take a peek down the cliff from the fourth hole.

"The only time I ever looked down there, I saw a guy playing Frisbee by himself," two-time Open winner Lee Janzen said. "Luckily, we were so far away I couldn't see anything."