Thanks everyone especially hsv and Barbara about the golf courses.
Fodor's Guide to California said that Torrey Pines is pretty much impossible to get in.
hsv-thanks for your suggestion of the Coronado Island Golf Course. That sounds about right. Views of the bay and a fairly challenging course are what we are looking for!

If $$ are not an object - might look into golf at the Four Seasons Hotel in Carlsbad and the Aviara Golf Club- believe green fees are $185 or so - its supposed to be one of the best in the area - and you might see some celebreties who frequent the place.

And while your husband is golfing you can check out the village of Carlsbad which is one of my favorite places on the coast - there is a great outlet mall - plus downtown Carlsbad Village has several cute stores and restaurants. My daughter lives there and I love to visit

Barbara,

greetings to S.D. from this side of the pond!
5 h a.m. can indeed make a difference - I tried it and succeeded. Although I was surprised to find people in line before me at that time of day - but those enthusiasts had actually camped on the parking lot in order to be there in time!

hsv,

Hi! That's interesting. Every now and then, we hear in the media from golfers who live in San Diego and who are unable to get tee times. It's actually a source of great annoyance as it happens all the time.

Barbara,

I know about the problem - and quite a few of those unable to get in play at Singing Hills, instead, from what I have been told - BTW a course that was also mentioned by memejw.
However, I haven't played there, so do have no expertise to share.

BTW I should stress that getting to Torrey Pines at 5 a.m. <b><i>does not guarantee</i></b> that one gets on!

Has anyone stayed at or know anything about Staybridge Suites San Diego - Carmel Mountain, CA?
It looks like it gets great reviews on trip advisor. Does anyone have first hand experience with it?
It looks like it is about 25 miles from the zoo and other attractions.
Is this right? Perhaps a local can help me out... :) Thanks!

memejw,I live quite close to that area. It's pretty commercial. The hotel is on a side street, but close to Costco! I really think you would be better to stay closer to downtown or La Jolla or Del Mar.

If you do stay at the Stayridge Suites, try to avoid I-15 South during the morning rush hour and the same freeway going north in the afternoon. The afternoon traffic is even worse than the morning, IMO. There is a car pool/multiple occupancy lane which you should use. During the week, it goes south in the am and north in the pm. On weekends, it goes north all the time. You must have two or more people in your vehicle. You can get to I-5, Del Mar, and Torrey Pines easily using the 56 West. Try not to avoid this freeway going east in the afternoon rush hour. It gets really backed up at the 15.

There are lots of chain restaurants nearby. The Claim Jumper is the closest and the others are Islands, California Pizza Kitchen, Friday's, Chevy's and that Fodor favorite, the Olive Garden!

There are a few good restaurants too. Right behind the Olive Garden in a little strip mall is a small Italian place called - I think - Luna. It's very, very good. Bernardo's, the French Market Grille and El Bizcocho in the Ranco Bernardo Inn are also not far. You can easily get to Ranco Santa Fe and Mille Fleurs.

Sorry, I posted this before I meant to. At the end of the second para, it should read &quot;try to avoid this freeway....&quot;

You'll have a great time. The weather is lovely just now. Warm during the day and chilly, for us anyway, in the evening.

Sounds like the weather here from June - October.
M

Hmmm, really liked the idea of having a kitchenette and a laundry center for our 5 night/6 day stay.
The Homestead got horrible reviews on trip advisor.
What about the Town and Country Resort &amp; Convention Center? There's no kitchenette but it looks like it has everything else we would like.
I guess there's always Holiday Inn...
It looks like there are two; one downtown and another is called Holiday Inn on the Bay. I wonder if the one on the bay is actually worth the extra cash.
BTW, I just received my information packages from the San Diego tourist board. I cannot wait!!

Before you retreat to a random Holiday Inn (not that there's anything wrong with it), I would suggest to take acloser look at the Del Mar/ La Jolla area. Very pretty, nice beaches (particularly in Del Mar), very conveniently located for driving into downtown, some good dining options (particularly in La Jolla) and some good and reasonably priced lodging options such as the Del Mar Hilton, the Best Western Stratford Inn, the Doubletree (the pool is a bit noisy as there are two freeways close by, but otherwise pretty good) etc.

hate to be so negative, but the Town and Country Resort is terribly disappointing. Its tired, outdated decor was shocking and the carpet in the rooms looked dirty and worn. The only good part is the location! Next to a mall. Even the pool is in terrible shape - looks like its been patched a couple of times.
The free breakfast is also bad...

There are so many other hotels to chose from...I'm not familiar with anything else since my son just started college at SDSU and we've only visited twice.

memejw, the Holiday Inn on the Bay would be good. The location is terrific. They have rooms overlooking the Bay or downtown San Diego. Each has its merits. You can easily walk to many great restaurants, plus you're right at the Embarcadero where the Star of India is docked. It's a short cab ride away from the Gaslampo Quarter. This is the best of the places you've mentioned so far.