Phoenix to San Diego road trip: 20 stops worth the detour

The bolder of Verrado's two courses, with big elevation swings against the White Tank Mountains. A Tom Lehman design the West Valley quietly considers its best public play.

A Mexico City-style torta legend on North 7th Street, featured on Man v. Food and beloved for enormous, overstuffed sandwiches.

A 27-hole Gary Player design in the rugged canyons east of San Diego, with dramatic elevation and quiet surroundings. A scenic, well-priced round.

a neighborhood Phoenix brewery widely rated among the state’s best

A wedding-cake "castle" on a cactus hill in Phoenix, ringed by one of the oldest saguaro gardens in the country.

A cozy, wood-and-fire smokehouse on 16th Street with pecan-grilled steaks, a fireside cellar-like bar, and a deep wine list.

Longtime family Baja-seafood spot that grew from a hole-in-the-wall into a bustling sit-down room famous for cheap, crunchy fish tacos and aguachile. Order: Fish tacos.

Chef Mickey Ninomiya's Kearny Mesa spot blending Japanese and Thai influences into inventive, precisely plated dishes with a devoted following. Order: Chef tasting.

Family-run specialist in central-Mexican pit-roasted lamb barbacoa, serving consomme, quesotacos and whole-sheep cuts rarely found north of the border. Order: Barbacoa de borrego.

A fresh Nicklaus design at the base of the White Tanks, Troon-managed and currently open for daily-fee play. Catch it while you can, as it is slated to go private as the community fills in.

Forty-year La Jolla milestone-dinner institution above the cove, with a stunning ocean terrace and refined California coastal cooking. Order: Local seafood.

clear, protected water with sea lions, leopard sharks, and reef snorkeling

A municipal course on the cliffs above the Pacific that has twice hosted the US Open, most famously Tiger's 2008 win. Anyone can play where champions have, ocean glittering off to the right.

a San Diego icon famous for Speedway Stout, with a Tony Gwynn museum

A Tom Fazio canyon course at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, tucked into the Los Penasquitos preserve north of San Diego. Lush, secluded, and immaculate.

the famous thin-rock photo spot near San Diego

A dramatic Johnny Miller and Robert Muir Graves design in the hills of Poway, with waterfalls, oaks, and big elevation. One of San Diego's best daily-fees.

a long sandy beach under red bluffs and rare Torrey pine reserve views

California’s vast Saharan dune sea