Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines: Watching PGA Tour Golf from Suite 16

When William - whom I first met at a Robb Report Culinary Masters event in Newport Beach (Robb Report Culinary Masters: Cooking Class with Chef Angie Mar) and later for lunch in New York at Centurion (Centurion New York) - invited me to watch the Farmers Insurance Open from Scott Dunn Travel’s suite at Torrey Pines, I said - yes.

Watching PGA Tour golf unfold stroke by stroke from the relaxed comfort of a suite overlooking Hole 16 was an experience I didn’t want to miss. While my own golf clubs see the driving range more often than a full round, this was one invitation worth planning around. I opted for an overnight stay in San Diego, skipping the tournament-day traffic from Los Angeles to La Jolla.

What to Wear

Figuring out what to wear – so that I fit in but still had my own style, was a challenge. I honestly did not pull it together until I packed my travel backpack a few hours before leaving Los Angeles.

I settled on a relative neutral but pop of color outfit: relaxed caramel colored pants from Old Navy, a blouse bodysuit from Nordstrom; a Hermes scarf I’d purchased from the store in Aspen, Colorado; and a pair of leopard print flats from Birdies.

My first compliment came as I checked out of my hotel - The Monsaraz San Diego, Tapestry Collection by Hilton - the morning of the tournament. A staff member broke from her meeting to compliment my look. Needless to say, I was exceptionally pleased. I had anxiety the whole week about the right combination. It felt good to know that I hit the bullseye with styling.

Parking + Shuttle

My parking pass was for the Beach Lot. After some confusion, I was able to follow a kind traffic officer’s directions, continue down Torrey Pines Road and follow the signs to park at the Torrey Pines State Beach – North Beach Lot.

Once I arrived, I parked and easily found and got on the transportation shuttle to the Torrey Pines Golf Course drop-off, located at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines.

Walking to Suite 16

Now, William had warned me that it was a bit of a walk from the shuttle point to Suite 16. But, as I made my way around, I realized how absolutely gorgeous the course was.

Suite 16 was situated a bit beyond Suite 17 and the other hospitality structures. But, I enjoyed every step of the way.

Once I arrived, my pass was scanned on my phone. I was given a wrist band and instructed how to scan in and out of the suite. After that, I entered and almost immediately found William in the Scott Dunn Travel suite box.

The Suite Life

It was a pleasure to savor the relaxed refinement of the experience. As I talked with William, I congratulated him on his new growing family. As we talked about my recent trip to se the aurora borealis in Yellowknife (Travel Guide: Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada), we laughed that the -30 degrees I endured made New York’s brisk 22 degrees seem warm in comparison.

After a bit of conversation, I moved to the suite’s bar. There, I ordered a Bushmills Irish Coffee (Bushmills 10 Year Single Malt, Fever-Tree Espresso martini mix, whipped cream)

The buffet was also delicious. I enjoyed the ORCHARD SALAD (mixed baby lettuce, honey crisp apples, blueberries, toasted almonds, fresh goat cheese, citrus vinaigrette) along with the CITRUS ROASTED PULLED PORK (sweet and spicy citrus-chipotle sauce – served with brioche buns) and the LA JOLLA LEMON CHICKEN (light lemon-caper jus – served with marinated artichokes and charred lemons).

I opted to not try the GREEN CHILI MAC & CHEESE or the ASSORTED BROWNIES as I didn’t want to get too full.

Watching the players play Hole 16 while making small talk with other guests was a delight. I felt right in the action. As players made the hole, I clapped alongside others in the suite. When they just missed the mark, the suite let out a collective “awwww.”

Later, I also enjoyed sipping the Dobel Ace Paloma (Dobel Diamante Cristalino Tequila, lime juice, Fever-Tree grapefruit soda, grapefruit garnish).

I even conversed and laughed with fellow “sometimes” golfers about having golf clubs but never using them.

Overall

Overall, my time at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla was an absolute delight. As I said goodbye to everyone and walked back to the Hilton pick up point, I watched a staff member walk around with the bronze and patina winner’s trophy of the lone Torrey Pine, sculpted by Malcolm DeMille.

It was fun watching people stop in their tracks, check it out, and take photos with it.

I even had an encounter where the crowed was stopped for a golfer to play close to the walkway.

From the ease of the suite to the beauty of the course and the unhurried joy of simply being present, my experience of watching the Farmers Insurance Open reminded me how powerful it can be to say yes – to invitations, to moments, and to life unfolding exactly as it should.

- -