The Grand Del Mar: Luxury's new standard in San Diego

San Diego will bask in the golf world's spotlight not once but twice in 2008. The Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, typically the season's first tournament appearance of Tiger Woods, is annually staged in late January. And this year, in mid-June, the best players in the world return to Southern California for the U.S. Open, also to be held at Torrey Pines.

The Grand Del Mar front entrance lobby

When the players arrive, they will have a wider-than-ever selection of outstanding golf resort accommodations in the San Diego area. The Lodge at Torrey Pines -- right next to the tournament course -- Four Seasons Resort Aviara and La Costa Resort and Spa have all been favorites for many years now. But in late 2007, a new luxury destination opened that rivals them all for opulence, service and overall guest experience: The Grand Del Mar.

Just minutes from Torrey Pines, The Grand Del Mar boasts its own great golf course -- a Tom Fazio design reserved for members and resort guests -- along with 249 elegantly-appointed guestrooms and suites, a 21,000-square-foot spa and fitness facility, several restaurants -- including one of the best in the region, Addison -- and a spectacular hilltop setting in the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve.

Its location inside the protected canyon preserve provides The Grand Del Mar an air of privacy and exclusivity that is hard to come by in Southern California. There are no rows of homes on the fairways or ridgelines, just golf in the middle of beautiful nature. At sunset, as you finish your round, you can often hear the not-so-distant barking of coyotes in the rugged neighboring canyons.

Originally opened in 1999 as a par-71 public facility (then known as Meadows Del Mar), the golf course and surrounding property were acquired in 2003 by "Papa" Doug Manchester and Manchester Financial Group, whose other holdings include the equally exclusive Whitetail Club & Resort in McCall, Idaho. One of the first things Manchester did was rehire Fazio to extend the course to par 72 and oversee other upgrades that would bring the layout to "championship" caliber.

The course now plays to 7,160 yards from all the way back, and is a strong challenge to better players. At the same time, thoughtfully placed tee boxes also provide a very friendly round to resort-level and women players, as the more forward tees often cut short forced carries and allow ample room to play the ball along the ground.

As much fun as you'll have on the golf course, though, just wait until you get inside the elegant clubhouse. There's The Clubhouse Grill for lunch and daytime meals -- the fish tacos are a must! -- but stay for dinner, as Addison is a special treat. Chef William Bradley -- formerly of Vu, one of Scottsdale's top venues -- has created a classic four-course menu highlighted by exquisitely prepared dishes and a service level more often found in royal palaces than at golf course clubhouses.

View of No. 18 and clubhouse

As examples of Addison's delightful cuisine, the four dishes I tried the evening my wife and I visited were: forest mushroom velouté with a lobster foam and toasted cinnamon; Meyer lemon risotto delicately seasoned with rosemary and thyme; wild Scottish salmon in white wine with roasted eggplant and toasted pine nuts; and pistachio parfait accompanied by a honeycomb gelato.

The resort's architectural design -- hence the name of the clubhouse restaurant -- pays tribute to the renowned American architect Addison Mizner (1872-1933), whose Spanish Revival style is found extensively throughout South Florida and draws on the gracefully arched doorways, decorative columns, wrought-iron accents and lulling pastel color palettes of the Mediterranean.

But at The Grand Del Mar, guestroom furnishings are highly personal, making a stay here feel as though you're a guest at a grand Italian palace. The soft colors are accented by high-tech electronics (such as multiple flat screens and push-button fireplaces in most rooms), and décor bordering on ornate.

"We hear from our guests that it feels like a Mediterranean estate," said Tom Voss, president of Manchester Grand Resorts. "It has a little bit of Morocco, a little bit of France and a little bit Italy. It's warm and friendly, yet at the same time we value our guests' privacy very highly."

So while Torrey Pines might be basking in the tournament golf spotlight this year, savvy travelers will nearby bask in a glory all their own, at The Grand Del Mar.