The Century Club of San Diego is a 501(c)(3) that operates San Diego’s annual PGA TOUR event, the Farmers Insurance Open, at the historic Torrey Pines golf course to benefit the community economically and charitably. Composed of San Diego’s brightest business leaders, the Century Club is dedicated to maximizing support for the San Diego community and local youth programs.
Since 1961, the Century Club has used golf as the platform to showcase San Diego to an international audience, generate revenue for the city, and make a difference in our community by creating programs that benefit at-risk and underserved youth charities.
The Century Club of San Diego was founded in July of 1961 when tournament officials of the then-San Diego Open decided they must have a broader base of support than a single corporate sponsorship. The Century Club was so named because individual memberships were initially priced at $100 each.
From the start, the Century Club was intent on bolstering the tournament while supporting the local community.
Under the leadership of the late Frank Alessio, the Century Club formed a partnership with celebrity host Andy Williams, dubbing the event the Andy Williams San Diego Open in 1968. That same year the Century Club moved the event to Torrey Pines Golf Course. Over the years, the tournament has been sponsored by the Wickes Companies, Inc., American Isuzu Motors, Shearson Lehman Brothers, and Buick Motor. On January 18, 2010, just 10 days before the Tournament, the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies stepped in as title sponsor. The current agreement extends through the 2026 Tournament.
Throughout this time, the Century Club has refined and evolved its charitable mission to focus on maximizing the resources and awareness generated by the tournament to create programs that benefit the local community with a special focus on supporting at-risk youth organizations.