Mickelson presents case for Torrey North renovation
- By Ryan Lavner
- Dec 20, 2012 4:13 PM ET

Phil Mickelson held a 90-minute presentation Wednesday night to discuss his renovation plans for the North Course at Torrey Pines.
Though the Rees Jones-designed South Course, host of the 2008 U.S. Open, is a brute, Lefty said he has no intentions of making the North Course as difficult.
“I do believe that modern-day architecture is the single-most reason why play and participation in golf has declined,” Mickelson said, via Tod Leonard of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “It’s just too hard. It’s not fun.”
The $7 million project, scheduled to begin in winter 2015, will include the rebuilding of all 18 greens and bunkers – Mickelson said the greens are more severely sloped than those at Augusta National – adding full cart paths and replacing the irrigation system.
During the presentation, Mickelson reportedly proposed these changes for the North Course: “fairways and greenside areas that will feed shots toward the hole, not repel it away; chipping areas that will challenge better players but allow higher handicappers to putt from off the green; greenside bunkers placed to the sides and not the front of greens; at least one drivable par 4 on each nine; shorter holes for women and juniors.”
Here is a video of Mickelson discussing the changes:
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Tags: Torrey Pines, Phil Mickelson
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Lavner is a staff writer for GolfChannel.com and is in charge of GolfTalkCentral.
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