Lindsey King, with children Hendricks and Nola, at the beach in Del Mar, where it isn now illegal to dig in the sand. (Photo by Ron Donoho/Times of San Diego) A headline earlier this year caused my Gen X brain to recoil and wonder, “How has it come to this?” The Del Mar City Council had just voted to ban digging holes and burying people in the sand at its 2.2 miles of beaches. Violators could face fines.