Any suggestions for public golf courses in San Diego?
Tom- what level of green fees are you comfortable paying? There is a wide range in the area.
Pete thanks for your help.
We will be based in Coronado.
Say $75 to $125
Tom, you can start with Coronado Muni. It is a fun track w ~$30 green fees. Always in great shape despite the play it gets. The biggest golf bargain in the county.
Salt Creek is another good one although it’s been a few years since I’ve played it. It’s south of Coronado, but not far.
The $125 should get you on Torrey Pines North during the week. Tom Weiskopf just completed a renovation and I love it. The South course is a bit more. It’s a monster. If you play it, don’t let your ego dictate the tees you choose. It plays much longer than its yardage. You can generally walk on to either course as a twosome during the week with only a short wait.
In North County, Aviara and Maderas are both excellent courses but ~$170 each. If by chance you end up at Maderas, give thought to renting a Golf Board. Kind of a one person, motorized skateboard golf cart. Fun!
If more come to mind, I’ll add to this post. Have fun!
Barona Creek is my favorite public course in the area. Its in the neighborhood of $120.
Torrey Pines to me is a must-North Course for the views. Although I last played it in 1996 or so!!
If I recall Balboa Park had a decent course.
But others would have more recent insigh.
Torrey isn’t open when I’m there.
How much is la Costa. I played it a number of years ago at a partner retreat but the firm was paying.
There’s Encinitas Ranch in north county. Haven’t played there in quite a while, but it was pretty decent. Out to the east there are several courses, Cottonwood, Singing Hills, and Steele Canyon are a few. My in laws live very near Mission Trails, which is kind of a low end course, but it’s OK, cheap, and you can always get on there, so I play there when visiting them. Riverwalk in Mission Valley, I’ve never played there. You could try to walk on at La Jolla Country Club 
Big fan of Aviara