KTUA was part of the design team that developed a large scale design renovation of the Torrey Pines North 18-hole golf course. The project vision included re-designing and constructing new tee box complexes, fairway bunkers, green complexes, 5 acres of turf removal and conversion to native planting, new course irrigation, and new golf cart paths.

The project utilized the design-build delivery method with City of San Diego Golf Operations as the client and Wadsworth Golf Construction Co. as the prime contractor. KTUA performed as a sub-consultant to Wadsworth Golf alongside a design team comprised of world-renowned golf course designer Tom Weiskopf, O’Day Consulting Engineers, and Bryant Taylor Gordon Irrigation Design.

The renovation of the North Course represents a significant paradigm shift for this nationally recognized PGA and USGA tournament golf course.  In addition to the significant course design changes that will improve the golfing experience, the project is initiating turf reductions in an effort to conserve water.  KTUA lead the design and planning effort to identify the first five acres of turf removal from areas of the golf course that are not typically in play and that will be visible to players and the public to bring awareness to the City of San Diego Golf Operation’s efforts to conserve water.  Turf grass is being removed and replaced with natural groupings of native shrub plantings set in open decomposed granite areas.  The shrub groupings have been arranged to allow golfers to locate and play errant shots out of these new landscape areas.  The first five acres for turf conversion will serve as a model for the City’s goal of future phased turf conversion to reach a total of 20 acres of turf conversion.

In addition to aesthetic enhancement of the golf course, the new landscape areas are achieving the primary goal of water use reduction.  The new five acres of native plantings will require approximately 100,000 gallons of irrigation water annually as compared to 1.4 million gallons required to irrigate the same area of turf grass, resulting in a net water use reduction of 93% within the five acres of turf conversion.

Pre-Design water usage:  4,856,069 gal./year (estimated). Post-Design water usage:  529,341 gal./year (estimated)
Approx. water savings: 90% (estimated)