Could Carlsbad Become the Omaha of College Golf? Momentum Is Building

Omaha. Oklahoma City. Carlsbad?

The NCAA golf championships have reached a fever pitch in Southern California, as the event continues to gain momentum in its third year at what could ultimately be its permanent host site—like the men’s and women’s College World Series have in their respective longtime host cities.

The North Course at the Omni La Costa resort this week is concluding another round of NCAA golf championships as part of a five-year deal. The golf course underwent a $20 million–plus renovation between 2022 and 2024 ahead of its first NCAA hosting duties, which was part of a larger $200 million project at the resort.

Preston Stout from Oklahoma State won the 2026 NCAA men’s golf individual title Monday after finishing first in the four-round stroke play tournament that doubles as a qualifier for the team bracket. The win earns Stout, 21, exemptions into this month’s U.S. Open and the 2027 Masters, if he remains an amateur.

Last week, Stanford won the women’s team title and Texas junior Farah O’Keefe won the individual women’s championship. 

A men’s team champion will be crowned Wednesday. This year’s eight-team D-I men’s championship bracket was set late Monday after UCLA and Stanford prevailed in a wild four-team playoff for the final two spots that included 20 players. Tennessee and North Carolina fell just short.

Amid the thrilling conclusion to this year’s festivities, players, schools, and college golf fans alike have started to become more familiar with La Costa, which from 1969 to 1998 hosted the PGA Tour’s former Tournament of Champions, as well as other major professional events throughout the years.

Total attendance for the men’s and women’s golf championships in Carlsbad was 13,958 in 2024 and 7,884 in 2025, according to an NCAA site selection process draft bid for the 2029-31 events. Ticket prices have ranged from $10 for single-day admission to $84 for all-session passes.

Bidding for the next round of championships opens in July, and host sites will be announced in February 2027.

It is a unique setup in California, as the golf championships are hosted by the University of Texas, whose men’s golf coach, John Fields, has a strong relationship with the Dallas-based Omni resorts. Typically, local universities act as host institutions for NCAA championships.

The original deal to bring the golf championships to Southern California was for 2024 through 2026, but after finding success last year, that was extended to 2028.